


Between Dreams and Memories - A DreamSMP Retelling [Season 1]

by Salty_Sam



Series: Between Dreams And Memories Universe [1]
Category: DreamSMP, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: (Very mild references though), (idk yet), (mostly but maybe some one sided Quackity/Schlatt for the sake of plot), (very mild tho), Addiction, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Backstory, Big Brothers, Canon Rewrite, Canonical Character Death, Dave | Technoblade and Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are Siblings, Dissociation, During Canon, F/M, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Father Figures, Fights, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Jschlatt-centric, Light Angst, M/M, Mianite references, Minecraft, Near Death Experiences, No Romance, No Smut, Older Sibling Wilbur Soot, PLEASE NOTE: THIS FIC HAS THE LUNCH CLUB BUT IT DOES NOT INCLUDE CMC. HE IS REPLACED BY JOKO., Platonic Relationships, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Revolution, SMPEarth references, SMPLive references, Short Chapters, Sleepy Boys, The Nether (Minecraft), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit Friendship, TommyInnit Angst (Video Blogging RPF), Violence, War, Wilbur Soot-centric, and dreamons, and mrbeast, and the techno vs dream duel, because i miss it, long read, long story, lunch club references, smplive gets like 20 chapters to itself, theres a lot of stuff here lmao, this includes the potato war as well
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:54:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 158
Words: 453,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26678554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salty_Sam/pseuds/Salty_Sam
Summary: Wilbur Soot had been living in his dreams for his whole life, disassociating and slipping into distant memories so much he barely knew what real life was any more.TommyInnit had been looking for a man from his dreams for years now, searching for someone he didn’t even know existed for sure.And when the two finally met in the DreamSMP and Wilbur became aware for the first time in years, what followed was a war, an election, a revolution and an irreversible disaster.Wilbur isn’t who he thinks he is.Tommy doesn’t remember everything.A fallen emperor watches from the woods.A father searches for his lost sons.And a businessman flips a coin, lustful for revenge.Welcome to the DreamSMP.---This fic is my re-telling of the first season of the DreamSMP, with slightly more fleshed out characters, lore I made up to explain certain OOC elements, and a whole lot more drama and seriousness.This fic also includes a completely original backstory for most major characters, original lore, retellings of events on SMPLive and SMPEarth, and references to and appearances from dozens of characters not usually included in the DreamSMP story.Enjoy!
Relationships: Connor | ConnorEatsPants & Jschlatt, Dave | Technoblade & TommyInnit & Wilbur Soot & Phil Watson, Jschlatt & Minx | JustAMinx (Video Blogging RPF), Jschlatt & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Jschlatt & Wilbur Soot, Kristin Rosales Watson/Phil Watson, Minx | JustAMinx & Niki | Nihachu, Niki | Nihachu & Wilbur Soot, No Romantic Relationship(s), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Zak Ahmed & Darryl Noveschosch
Series: Between Dreams And Memories Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2182404
Comments: 4271
Kudos: 1377





	1. The Dreams

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Polski available: [Między Snami A Wspomnieniami - DreamSMP Przepisane [Sezon 1]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28503825) by [Salty_Sam](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salty_Sam/pseuds/Salty_Sam)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur remembers some familiar faces, meets a strange boy and wakes up. Tommy, on the other hand, finds a home.

Ever since he was a boy, Wilbur Soot had dreams.

His memories and dreams begun to blend together from day to day. What he remembered and what he saw when his mind was far away at night seemed to be one, both equally vague, and yet so incredibly real and clear. He would live in his sleep and he would walk in his dreams, wandering in an endless haze. Nothing was ever clear. Nothing was ever right. Nothing pieced together. Nothing fit in. He had no idea about his own life, about his own story. Every moment was just another unfitting piece of the puzzle, dropped into the mix. But there was some of them – Some storylines, almost, some worlds, some stories, that he took and put together.

He had a close friend? - enemy? - lover? It was hard to tell with all of the jumbled memories, but he remembered some things. A convincing voice, a chilling laugh, and a cold, angry glare. The voice, any time it spoke, made him trust whoever it was. The laugh, whenever it echoed through his mind, made him tremble in terror. And the eyes, whenever he saw them, burned through him and made him wish he knew who they belonged to. But he never found out.

He had a companion? - co-worker? - ruler? It was impossible to figure out with how everything flowed together, crumbling any time he tried to hold on. But he remembered very small elements. A glimmering crown, blood stained hands and a sharp sword. The crown, any time it showed itself, reminded him there was someone strong leading him on. The blood stains, any time they appeared, showed him he was dealing with something powerful, something twisted. And the sharp sword – A sword that had taken more lives than any other, a sword that had toppled empires and ended eras... He wished he knew who wielded such a weapon. But he never found out.

He had a brother? - cousin? - son? There was no way for him to know for sure with how much of a mess his mind was at all times, but he remembered fractions of him, he remembered elements of his face. That annoying laugher, that light blonde tuft of curly hair, and those three music discs. The laughter, although it came at the worst times, always made him feel like things were okay. The hair, whenever he saw it, made him remember the person he cared for was safe. The three discs, the discs that, as long as they remained in his possession, showed that things were normal. He wished to know who the owner of these three discs was. But he never found out.

He had friends? Family? He had people with him, he had worlds he ruled. He had a land all for him, he lived in a land belonging to someone else. Sometimes he wielded a weapon and slay hundreds – Other times he was the one being slain. He would talk to people, he would tell them of his life? Dreams? Hallucinations? Nothing ever stayed, nothing ever remained, everything was a passing glance filled with fakes and red herrings, no truth was clear and no lie seemed to ever be told. Everything was fact but nothing made sense, everything was a constant haze, a constant fog covering up the true order of things and he would never know what was happening because this was his life and this was what was going on this was

Wilbur Soot remembered his son.

That's when it started. That was the first time his memories finally fell into one, clean line, and his dreams became something he no longer mistook for reality, but instead clear fiction. When he held him in his arms, when he watched him look back with those bright eyes. No chilling laugh, no blood-stained hands, and not a single music disc. All it was was his son, and he knew he was real. He knew he was there, and he knew he finally had something to fight for. He was still lost, wandering in the fog, but he was finally with someone, he finally had a definitive to hang onto. Where did he come from? Who was the mother? How would he know, from all these dreams and memories? But he knew he was there, and he knew his name.

His name was Fundy, and he was real.

From this single truth came more and more, from a small caravan by a lake to a nearby, ever-growing city. He started seeing people, people who he could hold onto. No longer were the mysterious eyes glaring at him, no longer was the sharp sword taking lives, and no longer was the blond tuft of curly hair wandering around his mind. He was finally grounded in a singular reality, a reality he could understand. He lived by a lake while a nation grew nearby – Eventually, he was invited to become a part of this very nation himself. He didn't know how he got there, who the creators of it were, or why they wanted him and his son on their side. But they didn't ask questions, and that was all he needed. He got to finally live a free life. So he went through everything in his head, enjoying the freedom he got from finally being able to _exist_.

No one here used their real name – And the reason was supposed to be universal. He was supposed to know. But Wilbur didn't know which memory to turn to, which lie to believe, so he was simply himself. He was simply Wilbur Soot, whether or not it was strange. But no one else had a name like he did – Everyone else had something else. Everyone else dawned a lie as their title.

Dream ruled it all – A fair ruler at first, but slowly but surely growing more distant and political as the city grew stronger and its population got larger and larger with each day. George and Sapnap were by his side, always protecting him, always watching over him, always giving anyone who got too close to him dirty looks. There was Bad and Skeppy – Inseparable friends, always annoying each other as much as possible but instantly coming to each other's sides if either was hurt. There was Quackity, a man who he rarely saw around but whenever he did, he always seemed to be up to something. Tubbo was there – the young boy only four years junior to Wilbur's son, who spent many days wandering the city, often spending most of his time with the bees in the nearby flower field. And there were many, many more people... And Wilbur knew they were all real.

Everything was fine.

That was, until the annoying laughter, the blonde tuft of hair and the three discs came back, they came back and they were real. For a long time, Wilbur believed his dreams and the world in his head to all be fantasy, he believed he had lived out a normal life but locked himself away in another world, cut himself away from whatever he was going through. He thought he was past all that, he thought he was building a new life far away from his dreams? Memories? To this day, he did not know. But the annoying laugh, the blonde tuft of hair and the three discs were here, and they were real, and they were standing in front of him and they had a name and their name was

'Tommy!'.

'E-excuse me?', Wilbur looked down, snapped out of a trance. Although his memories and dreams separated, and his present was clear, hours and days still blended into each other. The locals and Fundy knew, of course – They knew Wilbur wasn't always there, but the tried his best. The laugh, the hair and the discs did not know that.  
'You asked for my name.', the boy explained. He was short, young. He looked right about Tubbo's age, from the little time Wilbur had seen him around. He had a white shirt with a red patch at the top, light beige shorts and bright, blue eyes. And the hair. A curly, blonde tuft of hair. Just like the dreams. Just like the memories. Just like the- What even were they any more? 'So yeah. Tommy. TommyInnit, if you're one of those title people.'. _No one else used names over titles here. Just Wilbur Soot, because Wilbur Soot didn't remember why everyone else used titles._  
'...Oh. I did, didn't I?', the memory slowly came back, just as it always did. Tommy came over to visit, a new member of the city, and upon seeing him, Wilbur blanked. He must have connected him to his dreams... memories... whatever, and it triggered some sort of defensive reaction in him – Just like most things these days did. '…Nice to meet you. I'm Wilbur. Wilbur Soot.'. The boy laughed slightly, with that annoying laugh, tilting his hair and making that tuft of hair jump.

'I know...? Uh... You told me already.'. Tommy would have laughed on, most likely, but when he noticed Wilbur's both confused and somewhat worried expression, he held it back.  
'Sorry...', he muttered in response. 'I... Don't have the best memory.'. Tommy shrugged.  
'Well, I said it once and I'll say it again, then. Nice to meet you Mr. Soot. I'm new around here!', the boy reached out with his right hand, and Wilbur shook it with a bit less hesitation than he spoke to him with a few seconds ago. Slowly but surely, he was warming up to this boy. But it was difficult with the connections his mind was making as he tried to focus. He wanted to get away already, hide inside his home and let his mind settle this for him, pushing this whole conversation into a dream or a distant memory that never took place. Maybe this was just one of those that he was recalling, maybe it was just another laughter, hair, and disc memory. Maybe.

But as the conversation carried on, Wilbur realized things had changed.

'...How old are you?', he asked him, surprised the conversation still carried on without cutting him off somewhere, suddenly. It were as if his mind, for once in his life, focused on a singular moment and didn't want to let go, no matter what. It were as if finally he had found the space between the dreams and the memories, and it was _Tommy_ that was in the centre of it all.  
'..Uh... fourteen....', the boy replied, but the moment of hesitation in his voice could not be overlooked. Either way, just as Wilbur had guessed, he was the same age as Tubbo, and only four years younger than his son, Fundy. He was a little taller than the other fourteen year old, though. Wilbur had asked Tubbo why there was a kid like him all alone in this city in the middle of nowhere before – And the look on his face was one memory he held onto dearly. This was mainly why he avoided asking this question with this blonde teenager. Same as him, the people here either ran from their pasts or simply didn't remember them – Wilbur had no reason to press the boy on it further.

'My son's eighteen.', Wilbur informed him, every second passing bringing more and more questions. He wanted to shut himself away and figure out why it was _now_ , of all times, that he was allowed to be completely aware of his present. But he was also afraid, afraid that the moment he turned away he would just lose himself in that fog again. 'Maybe you two could talk?'.  
'...That'd be fun!', the boy was swaying back and forth on the balls of his feet, a leather backpack loosely hanging off of his shoulders. He clearly wanted to say something else, but found himself completely unable to put it into words. He stammered for a bit, and Wilbur finally decided to cut in, knowing that he would not find his words any time soon.  
'Anything else you want to say... or can I...?'. He didn't want to. He didn't want to turn around and get back to the mess and fog or whatever he called his life these days. He didn't want to loose this single moment, but luckily, the unsure expression on Tommy's face remained unchanged;  
'Right! Sorry! I don't wanna take up any of your time!', he hesitated for a moment, scrunched up his nose, and fixed up his backpack once more. He cleared his throat, and with how awkwardly and slowly everything was going, Wilbur decided it would be best to just shut the door and cut this whole thing short. Maybe he would finally free himself from whatever limbo this boy seemed to trap him in, and return to his normal life. He would never find out why the laugh, hair and discs from his dreams were right there in front of him – But maybe that wasn't the worse thing? However, as he tried to close the door, Tommy put his arm in front of it and exclaimed; 'Wait, hold on!'.

'...Yes, Tommy?', he asked, looking at the helpless expression now appearing on his face. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and sighed, finally gathering up enough courage to say whatever it was that he wanted to initially ask.  
'...I... I don't have anywhere to stay, Mr. Soot.', he muttered under his breath, Wilbur barely being able to hear what it was he said. '...I just got here and no one really wants me... Around...', he sighed, looking back at the city. 'Especially Dream. I kind of... Well... Pissed him off a little.'.  
'You... “pissed off” the guy in charge of the city?', as Wilbur said this, he couldn't help but laugh. From his bruised knees, many band-aids and a single, missing tooth, he could tell this kid was a trouble maker. And Dream had always been a stickler for rules...  
'...Look, it's not my fault I have an _incredibly unique personality_ that Dream just... Wasn't... A fan of...', Tommy tilted his head and grinned. 'But hey, you seem cool, Mr. Soot! So can I stay for a bit, until I can find somewhere else to sleep?'.

Wilbur had to give this a lot of thought. The answer was obvious, right? A fourteen year old kid needed a place to stay and had no one else to turn to, and he had more than enough space and materials to keep him warm and fed for a couple of days. This city had always had a sense of community, and helping and trusting each other was something expected of everyone as a basis. But there was another problem here, of course. Wilbur Soot, known throughout the city for being distracted, distant, always somewhere else and only ever present when people spoke to him, and even that was rare, was having a full conversation with a stranger. He remembered the conversation, he remembered the person he had it with, and he was able to respond however he wished. And although Wilbur had long found a way to differentiate his dreams from his memories, he still struggled to recall them quite right. And he thought that was it. He thought that was life.

He thought it was normal that his past until the birth of his son was an endless haze, a mix of memories and dreams he could never tell apart, a constant struggle to ground himself in reality. His son told him he most likely experienced something traumatic, it was most likely his brain dealing with it. And he took that as a definite. He got used to only ever being “present” when people he recognized were around, only remembering fractions of conversations before his mind took him to yet another dream, to yet another world he would never be able to quite recall. He thought he was just a victim of something long, long gone, but could live freely now. But no. Tommy, with the annoying laugh, the blonde tuft of curly hair and the three discs came into his life and once more made him question where the line between dreams and memories could truly be drawn – So naturally, Wilbur Soot did the only thing he thought he could. The only _logical_ thing;

'Sure. Come in. Make yourself at home.', he turned back, and left the door wide open. He wandered inside and upon turning away from Tommy, expected another cut in his memory. Another dream. Still, nothing. The world was still there, where he had left it.  
'Thank you so much Mr. Soot! You're like... An actual hero!', the boy stepped inside, scraping some dirt off of his shoes on the door frame. Wilbur turned back and smiled.  
'Just call me Wilbur. No need for formalities.'. The boy's face lit up. He grinned for a moment, revealing that missing tooth of his. He couldn't help but wonder how it came to fall out...  
'Sure thing Wilbur! Uh... So.. Where can I sleep?', Tommy started looking around, laying his bag down by a nearby closet. And as the top of the bag slowly slipped open, he noticed something strange inside. Something he was wondering if he would ever see. He crouched down to take a closer look as the fourteen year old became distracted with something else in the caravan. In the bag, as the boy's only possessions at all, he found three things.

Three music discs.

Wilbur would have asked something – Maybe he would have asked what they were, where they came from, maybe gotten some answers as to why he kept seeing them in his dreams. But he didn't. Why? He wasn't sure. Maybe he was afraid? Maybe he didn't want to know? Either way, he zipped up the bag and joined Tommy as he wandered the small caravan, showing him a place where he could sleep. And the whole time, he couldn't help but find himself completely shocked – Shocked by the fact he was still there, shocked by the fact he was still aware, shocked by the fact that he knew what was going on and who he was with. Eventually, Wilbur got a place ready for Tommy and after thanking him a total of right around twenty times, he finally left to go and look for somewhere where he could stay permanently before night came. And here came the final surprise – The final shock, the final surprise, the final unexplained occurrence;

Tommy was gone, and Wilbur was still there.

For the first time in as long as he remembered, Wilbur stood alone, with no one else nearby and still managed to be _there_ , be _aware_. And although he was lost, confused, so incredibly in need of some explanations, he was _happy_. He was overwhelmed with joy from whatever freedom meeting Tommy had brought him, and he could not describe the feeling of finally being able to stay somewhere, in one place, between one dream and one memory, for all this time. He didn't really know what to do, so he just... Sat there. Just like he always did, sitting in one place, enjoying the silence and whatever thoughts his brain brought along. But this time, he thought about what was around him, what he could see, what he could feel. He noticed when the doors opened and Fundy got back – He rummaged through their stuff, got something, and then walked up to Wilbur. And he would never forget how happy the conversation he had made him;

'Hey dad. I just got back-', he started with that usual patient tone of voice.  
'-five minutes ago. Yeah. I know.'. Wilbur smiled. 'I remember.'.

The smile on Fundy's face was something he would never forget, same as the brief hug that followed. It was such a simple thing, but to them, it was so important. That evening would be a normal evening to anyone else – Talking, eating, going to sleep. But to them, it was different. To them it was so much more important. Wilbur was happy, that much was true. But...

Although he was happy, he could never predict the suffering his new awareness would bring.

And it all started with Dream.


	2. The Realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fundy and Wilbur try to talk but find themselves interrupted by someone unexpected.

Fundy was tall, red-haired, and had deep, brown eyes. He always wore a black cap with golden shapes on it, a black jacket, and a white shirt underneath. He was incredibly skilled at coding, he was impressive with a bow, and as a past time, he enjoyed fishing with his father in the lake that they lived by. Yes, indeed, to the average eye, Fundy was a typical eighteen year old. But if one looked closer, they noticed some other elements of him. Such as his unnaturally sharp teeth, a pair of fox ears, and a fox tail always fluttering about behind him wherever he went. Perhaps that's what would catch your attention after giving the boy a closer look. Actually, that might even be something that you notice first and foremost, and kind of chuck everything else aside... Either way, Fundy, even with his unusual characteristics, really enjoyed fishing.

And Fundy was fishing with his father the day he started noticing some things.

'...So how did this even happen?', he asked at some point, casting the rod without giving it much thought. With how much they did it, it was almost second nature. There was something else taking up all of his attention – His father. His sudden awareness, a fix to something he had been struggling with his entire life seemingly overnight, and that boy he let stay with them, despite having virtually no space for him to sleep and barely enough food to feed one another.  
'I don't know.' - Even _this_ was shocking. Wilbur responding without having to have the question repeated to him, without taking a few seconds to once more ground himself in reality. This didn't seem like something that could disappear over night – And yet somehow it did. Why? How? Even his own father didn't seem to know. 'But you're my son, so I'll be honest with you here. That kid... Tommy...', Wilbur paused for a moment. 'I don't know why... When I saw him... It was like everything just... clicked. I can't explain it.'.  
'So... Tommy shows up and suddenly you're okay? Just like that? Don't you think that's a little weird?', Fundy focused his eyes on the rod, seeing a fish aimlessly circling the lure. Did it know it was merely a farce? And even if it did, would it still bite? After all, it sees food. Even if it's out of place, it sees it, and that's what matters to it the most of all. Even though something seems suspicious, it bites. Even though it knows it's a trap, it bites. Because it's food, and it's there when it wasn't before, it bites.

Fundy looked at his father briefly.

The fish bites because it knows nothing else.

'...Do you really think Tommy could be bad?', Wilbur spoke up, his voice tired and gentle. There was more control and focus in it than usually – But it was still weak and strained. All of this must have been so tiring for him – He had spent almost an entire morning without blacking out. And that was rare. _Incredibly_ rare.  
'I talked to Skeppy.', Fundy started, watching as the fish bit, just as he predicted. He pulled it out from the water carefully, placing it aside into a bucket. He wished they could only fish for sport, but with how little there was on the table day to day, it was best not to waste time doing that. '...He told me Tommy got here yesterday, and instantly, tried to steal from George. And when he caught him, the kid screamed at him, picked up a bow and tried to shoot him.'. Wilbur's eyes widened a little, but his son talked on regardless. 'Dream was furious, but Bad convinced them to give him another chance. The only reason the kid is still here is because Bad is _way_ too nice...'.

'The kid was _scared_ Fundy!', Wilbur said instantly, letting go of his fishing rod and looking right at his son. 'He probably just wanted some food, or some warm clothes! He got scared when George came in and panicked, he probably wanted to... I don't know... Defend himself?'.  
'You don't know that kid, dad.', Fundy reminded him. He, himself, did not stop looking at the lake. Another fish saw the lie. Another fish fell right for it. 'You don't know what he's like. You don't know what he was looking for. You don't know-'.  
'He's fourteen!', Wilbur snapped suddenly, seeing his son flinch. He waited for a few seconds and shook his head, grabbing onto his forehead.

'Sorry. I didn't... I didn't mean to shout.'. Fundy sighed and spoke;  
'No, you're right. He's a kid.', he shut his eyes. 'How bad could he be?'.  
'But I still don't get it... Why him, of all people?', Wilbur continued.  
'I don't know dad, but... At least you're here now, right?'.

“At least you're here”. Such a simple phrase, but in this small family of two, it carried such weight. More than once in their life Wilbur missed out on something, whether it be Fundy's first accurate shot with the bow, the first time he caught a fish, or anything he ever managed as a kid, but something that only passed in a short moment – A short moment Wilbur Soot just had no way of really grasping onto. And now, with every second within his grasp, with every minute under his control, Fundy felt... Disappointed. Disappointed that it wasn't earlier that this realization came about, and that he wasn't already practically an adult. He wished that, maybe, Tommy had walked into their life with the magical cure back when it actually mattered most. For just a moment, Fundy glanced towards the fish in a bucket, long dead and having had given up on its struggle.

_You don't always get what you want, I suppose._

'Hello, gentlemen.', a voice rung out from behind the two, both instantly abandoning their rods and turning around. There, they found the image that never brought along anything good. And that imagine was light blonde hair, a freckly face, and a white mask with a blank smile covering the person's eyes. He took a few steps forward, adjusting his light-green hoodie and grinning with malice that could never bode well. He was dragging a small cart behind him, completely empty, as if asking to be filled with god knows what.

'Dream...', Fundy said with hesitation, sighing. He rolled his eyes a little, carefully enough as to not have Dream notice, but made sure his father saw. Clearly, between the dreams and the memories, Wilbur had missed why the local ruler wasn't so liked. 'Hello there.'  
'...Good morning.', the man replied with an impartial tone. 'I'm sure you know why I'm here.', he tapped the cart behind him lightly with his right hand as he spoke. Fundy glanced at him, his eyes widening and ears slowly moving down, resting on the top of his head aimlessly. His face dropped completely as he stammered;

'A-already? Isn't it too early-', Fundy tried to speak, but the sudden change in Dream's expression was enough to silence him. No smile, grin or smirk. Just a stern grimace that could intimidate anyone. Fundy's nose twitched slightly and he stepped back, hiding his hands in his pockets. After clearing his throat he finally spoke; '...Why now, Dream?'.  
‘We’re expanding the pathway. The city needs more supplies. Don’t make me take them by force.’, Dream carried on, completely ignoring the outrage of both Fundy and his father. Momentarily, he looked at Wilbur himself with that glance of pity he usually received from people.

‘Mr. Soot. How has your-‘, he started, probably expecting to have to repeat himself. He was acting as if this harassment of his son was a completely casual morning - A casual morning Wilbur failed to remember, it looked like. Were things always like this while he was away?  
‘Spare me the formalities.’, he cut in coldly, causing the other to hesitate, just for a moment. ‘What is this about? What do you want from us?’. Dream paused for a few seconds, gathered his thoughts, and then returned to his empty, aimless smirk.  
‘...Call it taxes.’, the man shrugged. ‘This city needs its people to contribute. We’re expanding the pathway and we need wood, food and water for whoever will work and tools. You two live in the forest. You’ve got to have some wood to spare, right?’. And while the phrase itself was a question, Dream very much stated it as if it were an order.

‘...yes, sir. I’ll get whatever I can.’, to the dismay of his father, Fundy wandered over to a small pile of freshly chopped wood the two kept around for emergencies. He helped Dream load it onto the cart and then returned to where he stood, watching helplessly. And since Dream seemed dissatisfied with the result, he was forced to reluctantly hand over the bucket with a few long dead fish in it alongside everything else. This time, the man bowed his head slightly and turned back, pushing the cart with him;  
‘Thank you for your _generous contribution_ , gentlemen.’, he said as he walked away, no hint of regret over what he had just done. ‘The DreamSMP will grow strong thanks to you!’.

‘Imagine being so self-centered you name a city after yourself...’, Fundy muttered under his breath, but was clearly quiet as to not have Dream hear him. Wilbur, completely lost as to what had just happened, begun to voice his opinions;  
‘Fundy? What the hell was that just now?’, he asked, turning his gaze from Dream to his son, over and over, back and forth... he just could not comprehend at all what had just gone down. Why would he give up so much with so little hesitation, so little consideration for what they themselves may need? His son, however, appeared to see no issue with the whole affair.  
‘That’s just how Dream is.’, he responded, blowing some of his hair out of his face. ‘He takes whatever he thinks he’s entitled to because he owns the whole city. And even if he’s wrong, we have to comply. In the end, he’s the one keeping us safe from...’, momentarily, his focus turned to the woods surrounding them. ‘...Whatever is _out there_.’.

‘Has he... always been this way?’. Wilbur was shocked. He knew Dream was cold at times, but this level of greed showing itself when he knew the two barely had anything was not something he expected. Had things been like this while he was away? How did his son cope when he didn't even know such heavy tolls were placed on them?  
'Yes. Yes he has.', Fundy nearly snapped, anger flooding his tone. He wasn't sure where it came from. Now that his father was there and listening, it were as if he just wanted to dump all of his frustration on him right there and then. He knew it was unfair, but he couldn't control it. It came out itself. And it went something like this...

'You'd know, if you were here.', he started quiet, but his father noticed his rage instantly.  
'You're not blaming me for-.', but he couldn't even finish his sentence. Fundy had too much to say.  
'No, but that doesn't change you weren't here.', his voice was cold, alien. It wasn't him speaking, Wilbur knew that much. It was the pent up anger, the frustration from all of this. But it didn't change the fact that it _hurt_. '...It doesn't change that I've had to work for two people when I was just- Just a kid! It's... It's not fair for me, and it's not fair to blame you, and-'.  
'Fundy!', Wilbur exclaimed, but it barely did anything.  
'-I know that but what else am I supposed to do? My whole life I've done all I could trying to snap you out of that trance, trying to slowly ease you back into things and- And then this random kid comes along and suddenly you're just fine? Why couldn't you have been fine back when Dream took all of our food for himself, why couldn't you have been fine when he threatened to burn down our house if I didn't help with that damn build-'.  
'Fundy, listen to me!', he tired again, but it was futile.  
'-And now you think it's so easy to just say no to Dream, to just turn away but you know nothing because you've never...like I... and...'. Wilbur wasn't sure what it was, but as Fundy spoke on, angrier and angrier, with more and more venom, he slowly felt things fading, in larger and larger chunks. He knew this feeling. He knew this defensive tactic, he knew what it was triggered by and he knew what would come next. He thought it was something that was gone, but the combined rage of his son aimed at him and the guilt he felt over not being-

_-able to do anything to stop it. But he won't try, because he knows how this works. He's been through all of this before, he's been through it, and he lost so much, and he lost people, but this time he's not as afraid. This time it seems like it's okay, this time it seems like it's natural. This time it seems like nothing will go wrong, as foolish as that is to believe. He slowly turns around, and he finds the faces of so many different people, so many different individuals. Enemies, friends, family. And they are all there, because at this point, there's no reason to hold on._

_'I don't want to forget you.', he hears._  
_'I know. I don't want to forget either.', he responds._  
_'But what if there's a way-', the other questions._  
_'There isn't. But don't be scared okay?', he states, knowing better._

_The group is uncomfortable. Someone is crying. Someone else clears their throat._

_'Take these.', he shoves something in his hands._  
_'But I won't remember-, the other protests._  
_'Doesn't matter. It will help us find each other.', he promises._  
_'Are you sure?', he's not convinced._  
_'I'm... Hoping.', he says, unsure himself._

_They hug._

_'I'll miss you, Wilbur.'._  
_'It won't be long'._

_He walks away, turns around and waves. And just like that, the annoying laughter, the light blonde tuft of curly hair and the three music discs disappear. And he never-_

-saw his son shaking him, his eyes filled with tears and his hands trembling. He was squeezing into his clothes with his sharp fingernails, his breathing was panicked, he was completely hysteric. When he noticed that Wilbur was looking back at him he quickly pressed his face into his chest, wrapping his hands around him in a tight hug. He didn't say anything, but his father knew exactly what had happened. He didn't speak, for a moment. He put his hand on his son's head, moving it through his red hair, very slowly, reassuring him he was there, reassuring him he was present. He gave Fundy some time to calm down, and then spoke;

'I'm here.', Wilbur whispered, as slowly and as quietly as he could.  
'...I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I thought you were back to- Because of me and I- I didn't want to, I promise-', Fundy tried to say, but his father cut him off.  
'It's not your fault.', he pushed him away, as gently as possible, and looked him in the eyes. He watched as his nose twitched as he sniffled, and how his ears fell completely. The two didn't speak for a long while, letting the wind aimlessly blow around them.

'I guess... I guess it's not completely gone, then?', Fundy asked after a moment.  
'...It would seem so...', Wilbur looked towards where Dream had once stood, spite in his voice. '...You have a right to be angry. And so do I. What Dream is doing here is unfair... Especially with how we've been until now. He exploited you when you couldn't stand up for yourself and kept me in the dark – What kind of man does that?', he looked at his son once more, and found him trying to get rid of the rest of the tears in his eyes. He narrowed his eyes. 'This isn't right. His rule isn't right. You can see that, can't you?'. To this, Fundy appeared shocked. Worried, even. He stepped forward.  
'Dad... What do you... What do you plan to do here?'.

Wilbur thought for a moment. If he had been aware of what was going on behind his back all this time, what would he have done? Ran away, taken his son somewhere else? That would risk losing their only home, leaving them stranded in the wild. No, no. There had to be another way. Another way to stay where they were while staying safe form Dream's endless influence – A way to separate themselves completely from the DreamSMP. Some sort of way to force Dream to give them the power and control they needed to keep themselves alive and comfortable – But in a way where he had no way of hurting them or kicking them out. They had to play it safe – But they had to also take some bold steps. And in this very centre, in the middle of this haze, Wilbur Soot saw only one way to find the freedom he so wanted for him and his son. A smile spread across his face, a grin of confidence almost identical to that of the very tyrant who they were discussing.

He only said one thing, but it was enough.

'Fundy... What are your thoughts on revolutions?'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if dream is a little ooc, i had to make him more "villainous" to give l'manburg people realistic motivations!!! (he will get more like himself as the story carries on)


	3. The Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy learns about flowers and their meanings from an unusual boy. Meanwhile, Wilbur sets his plan in motion.

'First, there are the daffodils. They symbolise rebirth, and new beginnings...’.

Tommy always had those dreams. As long as he remembered, from the first day his memory reached back to, he had dreams every night that felt so real and so much like memories they hurt. He had always tried to place them somewhere, try to see where they came from. But eventually, he gave up. He assumed everyone was like this - Recalling a life they never lived in their minds. He assumed no one talked about it - So he didn’t talk either. And he assumed he’d be judged if he did - So he feared to tell even the closest of friends. But the memory he got that night... It was different. It was so different to all of the others, and that was what scared him so much. Because it was vivid, it was clear, and it showed him something he could never quite place. Something he couldn’t comprehend, no matter how hard he tried.

‘Next, there are tulips. A flower of love and royalty. A very, very special one.’.

The dream went something like this... He was running, he remembered it well. He was afraid. So unimaginably afraid. He wasn’t sure where exactly he was, but he knew it was hot, scorching hot. The sun was shining above and burning into his skin as he tried to run, tripping over everything in his way. Eventually, he collapsed into the sand below, blinded by the light from above but still able to see the figure standing over him. Long hair blowing in the wind, slowly rising and falling. A titled crown on their head. And a long, sharp sword in their hand, pointed right at the boy’s throat. Their hands were covered in blood - Blood he feared to even wonder about the origins of. They raised their sword high, high above him, and as it came crashing down, Tommy felt all of his fears fill him. He felt the fear of death, the terror this unknown enemy caused him, and the complete helplessness at the fact he could not defend himself. And just as the weapon was about to meet his chest, ending his life, he woke up in a cold sweat.

‘Oh! And Lavender! Lavender is purity, grace and peace. Its smell can calm anyone!’.

So that’s how Tommy found himself here - In need of a distraction and a place to unwind, he sneaked out of Wilbur and Fundy’s home early in the morning with nothing but his three music discs. He wandered the city for a while, but as the people started waking up, had to hide somewhere. And in all of his confusion and stumbling about, he hadn’t even realised when he wandered into a grand, colourful flower field. He had never seen so many beautiful colours in one place - It were as if the whole rainbow was just spilled over this valley, leaving nothing but a gorgeous view. He thought he could sit here alone, for a while. But then he noticed someone - Someone sitting in this very field, observing the flowers, and listening to the soft buzz of the bees around him. He didn’t speak, but he noticed Tommy in the corner of his eye. And instead of running away or telling him to go, he invited this complete stranger to sit down with him.

‘And then there’s poppies! These ones are my favourites...’.

And that was how Tommy found Tubbo - The eccentric boy with chestnut hair and light blue eyes. He introduced himself very briefly, and in their short chat, ended up spending more time on the flowers than himself. It was difficult to describe him... Passionate about his interests but incredibly inconsistent about how he described them or talked about them. His dark green shirt was loose and at some points unbuttoned, and his jeans were old and torn in places. He didn't seem to mind – as long as he had something to wear, it looked like he was satisfied. He was going through all of the flowers around him, touching and examining them but never ripping them out, never damaging them a single bit. A few bees were floating about, but he paid them no mind. He even seemed to enjoy their company, to an extent.

'Tubbo, I think you've talked enough about flowers by now...', Tommy finally cut him off, getting a disappointed look in response. The boy let go off the poppy he was looking at placed both of his hands on his knees, glancing at Tommy with the corner of his eye.  
'...This is the last one. I promise.', he leaned down slightly, moving his face closely to the poppy. 'Poppies symbolize sleep and peace – But they have another more prominent meaning.'. The boy shifted closer, watching as the poppy swayed aimlessly in the wind. '...Death.'.  
'...Poppies? Death? Seriously?', Tommy tilted his head. 'How does that make sense? They're so small and bright.'. Tubbo chuckled a little noticing his sudden interest. He turned around and wrapped his hands around his leg, looking the other boy in the eyes.  
'I thought you weren't interested by the flowers?', he asked him, instantly having Tommy wave him off with an absent tone of voice and and feigned disinterest in his eyes;

'Well, obviously I don't care. But you seem like you like these things, so tell me. Why poppies, of all things, for the symbol of death?'., Tommy inched closer to the flower himself, both of the teenagers now staring deeply into it. Tubbo moved his hand closer but did not touch the poppy – He simply traced his fingers just at the edges of it.  
'You see, these flowers are very, very interesting and unique ones. They grow only in certain conditions, which is why natural fields are such a phenomenon. However, there's one thing that can provide the conditions a poppy needs to grow...', Tubbo paused, narrowing his eyes slightly. His tone turned grave, for just a second. 'War.'.

Tommy felt something tug at the back of his mind as he heard the word, but he ignored it.

'War?', he repeated, the word stinging his tongue like some sort of poison. He wasn't sure why that word of all things made him so uncomfortable, but he didn't have time to think about it. He focused his attention on one of the band aids on his knee and started aimlessly playing with it. Tubbo carried on with his explanation, still observing the poppy with great interest.  
'...More specifically battlefields. Once battle ceases on those, poppies rise from the ground and grow over the ruined dirt, the old bullets, the abandoned bodies. Battlefields become poppy fields after some time – It's kind of nice, in a way, you know?', he turned around and faced Tommy, a smile spreading across his face. 'Knowing that even in destruction and suffering, you can rest assured it will all turn into something beautiful one day.'.

Tommy turned his attention away from his band aid and to the flower once more – he looked into its blood red shade, and took notice of the small, pitch black seeds scattered on the inside. It was such a simple shape – A small, little, gentle flower blowing in the wind and bowing under Tubbo's delicate touch. But his mind seemed to take him elsewhere as he watched it – The red colour stood out from the rest of the flower field and completely captivated his mind. In no time, all he could see before him were puddles upon puddles of crimson red blood, more dripping from the grass and onto the ground below. The wind blew harder than it had before – It wanted him to look forward. And he did. And who else could he have seen at the centre of this unimaginable slaughter then the stranger from his dreams?

He stood alone. He was turned away, looking into the distance. His hair was long, past his shoulders and reaching to around his waist, thrashing in the wind. There was a long, silky red cape over him, hanging loosely off of his shoulders. He didn't look back – And even so, Tommy could feel his blood-thirsty gaze staring into him. In his right hand was a sword - A sword that glimmered in the sunlight above, with the deaths of thousands to its name, he could only imagine. And although the fourteen year old had no idea who this person was, the crown on his head was enough to remind him to stay away. And just as he was about to turn... Just as Tommy was to see his face for the first time... He felt someone shaking him.

'Tommy?'.

And just like that, he was back.

The wind was calm, the poppies were fewer in numbers, and the stranger was gone. All that was left was a stunning flower field and the eccentric boy right at the centre of it – The boy shaking his newly found friend out of his trance with great force. When he noticed that Tommy was finally looking back at him he smiled – And it was a smile of great relief. He grabbed onto the other's hand for just a moment and squeezed it, making sure he was there. And then he sat back, giving him space to breathe. Tommy relaxed himself, his muscles losing tension and his breathing getting slower and slower. He shook his head and pulled himself away from Tubbo, trying to figure out what had just gone down in his head.

'Sorry... I guess poppies weren't the way to distract you.', he heard the other speak from behind him, and his head instantly snapped back, staring at the boy shielded by flowers.  
'… Distract me?', Tommy repeated hesitantly, unsure what exactly he had meant. Tubbo couldn't hide the small smirk that came to his expression as he watched a few bees fly by.  
'...When you came here this morning you looked like you had something on your mind.', the boy touched a small daffodil with his hand. 'I thought the flowers might distract you. But I guess it just brought back more painful memories, huh?'.  
'That's the thing...', - and this, Tommy most likely would say, was the moment he first trusted Tubbo. Because when half of the city hated you and the other half didn't know your name, it was the people in the middle that you had to turn to. And apart from Wilbur, Tubbo was the only person available to him right now. So, without giving it much thought, he spoke;

'I had a dream... A nightmare, even.', Tommy started, rubbing the back of his neck. His friend inched closer, propping up his legs and wrapping his arms around them. He lay his chin down on one of his knees and listened in. '...There was this... This guy... Chasing me. And I don't know why but... I was really scared. Like... I knew that if he caught me... That'd be it.', Tommy looked up for a moment. 'The end, you know?'.  
'...Dreams are like that sometimes.', Tubbo shrugged. '...You just know something. You feel it. And when you wake up it just makes no sense. You have no idea why you knew. Maybe it was that?'. To this, Tommy shook his head. He knew that it was different. He felt something different. And that something was true and unimaginable fear.  
'No... No, it was more. When I woke up... I still remembered that fear. I still felt it. Even though I don't even know who that was, I know I should be scared... And I'm still scared. I'm so scared of him and... And I don't even...', before he could say more, the feeling of dread overtook him, and Tommy was forced into silence. Tubbo looked at him for a moment, a mix of worry and pity in his eyes. He cleared his throat and spoke;

'Gladiolus...', Tubbo started, turning his attention to yet another flower. This one seemed more rare than the others in the field, only one being in his direct reach. He put his palm around it and bent it slightly so it faced Tommy – But as per usual, he dared not damage it. '...symbolises remembrance. Remembering a past, whether good or bad, to honour what was lost to ensure today happened.'.  
'...But I don't even remember who this guy is...', Tommy touched a band aid on his knee, slightly lifting it up and down. '...I don't even know if he's real.'.  
'But you remember the fear. Because your mind wants you to. It's like a warning, right?', Tubbo crossed his arms and grinned. 'And if that stranger ever comes here, you'll know. And you can warn us! As for the fear itself... It always goes away eventually. Just let yourself be distracted.'.  
'By... Your flower lessons?', Tommy asked, unimpressed.  
'...Well, they've helped a bit, right?', his friend asked with a laugh.

Tubbo was an eccentric boy with a passion for flowers, and Tommy was a trouble maker with a knack for breaking rules – Yet somehow, these two ended up connecting a lot on that day. Tommy could have sworn it was from the comfort that Tubbo provided him with – But perhaps it was because of being a good distraction? Tubbo could have sworn it was because he finally had someone to talk about his interests with – But perhaps it was simply because Tommy actually listened? In this city, Tommy was always given shifty looks and Tubbo was always ignored... Didn't it make sense for two outcasts like these to find so much comfort in one another? Both Tommy and Tubbo knew they had to do something, the former scrunching up his nose and shifting his position while the latter coughed and cleared his throat. In the end, both of them spoke in unison;

'Hey, thanks for-'.  
'Thank you for-'.

And instantly, both of the boys laughed.

'Hey there, guys. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?'. The two's moment of peace was cut short by the voice of none other than Wilbur Soot, appearing in the field seemingly out of nowhere. He was standing in-between the flowers, aimlessly keeping his hands in his pockets. There was this strange look in his eyes – A look of motivation.  
'Oh! Hi Mr. Soot! ', Tubbo jumped up, dusting his trousers off. He turned around and reached out with his hand to Tommy, which the other greatly appreciated. He was still a bit light-headed from whatever that poppy brought him to... He was soon standing by Tubbo's side, both of them giving a rather confused look to Wilbur. 'You usually walk around with Fundy... Did something happen?'.  
'Not at all.', Wilbur shook his head with a reassuring smile. 'But I do have to talk to Tommy about something. Would you mind if he comes with me for a little?', Wilbur looked at Tubbo, who, although a flash of disappointment went through his eyes, smiled gently.  
'Sure... Right...', he looked at Tommy and grinned. 'Come over again sometime, okay? This was really fun!'. The other didn't speak, but simply nodded. And in his eyes was a look of pure honesty – Not only would he come here again because Tubbo asked, but it was no secret he enjoyed his time with him, too. Tommy waved his new found friend goodbye and then followed Wilbur, wondering what it was exactly that could have brought him out here.

'...So... Is something wrong?', the teenager asked after the two got a bit further from Tubbo, making sure he couldn't hear them as they spoke. Tommy could tell from the expression on Wilbur's face that whatever he came here to discuss was urgent, unusual, and most likely, not very legal. Or, maybe, that was just the type of thing Tommy wished to do himself.  
'…Yes. Something is very wrong.', Wilbur stopped suddenly, right at the edge of the flower field and on the wooden pathway Dream was so known for always expanding. Where was it heading? Why did it always grow? No one knew, but it was the only way to find your way around this mess of a city nowadays. The wood creaked uncomfortably under their shoes as they turned to face one another, an intense glare in the older man's eyes.

'...It's Dream.', the moment Wilbur said this, Tommy could feel his heart drop. He knew that the local ruler wasn't a huge fan of him – So hearing that something was “wrong” with him he could probably guess it somewhat involved him.  
'Is- is he mad that I'm staying with you?', the boy asked. 'You know, I could leave if it's a problem- I wouldn't want to cause you trouble-'. But Wilbur would not let Tommy speak – he quickly cut him off and grabbed his shoulders, staring right into his eyes.

'No, Tommy. It's not that... But it would take far too much explaining for you to understand exactly what's going on right now.', Wilbur paused, sighing. 'You made me realize some things. And the most important thing is that Dream is corrupt. Far worse than corrupt... He's... Greedy and unjust, and he exploits those who ask him for help. It's not- It's not right.', the man paused, turning away from Tommy and looking down the path, into the centre of the city.  
'So... What's your plan?', Tommy couldn't hide his excitement as he inched closer to Wilbur, already jumping up and down on the tips of his feet. The older one grinned as he looked ahead.  
'I say it's about time we take things into our own hands. And I have the perfect idea on where to start. But I do have to ask you one thing Tommy.', Wilbur turned around once more, his expression far more serious than it was before. '...I know you don't know me, and you definitely don't know the favour you did me by coming to my door yesterday. But despite all this, I know you can see this too. I know you want change. I mean, look at how they treated you!'.  
'...What do you need from me, Wilbur?', Tommy asked him without any hesitation. What else was he to do? Stay and risk Dream catching him doing something again? Keep running and lose himself, this time without a place to go to? No. Tommy knew for sure, all he could do to protect himself was stay and fight for his own safety. Wilbur narrowed his eyes.

'Are you ready to risk everything, even war, to give us the justice we deserve?'.

For a moment, Tommy could swear it was the stranger with the crown speaking to him. Blood running down his hands and sword, long hair flowing in the wind. And a blood-thirsty look in his eyes that could never bode well. And despite all this, Tommy still nodded;

'...Ha! Obviously!', he grinned and winked. 'Let's kick some ass!'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...revolution time baybeee  
> and a start to tommy's and tubbo's iconic friendship! 
> 
> hope yall enjoyed this chapter!


	4. The Potions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by a strange dream, Wilbur thinks of a plan to counter Dream. Tubbo reminisces about his arrival in the SMP but is interrupted by a friend.

_In his dream, he sees potions._

_He’s slowly inspecting them, turning them in his hands and watching the liquid flow inside. The glass bottles in which they are contained glimmer in the light that comes in through the window, and the strange colours sparkle inside. Ripples are sent through them as he shakes them slightly, watching the shape of the liquids change. He’s completely entranced by it, so much so that he doesn’t even hear when someone enters the room he’s in. He continues observing, taking in the strange colours of the-_

_‘Are you ever gonna stop staring at those damn bottles?’, he hears the convincing voice, soon followed by that chilling laugh. Or maybe, more of a chuckle. Either way, it is there._   
_‘...They’re potions.’, he responds, turning back. His eyes meet with that cold, angry glare. But he’s not afraid. He knows this glare well, and he knows that if the person truly were mad, they’d be having a far different conversation right now. ‘...Born of Alchemy... They’re really... Magical.’._   
_‘It’s just fancy chemistry though, isn’t it?’, the man steps closer, looking over his shoulder. He, himself, starts watching the glimmering colours. ‘Put things together and you make something cooler. Science is all experimenting and never profiting, if you ask me.’._

_The man picks up a potion and turns. It’s a green one, swirling with great strain, the stench of death surrounding it. For a moment he plays with it, but soon, his companion snatches it out of his hand and carefully places it back on the table. He sets it aside and warns him not to touch it again. The other looks at it with great interest, but stays away in the end._

_‘If you ask me...’, the man carries on, sitting down on the table. ‘You need something bolder than some potions to make real cash. Might if I give you a little pitch, see how you like it?’._   
_‘Do I have a choice in the matter?’, he asks with a laugh. He knows that he doesn’t, but he doesn’t mind, either. Listening to this man talk, for some reason, is incredibly comforting._   
_‘Alright... So imagine this.’, he lifts his hand and traces a circle in the air with his finger. ‘...We have a coin, right? And we tell people it’s worth a lot. We sell it all let’s say... twenty diamonds!’._   
_‘No one will buy that...’, he mutters as he adds an ingredient to some boiling water, watching the colour of it change at a sluggish pace. ‘Far too expensive for some coin.’._

_‘Ah, you see. That’s where the twist comes in.’, the man lifts his finger. ‘We tell them that the prices of the coin will rise as more people buy them. And then we announce that we will buy them back - For said raised prices.’._   
_‘...So people blindly invest in something they don’t know?’, he plays along, even if the idea sounds ridiculous. Because he knows more than anyone that no matter how ridiculous an idea is, he will go through with it if he even sees a chance at gaining something._   
_‘People are dumb! You know they’ll follow the crowd! The hard part is forming the crowd!’, the man leans back. ‘And here’s the big finale - We say the price dropped to ten iron ingots and leg it with the money!’. He sighs, pausing his work and looking at the other._

_‘...A scam.’._   
_‘What?’._   
_‘What you are describing there is a scam. You want to scam people.’._   
_‘I mean... If it gets us free diamonds... Sure!’._

_‘...You’re gonna make some dangerous enemies one day.’, he looks down, honesty flooding his voice. ‘I’m worried about you.’._   
_‘Well, I’ll have you by my side, right?’, the man jumps down from the table and puts his arm around the shoulders of the other, grinning. ‘Partners in crime, till the end of time! Ain't that right, my friend?’._   
_‘...Ugh...’, he rolls his eyes, unable to hide the smile now spreading across his lips. ‘Yeah, I guess so. Partners in crime.’. And for a moment, things are good. Things are calm. But this serenity is cut short as he remembers that this isn’t where he is meant to be-_

-but he was standing in front of his home, Tommy and Fundy both looking back at him. They seemed shocked as well as worried, with fear for what could come of whatever was just revealed and concern for how such an idea could be born from this person’s mind. There was no doubt - Wilbur had blacked out again, whether it was because of speaking to Tommy or something else, but this time, he spoke while in his trance. And from the way these two looked at him he could guess it wasn’t anything good. He waited for some time, and to his relief, his son spoke;

‘You want to do... What?’, he muttered, unsure if he was hearing correctly.  
‘Huh?’, Tommy titled his head, taken back by the man’s words.

Now Wilbur knew - In his trance, he had revealed his plan.

‘Yes... Yes... Of course.’, Wilbur spoke slowly and slurred his words – Tommy had no idea what it meant, but Fundy was instantly signalled that his father had just gotten back from another dream. He stepped forward, but Wilbur waved him away, reassuring him he was fine. '...That's my plan exactly. Do I have to repeat myself?'. Tommy rolled his eyes.  
'Sorry big man but “steal their potions” isn't exactly the _clearest_ of plans. Would you mid explaining a bit further?'. Ah – There. He had learned to use these strategies over time. Ask questions that actually meant something else and get answers you actually need, with the person you're talking to never becoming aware you weren't even there a minute ago.

'...Dream uses potions to protect himself.', Wilbur may have been away a lot, but he knew this much about this place. Dream and his infamous potions – He was never seen without at least one ready to be downed if danger arose. 'That's why he's so powerful. That's why he's able to protect the city. He drinks those potions and becomes unkillable. But he needs a constant supply of them flowing in to stay that way, he needs to keep getting more, and more, and more.'. Wilbur suddenly stopped, pointing his finger at his son, making him jump. 'Fundy! Trivia time! Where does Dream get most of his potions?'.

'Uh- It's... Tubbo! Yeah, he gets the ingredients from that flower field and then sells it to Dream. That's how he pays for... Pretty much everything he has.', Fundy answered, clearly relived to see his father fully aware once more.  
'Precisely!', Wilbur started pacing around the place. 'And the rest, an emergency supply, gets brewed by Sapnap if needed... So if we were to get rid of those two supplies... Completely take over potion production... Dream would have no choice but to listen to us.', Wilbur glanced up, grinning. 'And that's how we get our justice. Our freedom. And finally, some peace from that tyrant. It's as simple as that!'. To this, the two people in front of him were conflicted.

'...And how do you plan to do _that_ dad?', Fundy instantly asked. 'It's not like Tubbo will just hand over his production. He may be a kid but he's a _smart_ kid. He won't just give up everything if we ask him. Not to us, at least. He barely knows us!'.  
'No.', Wilbur turned to the teenager standing with them and smiled. 'But he knows him.'. Tommy jumped, stepping back. He looked around, chuckling nervously, and then finally set his eyes on Wilbur once again. He rubbed the back of his neck.  
'You want me to... Convince Tubbo to give up his potion supply? Just like that?'. Wilbur thought for a moment, fixing up his glasses and rubbing his chin. After a while, he spoke;  
'No... But... We can surely offer him something better than Dream.', he put his hands on his hips. 'If he treats Tubbo like he treats us, if we offer him an escape from that endless cycle of doing so much work for barely anything he is _guaranteed_ to come along.'.

The first to be convinced was definitely Tommy – Obviously. He was always looking for trouble, something to do, something to go against. So when Wilbur proposed this idea in the first place, he was already on board before it was even fully explained. He wasn't sure where he got this thirst for unruliness and rebellion, but somehow, he felt as though it all linked back to that stranger with the crown... Fundy, on the other hand, had a far more difficult time trusting his father's plan here. He still believed he was a little confused with only recently having had been awoken from his endless trance, unsure if he was really capable of properly handling this sort of operation. But on the other hand, what sort of son would he be if he did not trust his own dad? After a few minutes of hesitation, he sighed and shook his head.

'...This is a stupid idea.', Fundy stated, covering his face with his palm. 'We're gonna make some dangerous enemies if we go through with this, you know that, right?'. Hearing this, Wilbur remembered someone from his dreams – Someone who went through with all of his plans, whether they'd make him enemies, cause him grief, or put him in danger. Because he always had a plan, he always had a goal, and he never, ever gave in. And although Wilbur didn't remember his name... He remembered his motivation. And that was enough.  
'Well...', Wilbur started, lifting his hand and pointing upwards. '...Without risk there's no profit. We have to make some bold moves if we want even a chance at getting a better life here. And taking full charge of the city's potion supply is that step we need. A leverage against Dream. Take something he can't have. Hold it above his head and ask for something in return. That's the only way. And you two can see it too, right?'. And as much as they did not want to admit it, they did. They knew that if they didn't take a leap of faith like this there'd be no hope from here on.

'...I'm with you, Wilbur.', Tommy nodded. 'It's not like there's anything else we can do.'.  
'Just so everyone here knows, I thought this was a bad idea from the start.', Fundy muttered.

But things were now set into motion, and there was no way to stop it.

\---

'Daffodils symbolize rebirth... Rebirth equals health... Daffodils are needed for health potions...'.

So why _exactly_ did Tubbo have such a fascination with flowers? Well, it was a bit more complicated than having had lived in a flower field for almost five years now. An average onlooker would see this as unusual – A boy getting his own house at nine, and living completely alone? Living out his life in a little wooden house in the middle of a flower field? Well, you had to look at his background. Then everything became clear.

'Tulips symbolize love... Love is a strong force... Tulips are needed for strength potions.'.

When almost five years ago a beaten, bruised and near-dead nine year old stumbled into the DreamSMP and begged for help from Dream himself no one knew how vital he would become to the city after just a few hours of being there. Technically, back then the city was more of a town than anything, the locals barely able to get by. But Tubbo brought what they lacked – Tubbo brought power. Left alone with a boiling pot of water and a few flowers, the boy managed to heal all of his wounds by putting together a brew like no other. Those who saw it with their own eyes described it as magic – And one of those onlookers was Dream.

'Lavender symbolises purity, grace and peace... Its calming aroma makes for a great anaesthetic.'.

Dream, originally with good intentions, begged for the boy's help with protecting their town. His potions combined with his combat skill would be all they needed to keep their city strong and ever-growing. So a deal was struck – The boy was given a home, all the brewing tools he'd ever need, and protection from whatever it was he ran from in the first place. And at first it was fine – He didn't mind it. He stayed by himself, learning about the various uses of the flowers around him and what else he could make with them. Dream and his two friends took care of his home and ensured he was always comfortable. They put food on his table, gave him clothes, and helped him gather the materials he needed. It was ideal - But such bliss couldn't last forever.

'Poppies... Poppies symbolize death... Their seeds make for the most severe of poisons.'.

Dream got more and more greedy as time carried on. It started with asking Tubbo to keep quiet about his potions. Then it spiralled into him threatening him to be quiet about his research. Eventually, it became rare for Tubbo to even be allowed to leave his small flower field, where he spent hours upon hours trying to string together a new potion that would make Dream happy enough to keep him safe for another night. Because if Tubbo refused to work, he would be kicked out and doom the whole city. If he used his potions to fight that tyrant he would still leave many without protection. Whatever he did, there was no way out of this cycle. No way to break free from-

'Gladiolus.', Tubbo heard from behind him, instantly jumping away. He turned around, nearly knocking over the small bottles he had been working on until now. The last person he expected to be standing in his doorway was Tommy, that blonde he had met just a few hours ago. He wasn't sure how long he had been standing behind him, listening to him going through the small list in his head. It was hard to keep track of all these properties when Dream refused to let him write them down anywhere – So he had to figure out something else that worked. It would seem his friend had picked up on his strategy, continuing to talk; '...Symbolizes remembrance. So is that for good memory? Makes for Alzheimer's medicine? Something like that?'.

'It's a little rude to just sneak up behind people, don't you think?', Tubbo said as he moved the bottles aside, trying to get them out of sight. It was quite difficult, seeing as his whole house comprised mainly of his bed, a box of all the things he had, and almost three tables covered in harvested flowers and bottles filled to the brim with clear water.  
'...I didn't mean to. It's just really interesting how the stuff you told me actually has two meanings.', Tommy got closer to the table, picked up a bottle and slightly shook it. '...Why didn't you tell me you make potions? This seems really cool!', and while he was quite light-hearted as he spoke, the terror on Tubbo's face made him change his tone instantly.

'I'm not supposed to talk about it to new people.', Tubbo sighed. 'Dream thinks it's better if people don't know I make all of the potions... Because...'.  
'Because if people don't know, he can keep exploiting you?', Tommy raised an eyebrow and watched as his friend nervously played with the buttons on his shirt.  
'Because then they could easily cut the city's supply-', the boy claimed, grabbing the bottle out of Tommy's hand forcefully. '-And that could get us all killed.'.  
'...You don't have to keep lying Tubbo. Everyone can see it.', the blonde crossed his arms. '...Dream is using you because he has a leverage over you. But you could help us.'.

'Help... You?', the boy put down the bottle and slid it aside. '...How would I even do that? There's no way to get away from Dream and you know that... You've seen it first hand.'.  
'Not alone.', Tommy reached out with his hand. 'But with your potions and us backing you up? We will have Dream begging for our help. We'll give you a place to stay, food, anything at all that you need – As long as you stop providing the potions to Dream. Come along with me, and I promise you, me and Wilbur will give you a deal you can't refuse.'.

And it was at this moment that Tubbo wasn't really sure why he did what he did – But almost instantly, he seemed to trust the teenager he had only met this morning. He wasn't sure where this trust came from, but it was something so rare, something so new, and something so unnatural, he just couldn't help but grab his hand and shake it. With uncertainty in his eyes he only said one thing;

'I hope you know what you're doing, Tommy.'.

\---

Wilbur was sitting alone inside of the caravan when he heard Tubbo and Tommy approaching – Whatever that kid did, it seemed to have worked enough to convince the potion-maker to come over to talk. He rubbed his eyes and got up, trying to keep his focus on the space around him. Ever since that memory from earlier, he had been finding it hard to focus. No matter where he looked, he would see that stranger, that stranger with the convincing voice, that menacing laugh, and that cold, angry glare. He was always there, always coming up with some sort of scheme, always chuckling under his breath, always making enemies wherever he went. Yet somehow, every memory Wilbur had with this stranger was a fond one. Every time he saw him, he felt a strange sense of familiarity. Every time he saw him, Wilbur just felt like... someone had his back.

And as someone knocked at his door, he only had time for one more memory;

_'Partners in crime, right Wilbur?'._   
_'Till the end of time, like we promised.'._

And with a smile he did not quite know the origin of, he opened his door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tubbo backstory!!! 
> 
> some more dreams to explain who the third person from wilbur's dream is, since the other two were probably more obvious!!! i really hope the dream at the start made it clear who the "convincing voice, menacing laugh and cold, angry glare" is!!!
> 
> and finally, the boys are beginning their little revolution!!! woooo!!!!!!
> 
> hope you enjoyed this one, and comments are ALWAYS appreciated! i love to bits every single one and ALWAYS reply!!!!


	5. The Consequences (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy bites off more than he can chew and finds himself at the bottom of a cave. A mysterious stranger saves him from the brink of death. Wilbur finally decides to confess something.

It was a sunny Friday morning.

The sun itself had never been brighter, lighting up the city and its outskirts. Glowing, warming everything up, bringing life to the normally bleak and uneventful world. The flowers in the field were blooming more than ever, the various animals everywhere wandering the plains and the forests with glee. One thing was for sure – Summer had come to the DreamSMP, and the warmest days of the year were ahead of its citizens. Tommy couldn't get enough of the weather – With how much work him, Tubbo, Wilbur and Fundy had put recently into their potion scheme he barely had enough time to just rest. The work they had managed to get done itself was impressive – But tiring.

In the span of a single month, potions went from being exported privately to Dream to being sold at fair prices to all citizens, behind his and his two companions' backs. With Tommy helping him, Tubbo managed to keep up with both Dream's demands to keep him in the dark, and the orders coming in from the citizens. And when the four ensured that everyone in the DreamSMP could protect themselves if the need arose, they finally gave Dream his ultimatum – They asked him to pay Tubbo at prices equal to everyone else or lose his supply completely. If Tommy didn't know Dream any better, he would have said he took it rather well. But that small twitch in the edge of his smile as he reluctantly agreed and the whisper into Sapnap's ear on his way away from the caravan was enough to reveal that he was far from complying – He had a plan, and it could not bode well.

And so, it was a sunny Friday morning, and Tommy was bleeding out.

If you were to ask him how exactly he got here he would most likely say something along the lines of, _“I guess that little bitch boy couldn't handle a fourteen year old who can pack a punch.”_ , but then again, Tommy also had an incredibly dangerous habit of lying to unimaginable degrees. How exactly the whole thing spiralled into where he was now, in overwhelming agony and trembling on the cold, hard floor of a cave, was a mystery to him. At one point, it became a blur of sounds and images, only becoming clear when his head met with the stone below. And as he lay there, he swore he could feel his own muscles being torn to shreds.

How to describe his situation accurately... He was completely in the dark, the only source of light being that beautiful summer sun peeking in from above. Something was slithering behind him, something else moved across the wall. But Tommy could not move – And that was what scared him most. The moment his body hit the floor it were as if his ability to move at all ceased, his limbs refusing to listen to any of his orders. All he could truly feel was the trail of blood moving down from his nose, onto his lips, and eventually dripping onto the floor below. Every muscle in his body pulsated with endless pain, and his head was spinning so much he felt as though he was about to lose consciousness any minute. The aching in his body, however, would not allow him to drift away quite so easily. So he was forced to listen.

Up above, over the sound of whatever creature was watching him in this cave, he could hear arguing. It was distant and unclear – The pounding of Tommy's heart and how it made his ears pulsate kept him unable to hear anything at all. He knew one of the voices must have been Wilbur – And after some time, he recognized the other as Sapnap. Everything that had let him to this moment was still swirling around his mind – But he knew that pyromaniac with a crappy sense of style and cocky grin was responsible for it all. The shouting was vicious – Even without understanding any of the words, Tommy could tell that these two were definitely not having a pleasant debate about their newly-established potion business. He just hoped that someone would come to look for him soon enough – He was not alone in this cave.

The hissing and scratching was now growing ever closer, and Tommy felt himself slowly spiralling into this awfully familiar feeling of helplessness. That same helplessness he felt with the stranger with the crown pointing the edge of his sword at his throat. And this helplessness told him one thing – If he wasn't saved by waking up from this as if it were just another nightmare, he would die. He wished this could have all been a dream, or memory, or whatever the hell it was that his mind constantly tried to shove down his throat. He just wanted to be back in that make-shift bed Wilbur prepared for him. He just wanted to check his bag, like he did every morning, ensuring his three discs were still there. He just wanted to eat a peaceful breakfast with all of his three companions, and continue that work of theirs.

But Dream wouldn't let them, Dream wouldn't allow them to, because Dream would never, ever, let anyone take his power away, Dream would never ever let anyone be better than him and he wouldn't let them and _I'm gonna die here, I'm gonna die here and no one will ever find me. I'll never find who those discs belong to, and I'll never help Tubbo and I'm just an awful person because if I had just calmed down if I just never hit him if I just never started any of this I wouldn't be here I wouldn't be alone I wouldn't be scared everything wouldn't hurt so much and maybe I'd just run away again and find another town and ruin another life because I can never do anything right and maybe it's better if I just die here and_

For the first time in a long time, Tommy cried.

He wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it was the pain, controlling every part of his body, muting out every other sensation and leaving him immobile. His whole body was trembling but no matter how hard he tried he could not control his movements. And that was another feeling – This helplessness, this complete inability to stand up and defend himself, or to even call for help when he needed it. He wanted to stand up and run, get away from whatever was lurking in this darkness, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't. And of course, there was also the regret. The regret over starting all of this in the first place, the regret over escalating it so much, and the regret of never telling Wilbur what he'd been wanting to tell him since the first time he saw him. Because there was another reason he stuck around, another reason he clung onto him so much, another reason he didn't want to leave no matter what happened. Because this was not the first time-

_Crack. Slash. Splat._

Silence.

'...It's okay.', he heard a voice, a deep and foreboding one, from behind him. He wished he could turn around, see who was speaking. But once more, his body failed to listen to him. In the corner of his eye he noticed something – A pile of pitch black and hairy limbs, with ruby red eyes slowly losing their colour. Whatever it was in that darkness behind him was now dead, a far worse foe having had defeated it. And although the monster was gone, its blood slowly seeping out of it, the strange feeling of helplessness did not fade.

Somehow, it only seemed to grow stronger.

'I'm here with you. You're not alone.', he felt someone's hand touch his head, slowly running their hand through his hair. He shuddered at the touch, fearful of who it may be standing so close to him. He just wanted to see someone, anyone, a familiar face that could give him peace of mind. This encounter did far from that. '...I'll keep you safe until they find you. Just calm your breathing and focus on my voice. Don't sleep. No matter how tired you are, stay awake.'.

'That thing was only a spider.', the voice carried on. Tommy looked briefly at the pile of unrecognizable remains and felt his heart skip a beat. If a spider that large lured in this cave, he truly feared what else could emerge from those shadows. 'I killed it. One stab and it was dead. Even if it had gotten to you, it wouldn't have done much. But it could have moved you, made your condition worse. You most likely broke something. Once they get here, they can't move you. They need to lift you up on something. Are you listening to me?'.

'If you weren't, then do. If you are, keep at it.', the stranger's tone of voice alone made Tommy listen, afraid of what could happen if he did not. He could hear voices above getting closer – Familiar voices calling out his name. 'This is far too much to heal with bandages and rest. You'll need potions. Daffodils make for good healing potions. Those, you can drink. Make another one from Peonies. Those you can pour onto cuts and breaks and they'll make recovery faster. They are hard to make, though. They can be harmful if not done right.'.

'Are you still with me?'. The boy could now hear someone shouting down from the edge of the cave, and the stranger slowly backing away deeply into it. 'Stay awake until they take you somewhere safe and take care of you. Just stay strong. You'll get out of this, just stay focused. Oh, and here are your discs. They fell out of your bag and flew everywhere. I put them back in.'. Tommy heard some shuffling and noticed his bag being plopped down next to him.

'I have to go now. Good luck, and stay strong.'.

And in that very moment, so many things happened at once Tommy could barely keep track. The stranger ran away, with their footsteps echoing further into the cave behind him. From the top, both Wilbur and Fundy slid down along the side of the wall and started inspecting him and calling out to him almost instantly. He wanted to ask questions – Where's Tubbo? What happened? Where's Sapnap? Where are our potions? But of course, nothing came. Just as he couldn't move his body, his mouth did not let a single word through. He wanted to say something – About the stranger, about the advice he gave, about what he'd been wanting to tell Wilbur for a long time and now felt like he would never get the chance to. But once more, his voice failed him as he tried to speak. All he could do was lie there, hoping that the father and son standing over him knew what to do.

'...Tommy? Tommy, can you hear me? Just stay with me, alright?', Wilbur was soon kneeling by his side, touching his shoulder gently but not moving it at all. 'Fundy, we're gonna have to carry him out of here... And grab the...', the man's voice started to fade as Tommy failed to grasp onto reality, everything slipping from under his control at a worrying rate. He wanted to stay, remain awake as the stranger had told him, try to stay strong. But it was impossible. In the haze that everything was, Tommy only heard one thing from above before losing consciousness completely;

'Hey, you three down there! Do you need help?'.

And so, the world was dark. But a dream prevailed above it all;

_'Why are these discs so important to you, any way?'._   
_'I don't know, to be honest. I've had them for as long as I can remember.'._   
_'And you just keep them? Why? If you don't know why you have them...'._   
_'I'm... Not sure. It just feels like someone really important gave them to me.'._   
_'Do they even play any more? They look super old!'._   
_'I haven't really checked... Wanna give them a try?'._

_'You'd trust me with your discs, Wilbur? Aren't they like... Super important to you?'._   
_'Someone else trusted me with them before, Tommy. About time I do the same.'._

_Now he remembers. He remembers what he has to tell him._

_And he wakes up with a task._

It was hard to describe what his body was feeling – It were as if the pain was still there, but instead hidden behind some sort of fog, overwhelming his whole body. The smell of herbs and some sort of food floated around him, the strongest aromas making his nose scrunch up as they got too intense. His body was stiff and uncomfortable, but he could move it – And that was enough for him. With that complete helplessness he experienced in the cave, even being able to turn on his side and look at his own hand as he moved it in front of his eyes was good enough. He wasn't sure where he was, but he could tell he was in a rather comfortable bed in a small bedroom, chatting to be heard right outside his door. With not much else to do, he listened in;

'So how did this even happen?', the voice that spoke was deep, but it was not the stranger from the cave. Tommy would never forget that voice – And if he ever heard it again, he couldn't even imagine how he would react. This person, however, sounded just as calm and collected, speaking slowly and with focus. Tommy listened in.  
'...It was Sapnap.', the voice replying was that of Wilbur, and instantly, Tommy flinched. He had something incredibly important to tell him, after all. '...I don't know if Dream sent him or if he was working alone, but he showed up at our door and demanded Tubbo go back to the flower field and that we hand over any potions that we had left over. And of course, all the money we made.'.

'What an asshole.', the other voice muttered. '...But that still doesn't explain how the kid ended up at the bottom of a cave. I'm guessing he escalated things a little?'. Tommy gulped. A little was definitely an understatement to how he reacted back there. But there was no taking it back now, and at least he was still alive. But where was Tubbo and the potions?  
'...Sapnap got violent when we stopped cooperating. First he grabbed Tubbo and pulled him away, throwing him on the ground. Then he lit a torch and threatened to burn down our caravan if we didn't listen. So... I did. I started handing all of our supply over, and Tommy, he-', Wilbur paused, sighing. 'Just... Came up and punched him in the face.'. To this, the unknown voice laughed.

'Kid's got some spunk!', he exclaimed after a while. 'And Sapnap, fully armed, still decided that the more mature thing to do would be to grab the kid and throw him into a cave?'.  
'...I didn't even know how to react. I told Fundy to go get him while I tried to talk it out with Sapnap, but there was no way. He said the only way he would let us stay in the city without burning down our home is if Tubbo went back to the flower field and continued making the potions the way he did before.', Wilbur paused, his voice beginning to tremble. 'And I... I just had no choice. So I let him take Tubbo away, and we went to get Tommy. And then you got there.'.

'You saved his life, Eret. We're forever in your debt.'.  
'It's no big deal. I've started getting tired of Dream myself...'.

Finally, Tommy decided it was time to get up and ask questions. Questions about Tubbo, questions about their plan, and questions about that stranger – If they had even seen them. And of course, Tommy had a task. A task to tell Wilbur something very, very important. As he shot up he could feel his head spinning, his hand moving to his forehead. There was a bandage there now, laced with various herbs that formed a sickening smell. Most of his body was bandaged, and he couldn't even imagine walking with how agonizing the pain in his legs was. Still, this sudden movement was enough to get the attention of both Wilbur and “Eret”, who were standing right outside the doorway. They both rushed in, the man he knew sitting by his side while the other kept his distance.

'Tommy, Tommy, take it easy-', Wilbur tried to say, but the blonde instantly cut him off;  
'Where's Tubbo?! Where did they take him?!', the strain in his voice couldn't be ignored, but no matter how much it hurt to scream, he could not stop. He just wanted to be assured his friend was safe – But both Wilbur's and Eret's expressions showed him he was most likely far from that.  
'...He's in the flower field. In his house.', Wilbur put his hand on the boy's shoulder. 'They're keeping him there but he's safe. And he's okay. So relax and focus on yourself for now, okay? You need to rest. We'll figure everything else out later.'. Tommy hesitated for a moment, stammered, and then sat back. He couldn't hide how calm Wilbur's voice made him feel.  
'...Okay.', he whispered after a moment. '...We'll figure it out later.'.

'I better replace your bandages now that you're awake. I need to get some from storage. You two stay here and lay low, alright? It's best if you don't get in Dream's way right now.', here, Tommy finally noted Eret to be a tall man with brown hair and sunglasses covering his eyes, obscuring whatever colour could be hiding behind them.  
'Thank you again Eret.', Wilbur looked at the man but stayed close to Tommy, his hand still on his shoulder. 'If you ever need anything just-'. The man with the sunglasses, however, would not let himself be thanked so much. He chuckled and then spoke;  
'Don't worry about it.', the man grinned. 'You'll get a chance to pay me back some day, I'm sure.'. And with this he left, leaving Wilbur and Tommy alone in an uncertain silence. Eret turned the corner where he could no longer hear them, and almost instantly, they both spoke;

'Tommy, there's something-'.  
'Wilbur I need to-'.

They paused for just a moment.

'You say it-'.  
'Go first if-'.

And once more, a pause.

'Tommy, I-'.  
'Wilbur, I-'.

And in perfect unison, they blurted out;

'I've seen you in my dreams before.'.

And for that single moment, the whole world seemed to freeze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh oh eret's here... we all know what that means...
> 
> i wonder who the stranger in the cave with tommy was???? big hmmmm  
> and tommy finally called someone a bitch boy!!! it was only a matter of time before he did that...


	6. The Consequences (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fundy requests help from two citizens of the DreamSMP and eventually discovers a disaster. Tommy and Wilbur talk but are cut short by an unexpected visitor.

'Try it more to the left.'.  
'Like this?'.  
'Tighter grip. There, you have it.'.  
'Um- Okay- Okay-'.  
'Now! Fire!'.  
'Ah! ...Oops.'.

Fundy was standing completely still, his hands slightly lifted in the air as an arrow shot in front of him and lodged itself in the ground right before his feet. For just a moment he didn't move, giving an angered side-eye to the two responsible for the firing in the first place. In front of him were two men – One, dark skinned with black hair and a cyan mask over his face, and the other with his face completely obstructed by a dark, black hood. It was the one with the hood that was holding a bow, his aim being guided by the other. There was a firing target on the tree near which Fundy found himself, but the shooter most definitely missed by a lot.

'Ah! Sorry Fundy! I didn't mean that!', the hooded person instantly started apologizing, while the other stepped away with a shrug. He prepared another arrow for his friend, taking it out of a large quiver that he had left lying on the grass. 'Are you alright?'.  
'...Yeah, you just barely missed.', Fundy stepped over the arrow and chuckled. 'I guess it's good you two aren't too far into your training then, right?'. To this, the hooded figure looked down and raised his shoulders slightly, meanwhile the other man exclaimed;  
'Ha! As if! We've been at this for _days_!', he shouted out with a laugh, causing his friend to cover his face from embarrassment. 'I guess Bad is too sweet even for a bow. We're gonna have to figure out some other weapon for you to use...'.

'I really tried my best... I just can't get the hang of it.', Bad rushed over to the arrow he had just fired, Fundy passing him as he did so. He stopped right where the two had originally fired their shot, looking around. From the amount of arrows scattered everywhere and how exhausted the man with the cyan mask seemed to be, he could tell this had been something that had carried on for days now.  
'Don't be too tough on him, Skeppy. Bows are pretty tough to use.', Fundy picked up one of the spare weapons, readying and arrow and playing around with it for a while. He didn't fire, however. He wasn't sure that he was in the good mindset for a clear, daring shot to show off right now. He had also come here for a reason, after all. 'You really need to get the movement right to be efficient.'.

'I'm way better with a sword!', Bad exclaimed, momentarily sitting down on a nearby tree stump. 'But for some reason Zak thinks we should be trained in a lot more different styles. Give us a... What did you call it again?', Bad looked to his friend, who shrugged. Fundy noted his use of his real name – Around these parts, using a name over a title showed trust and a deep bond. Very few even allowed others to use their real names, but to this, Skeppy and Bad were small exceptions.  
'A colourful pallet, I think? I don't know, I barely listen to myself to be honest.', he responded, playing with an arrow in his hand. He looked at Fundy. 'Well, you never come here without a reason. And the reason is usually you want something from us. So what's up?'. _Damn, read me like an open book..._ Fundy played around with the bow he had picked up a little more before speaking, eventually putting it down without firing a single shot. The nearby valley was already sprinkled with arrows - He didn't need to add to that.

'Did you hear about what happened this morning?', he started, sitting down on one of Skeppy's chests. The man himself opted for just standing nearby, leaning against a tree. There was this look in his eye – As if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't bring himself to.  
'...The fight by the caravan?', Bad asked, tilting his head. 'Everyone's heard about that. It's pretty big news... Is Tommy doing okay?', of course, Bad wouldn't be Bad without worrying about others. Almost made you wonder why exactly he had a title so different to his actual personality.  
'He's... Recovering. We got lucky Eret was in the area.', Fundy looked down for just a moment, remembering that fear and panic as that whole situation spiralled out of control. He shook his head, trying to force it away. 'But things have... Well, they've gotten worse. That's why I'm here.'.

'...I warned Wilbur. Going against Dream is _not_ a good idea. No matter what.', Skeppy crossed his arms, his eyes focusing on the city nearby them. 'Something was bout to go wrong eventually. That's why me and Bad never got involved. Besides, we don't need potions to kick ass, do we?'.  
'Language!', Bad shouted almost instantly, a knee-jerk reaction for him any time anyone dared to swear near him. He shifted in his seat, sighed and raised his hands. 'But... You're right. We didn't need the potions and we didn't wanna cross Dream. So we stayed out of it.'.  
'I... I get that... But this is something far worse than just Dream and his policies. He's keeping Tubbo locked up in his house and making him work for him – _That_ , no matter how much he may need those potions, is evil. That kid is fourteen!'. For just a moment, the two men in front of him considered his words. And of course, Skeppy was the first to retaliate;

'Let me guess, you want us to help you?', he asked with a tone that suggested he was completely unconvinced. '...because whatever you might offer, I'm not interested.'.  
'And what if I offered you a test of morality?', Fundy turned his voice into a more grave one, noting how he finally got Skeppy's attention in full – That wasn't something easy to do.  
'...Go on.', the man narrowed his eyes, meanwhile his friend shifted closer to him. It was clear he was worried for whatever this “test of morality” may entail.

'...Tubbo has been living locked up in that flower field for five years now. We finally offered him a way out and a way for everyone to have the potions that could _save their life_. The only reason Tommy is alive right now is because Eret bought health potions from us in the first place!', Fundy paused, standing up and pointing vaguely towards where the flower field was. '...When those three bastards heard about us finally giving Tubbo some freedom they took him back and locked him in again. He's in there right now, working without getting anything for it! The question is this, Skeppy. Are you willing to put your own needs aside to help someone else?'.

And here, both Skeppy and Bad were forced into silence. Having had founded the city with Dream, they knew him better than anyone. They knew what he was like when he didn't get his way, they knew how far he was willing to go for victory, and in some cases, they found out the hard way about what he was capable of at his worse. But they also knew that if they wished, they could take him down. Probably... It would take a lot of work, preparation, and some calculated risks, but they could. But the problem was they didn't want to – As Dream's close friends, they never experienced the worse parts of living in this city. They had no reason to go against the guy who gave them a place to stay and ensured they were safe. But it was unfair to leave Tubbo trapped, too. They had to find a balance between these two – A way to help without crossing Dream, a way to go directly against his orders without him ever tracing it back to them. And while Bad stayed silent with his own internal battle, Skeppy cut in with an idea;

'I can't go against Dream, and you know that.', Skeppy started, playing aimlessly with his hoodie. 'But... I can help you. As long as you keep it under wraps.'. Fundy nodded almost instantly. He knew that without the help of someone far more skilled and far better off than him and his father they had no chance at rescuing Tubbo.  
'...Yes. Of course. Thank you!', he started, but was cut off as Skeppy lifted his hand with a sharp movement. With a grave tone of voice he said;  
'Don't thank me yet. I can't do much for you without getting me or Bad hurt.... But... I have a few spare weapons and some armour lying around.', the man paused, looking away. 'You'll have to keep them. That's the only way for Dream to not trace them back to us.'.  
'A-are you sure? I mean, you don't have to-', and Fundy, once more, barely got time to speak. Another thing about Skeppy – he wasn't very patient.  
'Two iron swords, a bow, enough arrows for a good battle, three iron chest plates, one leather tunic and a single diamond sword. It's the best I can offer right now.', Skeppy sighed. 'Things haven't been the best on our end, either. Dream may like us, but taxes are taxes, I guess.'.

‘I saw the house earlier today.’, Bad finally spoke up, having had been mostly silent until now. He was aimlessly kicking a patch of grass under his foot. ‘...George and Sapnap are both guarding it. If you take Eret with you, you might just have a chance four on two... But that’s a big “maybe”.’.  
‘Those two have potions, diamond gear, and years of combat training from Dream himself. It’s not gonna be easy, and you have no chance if you just attack them out right.’, Skeppy paused, narrowing his eyes. ‘Move at night. Distract them. Don’t engage directly.'.  
‘...Thank you, Skeppy. Truly.’, Fundy said, and this time, was not interrupted. One thing was clear - This man was done talking and this was all of the advice he could give.

After some further conversation, Skeppy agreed he would leave the supplies at the caravan that evening. Fundy headed back to Eret’s house with small sparks of hope in his heart - There was a chance at saving Tubbo, at showing everyone that Dream wasn’t as powerful as some would believe, at showing them standing up for themselves is truly worth it. But this hope didn’t last long - The things he begun noticing left him unable to relax so easily. First it was the smell of smoke, the sickening miasma of gun powder all around him. He walked faster. Then, there was the distant smoke rising from Eret’s house, the crackling of fire growing louder as he got closer. He started running. And finally, he arrived at where the home had once been, a large crater and nothing else left below. He stopped. Edges of the walls collapsed one by one as he watched, any of the remainders of the man’s home being engulfed by flames soon enough. He collapsed to the floor.

From the rubble of the house, the only person that emerged was Dream, dawning a twisted grin.

\---

‘...When I was little... Just a few months old... I was abandoned. My mum found me outside her house in a basket with these three discs tucked in with me.’, Tommy, after some time to rest, was finally able to talk without as much strain as earlier. And with a few more potions from Eret, practically using up his entire stash, he was finally able to sit up on the bed and sway his legs back and forth from the edge. He had his leather back pack on his knees, taking out one of his discs and inspecting it with his bandaged hand. On its edge his name was painted onto it, done with expert precision as to not disturb the actual disc and how it worked once out inside of a jukebox. The name itself, however, seemed to be written over another.

‘...But that doesn’t make sense... I remember giving the discs to you when you were the age you are right now, even older. It wouldn’t make sense for you to have them as a baby.’, Wilbur grabbed the disc gently from the boy, noting how tightly he was gripping onto it. He traced its edge with the tip of his finger, feeling the rough texture.  
‘...And I remember that, too. Well, remember that in a dream. So is it even real?’, clearly, this whole situation was starting to give Tommy a headache. Wilbur slipped the disc back into the bag and focused his attention on the blonde himself, seeing him shifting around in discomfort.  
‘What happened after? Why did you come to this city?’, Wilbur decided to aim for definitives to give the boy some time to unwind. He noticed his eyes fill with sadness as he tried to keep tears at bay, and with a shaky voice, he spoke;

‘When I was six.... I think... The city we lived in, similar to this one, was attacked by someone. It all burned around me and I just... Ran. I left everything behind, and I kept running until I made it to another... and another... and another.... and all I had with me were the discs.’.  
‘Why... why didn’t you stay somewhere? You just kept running?’. To this, Tommy paused and bit his lip. He once more focused on his bag, playing around with some of the straps on it. Finally, after some hesitation, he spoke up;

‘Because you weren’t there. And I was looking for you.’.

‘...Looking... For me?’, Wilbur repeated. It made him wonder - If his dreams had not been as invasive as they were, would he have looked for the three people, too? If he had that sort of control of his life up until now, would he have tried to find them, ran from city to city as Tommy had? Would he have eventually found the owner of that cold, angry glare, with the chilling laugh and the convincing voice? Would he have eventually discover who wielded the deadly sword, with the crown of a leader and the blood of thousands on his hands? And would he have eventually found Tommy, with his three discs, the one point of connection between them, running from everything that was real and in search of his fake world, just as he was? Would it had changed anything, or would they end up here, with their dreams serving as a distraction to their unjust reality? There was no way to know, and that was what scared him most.

‘I kept looking... Looking for the man with the sweet singing voice, the round glasses and the yellow sweater. That was all I remembered about you - Only those three bits. And I kept looking for them, and when I finally found you and you didn’t even know my name... I didn’t know what else to do. So I stayed, hoping you’d remember and tell me what those dreams were.’.  
‘...Well, I’m sorry, Tommy... But until now I didn’t think you were even real. But you coming here, it changed something. It made me realise that... Those dreams were far more than that. They were like memories of things that never happened, but also something far more than that.’, Wilbur paused. ‘Whatever memories we share, they had to come from somewhere.’.

‘What if we never find out?’, Tommy’s voice was shaky and uncertain, his eyes growing fearful. ‘What if we never figure out what these dreams are, where we got these memories, and we just keep looking and looking but we never find anything and we just die without knowing-‘.  
‘Tommy! It’s alright.’, Wilbur cut the other off, noticing how stressed he started getting. ‘...Even if we don’t find anything, at least we’ll be looking together. And that’s better than what we’ve been doing so far, right? You chasing a stranger from your dreams and me not even knowing where I am... Even without clear answers, this is better.’. The boy’s face filled with hope for a split second.  
‘Right... yeah... at least we’re-‘.

‘Wilbur! Tommy!’, Eret’s voice, coming from somewhere downstairs, was enough to end their short moment of peace. The man turned the corner and faced the two, panic in his expression and one of his arms holding onto his stomach. Wilbur shot up, meanwhile the teenager sitting next to him took his time rising up, grabbing onto his backpack as he did so.  
‘Eret? Eret, what’s happening?’, Wilbur came closer to the man, grabbing his shoulders. He was gasping for air, blood seeping into his clothes from a wound around his stomach. He couldn’t even say a word as an explosion erupted from the left, stunning all of them and forcing them to their feet. Wilbur first helped Tommy stand and then got close to Eret, but the man pushed him away.  
‘Go! Just get out of here! I’ll hold him off!’, for a single moment, all three looked down the stairway of the house. There, with his mask fully over his face this time, stood Dream, sticks of dynamite in one hand and a lit match in the other. His sword, now strapped to his back, was covered in blood - Eret’s blood. For a second all four just looked at each other, momentarily stuck in an oblivion, the seconds stretching into hours.

Another explosion from the right snapped them all out of it.

Tommy felt his wrist being grabbed and was soon pulled along one of the corridors in Eret’s home, the smell of smoke filling the rooms one by one. There was no way to go down the stairs, with Dream slowly making his way up and throwing the explosives wherever he could. Eret himself tried to hold him off for a while, rushing forward with an iron sword. He was soon thrust aside by a swift kick to the stomach, and after narrowly avoiding an explosion, clearly decided to give up and focus on himself once more. He made his way out a distant window, meanwhile Tommy and Wilbur tried to do the same.

The house was getting more and more heated, and pieces of the floor begun to slowly fall away as they were consumed by the flames. The two ended up getting stuck in one of Eret’s storage rooms, items falling out and crashing below. The chests could barely be held by the wood any more - the floor was about to break any minute. And in this situation, looking around with seemingly no way out, building up inside of him, the feeling of helplessness returned once more. Tommy grabbed onto Wilbur's arm and gripped his yellow sweater as hard as he could – It were as if he was just holding onto one last bit of familiarity he knew around here.

'Tommy?', Wilbur suddenly shouted, barely heard over the fire and the explosions around them.  
'Yeah?', he shouted back, coughing on the ever-rising smoke.  
'Do you trust me?', the man asked, readying himself for... Something.  
'...You're the only one who's seen those dreams.', Tommy looked at the man. 'Of course I do!'.  
'Well then know that... Whatever happens, everything will be fine. I promise.'.

Before the boy could even ask questions, Wilbur suddenly grabbed his shirt and threw him aside, sending him tumbling out a window and landing on a large patch of grass below. All of the bruises from the cave suddenly made themselves known again, but his adrenaline allowed him to ignore it as he looked up at the house. There, in the window, Wilbur was cut off by another wall of flame and disappeared behind it. Tommy wanted to scream, call out to him, help him, but before he could even react, the house experienced one final explosion, knocking him far away and reducing the whole house to rubble. Tommy's ears were ringing, his head was pulsating with pain, and his eyes begun to grow blurry with tears. He looked into the flames in stunned silence. He watched and watched, waiting for someone to emerge.

But even as the dust settled, Wilbur was nowhere to be seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh god oh frick wilbur's frickin dead  
> also skeppy and bad are here pog!!! they wont be super important in the war but after the election? who knows...  
> also damn the dream team really likes arson in this story huh
> 
> thank you for all the lovely comments this fic has been getting, ive been gushing over every single one for days-


	7. The Consequences (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur is saved miraculously by a familiar dream. Tommy, Fundy and Eret gather their gear and prepare for a rescue mission.

_The pain he's feeling is unimaginable._

_He tries to put pressure on areas of most pain, but no matter what he tries, he can't feel it easing. He can smell his own burning flesh, the horrible stench is filling his nostrils and making him sick. His head is spinning and he feels like he's about to lose himself any second – but he stays awake. Because he knows that as long as he is awake, he is alive. And as long as he is alive there's still a chance someone will find him here. Because down here he has no chance at saving himself, buried in some pit as a fire rages above. He tries to remember how he got here but it escapes his mind – All he can focus on is the overwhelming heat and the pain in his entire body._

_'Wilbur! Wilbur, you've got to stay with me, man! I can't- Come on, not like this!', the panicked voice he hears is unlike it normally is. It's not convincing, it's not foreboding, it's full of fear, uncertainty and every word it speaks is littered with cracks._  
_'...Get out of here... You've got to... Get out...', he speaks slowly, his voice raspy and similar to a whisper. He can barely even open his mouth, not to mention get his words out properly. The man leaning by him starts rummaging through his bag._  
_'Shut the hell up and listen! I'm not gonna leave you here, are you crazy?', after some searching, the man removes two bottles from his bag. They both glisten with a strange, orange glow. He opens them both and passes one to Wilbur, tilting it slightly and letting the liquid flow into his mouth. As it moves down his throat, he can feel the pain around him easing, and the heat becomes something unnoticeable. His saviour drinks his own potion, helps him stand, and begins leading him out of the burning pit. With great struggle the two crawl out, just in time before the whole building collapses completely. They wait for a few moments, gasping for air._

_'You... You idiot...',Wilbur says between coughs. 'You could have died! Don't you get that?'._  
_'...We're partners... Partners in crime, right?', the man takes a deep breath, laying down on the ground below. 'We can't be that till the end of time... If one of us is dead... Can we?'._  
_'...You stole my potions.', he looks at the two empty bottles the two carried out, both of them with 'Fire Resistance' lazily scribbled onto them. 'You're and idiot and a thief.'._  
_'An idiot and a thief who just saved your ass!', the man shouts, but is unable to do anything else as he continues coughing at higher and higher rates. 'You should be grate- You should be-', and as the coughing gets too intense to deal with, the man sits up and spends almost half a minute just trying to put an end to it. As he finishes, his friend gets closer, putting an arm on his shoulder._

_'Are you... Are you okay?', Wilbur comes closer, his hands trembling._  
_'I'm fine!', the man pushes him away. 'Just... Thank me for being a valiant hero already, and...'._  
_'It's not normal to cough like that-', he speaks, concerned for the man more than himself._  
_'It's not normal to not thank someone for-', he coughs once more. 'For saving their life!'._

_Maybe if Wilbur didn't back down so easily then, he-_

-felt the heat rising, stronger and stronger, dizzy from having had just gotten back from his memory. Wilbur rubbed his eyes and tried to focus back into the world, his lungs filling with the smoke-ridden air and his legs trembling from fear. He looked outside for a moment before a wall of flame blocked him off – Tommy was safe, and that was all that mattered to him. He hugged the wall with his back and closed his eyes, as if praying to some unknown entity to rescue him. And just when he thought all was lost, right in the corner of his eye, he spotted something. Something glimmering with an orange glow different to that of the fire, reminding him of a similar potion he saw in his dream. He knelt down and quickly grabbed it, reading the charred label on the side. Although barely readable, it was there, clear as day;

_'Fire Resistance'_

Wilbur didn't waste time opening the bottle and downing all of its contents, the heat and the pain from some of the flames getting far too close for comfort fading in seconds. He covered his mouth with his sleeve to try and not choke on the smoke, and then finally, started making his way out of the slowly collapsing house. He rushed right through the wall of fire in front of the doorway, sprinting to the stairs as fast as he could. The ceiling cracked and fell around him, sparks hitting him as the charred wood dropped on every side of him. He was about half way down the stairs when he felt a something push him forward, making him collapse into a large fire. He was lucky the potion effect lasted as long as he did. He turned back, and looked upon the stairs, where Dream stood in silence, the fire burning away his mask. He didn't care – Of course, he, himself, came prepared with more potions he could ever carry, all of them brewed by Tubbo, imprisoned in his own home.

'Heading somewhere?', the blonde asked as he lit another stick of dynamite, his blood-thirsty grin showing from behind his burned mask. His eyes were filled with nothing but lust for power.  
'...Screw you, you maniac!', as Wilbur shouted these last few words, Dream lit his final explosive and threw it up high, disappearing behind another wall of inferno.

And all Wilbur could do was huddle in a corner, hoping for a miracle.

\---

'...What do you mean... What do you mean he's gone?'.

Eret was bleeding and covered in ash. Tommy's whole body ached and some of his bandages were still smoking. And Fundy stood there, staring at them, with his ears laying low and eyes pacing from one to the other, terror and confusion alike overwhelming them. The smoke from Eret's home was still rising from afar – More and more people from the city were walking over to see what was going on. But these three did not have time – These three knew that what had just gone down meant one thing, and one thing alone; War. It was either the start or the end of the greatest battle this city had ever seen, and it was up to these three to decide whether it was the latter or the former.

'He was in that house when it blew up, Fundy!', Tommy was out of breath, in agony, tired and filled with more regret and guilt than he could admit. And yet still, he spoke. Because this teenager had a habit of speaking more and more the less he wished to. 'It all went up in flames, and- And everything just- That son of a bitch, I'll tear him to shreds!'.  
'If you don't calm down, we're just gonna have another death on our hands! Do you want that!?', Eret screamed at Tommy, grabbing his hand and pulling him back before he could rush off to god knows where. The blonde paused for just a moment, stepped back, and then fell to the ground, unable to stand any more. He now sat aimlessly on his knees, looking into the grass field below.  
'...He's... He's... He can't be... N-no...', Fundy started pacing around, whispering to himself and rubbing his shoulders. Tommy had lived with him and his father long enough to recognize that he was truly past the point of giving up, and had fallen into something far deeper, far darker. Complete and utter despair and helplessness.

For a moment, the three all sat in silence. What else was there to do? In a single day, virtually everyone here had lost everything they could ever care about. Tommy had first lost his friend, captured and taken away, with no hope of ever being freed. And then, on top of that, he had lost the one other person who was like him, who understood what he was going through. Eret himself tried to help a stranger and in turn lost everything he had owned – His home, his possessions, all because he showed an act of kindness to those who Dream deemed unworthy of it. And finally there was Fundy, who had lost most of all – His father. Because Wilbur was gone, and there was no way he could have made it out of that-

'You weren't gonna give up on me _that_ easily, right?'.

And to the familiar sound of someone who they had thought to be gone, they all reacted instantly. Eret looked up and with a sigh of relief smiled, unable to believe what he was seeing. Tommy's head snapped to the side and he gasped. And Fundy, without hesitation, ran forward almost instantly. Because from the edge of the forest, limping, struggling to walk, gasping for air, but still, _walking, breathing, living,_ was Wilbur. His clothes were all covered in soot, most of his sweater having had burned away at its edges. His trousers were ripped, and all he held in his hand was a single, empty, glass bottle. He nearly fell over, his son luckily catching him and supporting him before he properly had a chance to. Fundy, with no regard for any wounds he may have started instantly embracing him and sobbing into his sweater, meanwhile Eret and Tommy slowly made their way to them. It wasn't long before the younger one joined in, meanwhile the older man kept his distance.

'You're okay!', Fundy exclaimed through his sobs and sniffles. 'But Tommy said you were-'.  
'I _thought_ I was a goner.', Wilbur lifted the empty bottle. 'But someone is looking out for me.'.  
'You- I thought you were-', Tommy suddenly shot up, crossing his arms. 'Why did you do that?'.  
'I saved your life! You should be thanking me...'. Wilbur suddenly looked at Eret.

'I guess it's good you bought this from us, huh?', he lifted the small bottle in his hand and handed it to the man with the sunglasses, who took it from him hesitantly. He looked more closely at the label on it, and then with a confused grimace shrugged.  
'I never bought any Fire Resistance from you.', Eret bluntly stated, causing the other man to stammer. '...Check your records if you don't believe me. I never once ordered Fire Resistance because I didn't need it. All I ever bought was the Health and Regeneration I used on Tommy.'.  
'...So then... How did this...', Wilbur looked down at the edge of the glass, the reflection of that cold, angry glare seeming to shine right through. His “partner in crime”... “Till the end of time”... A partner in crime he failed to even remember the name of.  
'I guess someone really _is_ looking out for you.', Eret said, patting him on the back. 'But maybe we should actually take care of those burns. Once the Fire Resistance wears off all of that pain will hit you all at once. Do we have any potions left?'.

The rest of that day was a bitter-sweet moment of peace between all of what had gone down and their planned rescue mission for that evening – It was hard to describe the feeling exactly. On one hand, everyone was relieved to be back together, and to see Wilbur on his feet. His wounds were taken care of rather quickly, and with the right herbs and potions, his pain was eased, too. Him, Tommy and Eret all changed and had time to tell Fundy what had happened, giving them all a rather grim outlook on their chances at rescuing Tubbo. Still, they waited, and at some point during the evening, when none of them were really paying attention, a chest with a note attached to it appeared seemingly out of nowhere near the caravan. Wilbur picked it up and read it aloud;

_To whoever made it out of that house, know that I have not lost hope. Whether there’s still four of you or just one, I still believe that you have a chance at making this work. Dream doesn’t have control over everything - And you can show everyone that. You can show them that there’s a chance at rising up, and maybe then I’ll stop being so cautious and do some revolting of my own._

_No promises though._

_Use whatever I left here as best as you can, and don’t throw this chance away. No matter how hopeless it may look, even trying will give the people here something to fight for. And that will set us on the path to making this place better. Or, at least, I hope so. I really, really do._

_Good luck, and remember, we’ve all got our eyes on you._  
_\- Zak_

‘He signed it with his name...’, Wilbur whispered under his breath as he finished reading the note. Tommy was already rummaging through the items as Eret helped him sort it out. Meanwhile, Fundy got closer to his father and placed his hand on his shoulder, smiling;  
‘It means he trusts us.’, he looked into the chest, watching as Tommy carefully removed an iron sword from inside, swinging it around for a short while. Eret had to stop him before he cut a hole in the wall of the caravan. ‘It means he truly believes we have a chance at this.’.  
‘With stuff like this?’, Eret lifted an iron chest plate, shaking it around for a bit and exposing its many cuts and bends. ‘I’m all for being an optimist, Wilbur, but with these things we barely stand a chance. Unless you’ve got some sort of ex-machina up your sleeve, we’re not gonna-‘.

‘Holy _shit_!’.

At Tommy’s exclamation, the whole group was forced to look into the chest. With most things moved aside or laid out on the grass by the chest itself, only one item remained in their direct view. That item was a single weapon - A sword with a wooden handle lined with rope for an easier grip, and a blade made of pure diamond. The sword glimmered in the sun above, the sun rays reflecting on its crystalline surface. Unlike the other weapons Skeppy had gifted them with, this one had no scratches, no stains, no marks. All it was was a carefully polished blade, as if prepared specifically for this very occasion. Either that, or it’s former owner somehow managed to keep it in pristine condition. For a minute or two they simply watched, enticed by the slight glow on the edges and the pristine craftsmanship on the handle. Wilbur was the first to move, picking the sword up and wrapping his fingers around the handle with great care. He moved it around a few times and finally swung it at full force, making a clean cut in the trunk of a nearby tree.

‘That’s so cool! Can I have a try?’, Tommy, seemingly forgetting the many bruises on his body and disregarding the burns he got from the earlier explosion, ran up and started watching Wilbur carefully as he played around with the sword for a little longer. He was completely entranced by its sharpness and how easy it was to manoeuvre.  
‘Careful, Tommy, it’s not a-‘, before the man could even speak, the boy snatched the weapon out of his hand and started hitting all of the nearby tree branches with it, making clean cuts each time. Even without any experience with a sword, the boy was dealing incredible damage. Fundy soon followed him, ensuring he didn’t hurt himself or anyone who would be unlucky enough to pass by. And so, Wilbur and Eret were left alone to talk.

‘That’s not just some used sword.’, Eret started, watching the teenager swing the blade around. Every time it moved, it made a sharp sound. ‘He must have made that recently. Very recently. Even Dream, Sapnap and George don’t have weapons this fresh.’.  
‘I guess we got our ex-machina, then.’, Wilbur looked at Eret as he scoffed, seeing a small smile grow on his face. ‘Skeppy must really believe in us if he gave us a completely new sword, right?’.  
‘...It could give us a chance. A sword like that scares anyone who knows better away. It might not be the key to killing those two maniacs, but it’s what we might need to give us an equal chance. And that’s enough.’. The other man bit his lip.

‘Now the question is how to secure that chance...’, Wilbur looked down, looking at all of the bandages on his arms. They were all burned at their edges. ‘Which one of us is the most dangerous with a sword like that?’, he looked briefly at Tommy, who now needed help from Fundy after getting the sword stuck in the bark or the tree, both pulling at it with all their might.  
‘...I think you already know.’, Eret said right into his ear, his own eyes focusing on the young blonde as well. He managed to get the sword out of where he had trapped it, lifted it in his hand and grinned. The man carried on as they both watched in silence; ‘...There’s only one among us with the type of flame we need for this to work out.’. Wilbur looked at Tommy’s eyes.

And Tommy’s eyes burned with a fire of hope.

\---

'...Fundy, I trust you to cover us. You'll take the bow and the tunic and stay at a distance.', Wilbur stood in front of his son, handing him his gear. 'If they get close to you, run like hell. You know more than anyone you're not the best at hand to hand combat and I don't want you to-'.  
'I get it.', Fundy tilted his head slightly and smiled. 'I'll give you guys cover and retreat if they notice me. Don't worry. I've been using a bow long enough to know how to do it safely.', he crossed his arms and relaxed. '...Just trust me, dad.'.  
'...Alright... Alright, I do.', his gaze moved to Eret as he picked up an iron sword and chest plate. 'You'll go with me, Eret. We'll distract George and Sapnap and lead them away from the house so Tommy can break Tubbo out. I'm gonna be relying on you.'.  
'You can put your trust in me, Wilbur.', Eret grabbed the weapon and chest plate, getting himself ready. Wilbur put on one of the chest plates himself and then turned to Tommy, passing him the last one of three. The boy waited as he picked up the two swords they had left – One, a flimsy iron one. The other, a pristine blade forged from diamond. Instantly, Tommy reached for the iron sword, but the man pulled it away and moved the other forward.

'W-Wilbur... Are you... Are you sure?', he asked, gently grasping onto the handle.  
'You're the one who's gonna be going into the epicenter of it all.', the man nodded. 'You need all the defence you can get. Don't let us down.'. The boy hesitated for a moment, and then grinned.  
'Obviously! I won't let you down, Wilbur!', Tommy moved away with the weapon and slashed at the air with it, giggling to himself as he did so. And even though this moment of bliss was more than welcome after their day of struggles, it couldn't last long. Because the sun was already setting, and night was getting closer and closer.

And at night, they would make their move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh shiddd its break out time  
> hm... "parnter in crime", hes a scammer, AND has coughing fits? this mystery dude could NOT be more obvious....  
> thank you all for all the comments, they make me so happy aaaaaaaaaaaaa <3


	8. The Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George thinks about his friendship with Dream and where it has brought him. Wilbur and Eret attempt to provide a distraction. Tommy saves Tubbo from captivity. Fundy faces a powerful opponent.

The first arrow was fired at sundown.

George knew this, and he knew this well, because every day at sun down he would look towards where the sun was setting and try to at least take a single second to enjoy it. Enjoy it as well as he could, of course - While others saw a pleasant mix of colours, all he could really recognise was a smudge of washed out yellows and greens that all just sort of... Blended together. Despite this, still, he would look at the sun as it went down, and wonder how he found himself here, relentlessly following Dream's every order and doing things he'd never expect to be doing a few years back. And as another day came to an end and he watched, lost in thought, he couldn't overlook the whizzing noise passing right by his ear, snapping him out of his momentary trance.

Picking up his bow and aiming it with expert precision towards where he deduced the shot to have been fired from, he let his eyes wander around, scanning the edge of the flower field for the possible archer. Sapnap was soon by his side, lighting a torch and putting it in one of his hands while he wielded an axe in the other. George wasn't sure where exactly Dream found him - The three of them meeting had been so long ago, it was hard to recall. But he knew one thing for sure - It must have involved fire. As the two men stood still and watched in silence, they finally saw two figures emerging from behind the trees at the edge of the field, dawning armour and wielding swords. George kept his aim steady, speaking;

'You’re trespassing on private property. If you don’t leave now I will be forced to-', George started, giving the usual phrase Dream had drilled into their heads. It was important to try and keep everything clean and political, otherwise people might get outraged when the deaths of locals or strangers pop up where they shouldn't.  
‘Cut the formalities!’, Sapnap moved forward, pointing his axe towards the two figures. ‘These are those traitors that tried to take our potions! They’re here to break the kid out!’, he turned around, pointing to the house. George waited for a few seconds and then lowered his bow for just a short while, tilting his head with a grin.  
‘Is that so?’, he asked, moving his glasses down and over his face. Instantly, the colours around him went from bland, identical shades, to vibrant and clear ones, showing him exactly who was standing at the edge of the field. One had sunglasses. The other, a dirty yellow sweater.

‘...Well then, let’s show them how we deal with traitors around here!’.

\---

_Breathe in. Breathe out. Keep your grip steady. You’ve got this._

Tommy could feel the sweat building up on his palm, making the diamond sword slip from under his control. He could feel his heart pounding, the sensation making his whole body tremble. His eyes stayed focused on the house in front of him as he lay low in the grass, feeling the various flowers touching his skin and bandages. Daffodils, tulips, lavender, poppies, gladiolus, peonies... His mouth was beginning to get awfully dry, and his burns seemed to be more bothersome than ever. Not to mention the cold wind, the wet grass, the-

_Breathe in. Breathe out. Don’t get distracted. Focus on the house._

He had to remember. Remember who was in the house, and what was happening. Because someone he truly cared about, a boy he had started calling his best friend, Tubbo, was inside, and he had no way out himself. This was their only shot at getting him free and giving him an escape from it all, maybe finally making the choice to run away from this city and leave it all behind. Maybe he could build a future with this newfound “family” they had managed to form, and maybe things would finally be okay form there-

_Breathe in. Breathe out. Fundy fired. They’re distracted._

But what was the point of running, anyway? He had been doing that all his life, hadn’t he? He promised himself that when he found the man with the voice, the sweater and the glasses he would stop and he would finally try and learn more about the memories. But this is a cycle that will never end, as long as they’re here and Dream rules above them they will always, always suffer. But is there another way? Is there a way to stay, but be free from that tyrant at the same time? Maybe-

_Breathe in. Breathe out. They’re after them. They’ve left the house._

_No time to think. Time to move. Now!_

And just as he ran motivated by fear when the stranger with the crown chased him, just as he ran after the man with the signing voice all his life, and just as he ran away from everything that came before, he ran towards the house, driven by the flame of hope for a better future burning in his heart. Because in front of him there was injustice, there was tyranny and there was a possibility at breaking it all down. He just had to take the first step, and that first step, whether he could handle the pressure or not, all depended on how he acted here. And even though just seconds ago he was doubting himself, now he knew - He knew that whatever happened, he would do anything he could as long as he had a chance at saving his friend.

Because right now, that was all that mattered.

\---

‘Oh Wilbur! Don’t run! There’s nothing to be afraid of...’.

One thing Wilbur noted about George was how intense he seemed to get when fighting, compared to his rather calm personality when he saw him around the city. He knew that Dream had strange ways of training his two body guards, one of them including the so called “manhunts” - It was often that the people in the city would find George and Sapnap chasing the local leader with bloodlust in their eyes. They’d shout, push people over, have long fights that resulted in damage to virtually everything around them, and would usually spiral into insulting one another for days after. This essentially meant that the one thing these two specified at was chasing people down – That, and sounding incredibly intimidating as they did so.

George was nearby. Wilbur could hear his voice echoing from virtually every direction, his sing-song tone cutting through his very psyche. Luring him into the woods where he could not see Tommy in the flower field was certainly a good idea, until he realised that he himself was lost and struggling to find his way. Only a few seconds later he felt something slamming into him, causing him to collapse to the floor and hit the back of his head on a nearby tree. His head was spinning as he got to his knees and got ready to stand, dodging an oncoming arrow just in the nick of time. He rolled to the side and finally got to his feet, already feeling his reality fading as he did so. He knew that if he were to black out here, he’d be a goner. He raised his sword and got ready to block as another arrow was fired, this one stabbing into a thick, leather strap on his chest plate by sheer luck.

Wilbur quickly pulled the arrow out and dropped to the floor as George fired another, doing so at speeds so quick it was impossible to keep up with. He dodged two of them by hiding behind a large boulder, and as George got close, grabbed onto his arms and tried to force him over to his side. He succeeded, leaving the man lying in front of him and giving him a head start as he got up to run once more. He could already feel himself getting out of breath, wheezing and coughing as he lacked air to breathe. It wasn’t hard for George, who did stuff like this on the daily, to catch up with him and knock him to the ground. This time, he put his knee on his thigh, essentially pinning him down and leaving him immobile. He lifted his sword and swung it but the other deflected it with his forearm, which was protected by a diamond guard. The sword flew away at great force and lodged itself in a nearby tree, leaving Wilbur with no weapon and no hope for survival.

‘It’s funny, Wilbur.’, George started, attaching his bow to his back and removing a small, diamond dagger from a sheath on his right leg. He moved it close to the man’s throat, and from the fear alone, he could already hear the passing whispers of a memory getting ready to embrace him and lock him away from the pain. The blade stung him with its chilling temperature, clearly a weapon not often used and reserved only for unusual situations – Situations like these.

‘It’s almost like you thought you had a chance at getting away from me. But that would be stupid. Even from a man as... _Unusual_ , as you.’. And as always, Wilbur was already fading out, barely able to comprehend what was being said to him. Because every time Wilbur was about to face something where he’d actually be required to act, to be brave, to do something of use, he was snatched away. Because he was useless. He was a useless piece of garbage and never contributed to anything of use and oh god he was so afraid he couldn’t even think straight

'But as a distraction, now this... would be brilliant.’. _...useless, I’m useless, I’m a horrible person and an even worse father, I can’t do anything right and I always need help and why am I even here doing this I wanna go back I just wanna go back to the fog being alive hurts too much I just want to forget all of this again just take me back to the strangers take me back to the cold glare to the crown to the laugh to the sword to the discs to the I don’t care just take me back_

_Why am I not going back?_

'...I’ll make sure to tell the kid you gave it a good try. Right before I drown him in that little lake by your caravan.’, and as George moved the dagger back, getting ready for a deadly slash, a large, unidentifiable shape slammed into him, and he was forced aside, his weapon tumbling away. Wilbur reacted instantly, pulling himself away from his thoughts and rushing to grab onto it. A bright, orange light filled the area just as he did, Sapnap appearing with his torch and axe, the latter stained with blood. Wilbur's eyes were instantly drawn to George, now in a vicious fist-fight with Eret, who had tackled him only moments ago. Wilbur now focused his attacks on the man who had taken Tubbo away in the first place – A personal spite building up inside of him.

Wilbur lunged forward, moving at a speed faster than he could fully comprehend. It was like something else than his raw strength was driving him, something far deeper, stronger, and darker. Way, way darker. Sapnap clearly wasn't expecting it, letting his guard down long enough for Wilbur to stab his axe-wielding hand from the side, blood seeping out as he did so. The man backed away and dropped his weapon, unable to hold on, beginning to blindly wave his torch around. Wilbur dodged one attack, then the next, and then the next. And as he looked at Sapnap, all he could see was him grabbing Tommy, pushing him into that cave, and dragging Tubbo away. Nothing more. Just the pure hatred and lust for revenge. But revenge tends to blind you, and Wilbur had failed to account for how quickly someone like Sapnap could flip a situation like this around.

During one of his blind slashes, Sapnap ducked to the floor and kicked forward, knocking Wilbur on his back. He tried to stand up but felt a strong kick to his stomach, causing him to curl up in pain. He watched helplessly as the diamond dagger was once more picked up by its rightful owner, Eret nowhere to be seen. For a moment the two spoke, as if behind some sort of wall, their conversation muted and unclear. And then, without any further attacks, they ran to the side, disappearing into the dark woods. Wilbur now saw Eret – He was slowly standing up from the floor, holding onto a large bruise on his head, blood pouring from his forehead and onto his face. Despite this, still, he rushed forward and checked the other man first and foremost.

'Wilbur... Wilbur, are you feeling okay? Did you break anything?'. Wilbur shot up almost instantly, grabbing Eret's hands and stopping him from doing anything.  
'Eret, you're bleeding! What did he do to you, are you alright?'. The man fixed up his sunglasses and gritted his teeth, trying to move his focus away from his overwhelming pain.  
'That doesn't matter right now! Where are- Where are they?!'. The two men looked around, noticing George and Sapnap had long disappeared. For a moment, it seemed a blessing, giving them a chance to get away and live. But they were soon reminded why exactly they were out here, fighting for their life – And that reminder was a shout for help.

A shout for help from an archer hidden deep in the forest.

\---

'Tubbo!'.

The boy, who had been sitting on his floor and sobbing into his knees until now rapidly wiped his tears away with his sleeve and looked up. Although his eyes were still slightly blurred it wasn't hard to recognise the teenager forcing his way in through his window. Blonde hair, a red patch on top of his shirt and way too many band aids and bandages for him to be considered “cautious”. Tubbo instantly shot up, rushing over and wrapping his arms around his shoulders, receiving a hug in return. He backed away, already bouncing on his feet from excitement.

'You're okay!', he shouted, putting his hands together. 'When Sapnap threw you down that cave, I thought- I thought you were dead- And- And he told me about the explosion, and-'.  
'Eret's house is gone, but we're all fine.', Tommy grabbed his friend's shoulders and narrowed his eyes. 'Right now we have to get out of here. We have to go before-'.

'Time's up.'.

The two boys turned around, and in the doorway, found none other than Sapnap, a torch in one of his hands, meanwhile the other hung limp by his side. Tommy could not overlook the blood gushing right out of it – But the man seemed to ignore it. His full focus was on the teenagers in front of him, their fear outlined in the warm glow of his torch. He didn't speak, instead making his first move. Tommy pushed Tubbo to the side and readied his sword, just barely managing to deflect a swing from the torch. The fire was close to his face and producing great heat, reminding him of everything that happened at Eret's house in an instant. This small flashback was enough to stun him and leave him completely unguarded as Sapnap swiftly kicked his leg, causing him to collapse to the floor. Tubbo took this moment to react, rising up from where he had fallen and tackling the man by pushing himself into his waist.

The next few moments were the most messy and chaotic of the night – Firstly, Tubbo got off Sapnap before he could gather himself and helped Tommy stand, the boy readying his blade for another attack. He pressed it against the man's throat, but deep inside knew he would never have the motivation to take his life, right here, right now. And the one under the blade must have seen it, too, and instead of saving himself, picked up his torch and threw it onto one of the tables – A table filled with dry flowers, which quickly lit on fire, a fire which begun spreading to the walls. Tommy grabbed onto his friend and the two stumbled outside, Sapnap giving chase. Without his torch or axe he grabbed onto one of the arrows Fundy had fired and begun swinging it around like some sort of dagger – At this stage, it was clear to see he was getting desperate.

Tommy dodged one of the man's blind attacks and spun around, his sword cutting right through his chest plate and leaving a rather large mark. Sapnap looked down in disbelief, then back at Tommy, and finally, his eyes settled on his newly found weapon. His eyes wandered back to the small hut Tubbo had once lived in, now up in flames, the fire slowly spreading further and further out. That's when the man knew – He knew he had done too much to ever be able to look Dream in the eyes and give a report of this whole incident with pride. He cursed under his breath, turned back, and ran into the night, disappearing somewhere in the woods. And while Tommy seemed satisfied with the result, his friend definitely was not.

'Tommy... Tommy, the flowers...', Tubbo grabbed onto his friend's shirt and tucked at it, his teary eyes locked on his house. The flames begun spreading onto the grass and consuming the many flowers, the colours fading from them as they became dark and shrivelled. 'They're all gonna burn... Every single one of them, the whole field, it's gonna-'.  
'We have to go, Tubbo!', Tommy exclaimed, already feeling the smoke fill his lungs. He pulled his friend along but he remained unmoved, watching the fire spread in silence. 'Tubbo, I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do. We have to go! Now!'. Tommy came closer, grabbing his friend by the shoulders and turning him around so he was forced to look him in the eye.

'All battlefields turn into poppy fields eventually, right, Tubbo?'. The boy sniffled.  
'...They do... They always do.', he wiped a few more tears away, and let himself be lead home.

And as the two boys walked away from the field, the flames only grew stronger and stronger, consuming more and more of the daffodils, tulips, lavender, poppies, gladiolus, peonies and everything else the field had – And there was nothing that could have been done. There was no way to stop this destruction, this pain, this suffering, because what had happened there that night was only a start – A start to something far worse, far more twisted, far more painful.

It was the start of a war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS FINALLY WAR TIME BAYBEEE
> 
> anyone whos wondering what happened to fundy, it will get explained next chapter, as this one got a bit too lengthy. sorry!\  
> also yeah george's goggles are actually his colour blindness glasses in this fic... what about it...
> 
> hope you enjoyed!


	9. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fundy recovers from an attack. Tubbo shares his plan. Eret, Wilbur and Tommy begin planning a new nation.

_...What... Happened?_

'Fundy, don't worry. I'm here.'. _...Someone's touching my head... My hair... Dad?_  
'Wilbur, pass me those bandages.' _. ...Deep voice... Calm and collected... Eret?_  
'Is he gonna be okay?'. _...Concern... Soft and gentle tone of voice... Tubbo?_  
'Holy shit! Is that his _fucking bone_?!'. _Tommy. Definitely Tommy._

_What happened?_

'Fundy, you were badly injured. But I'm here with you. You'll be fine.'. _Okay... Thanks dad._  
'Another bandage, please. Tubbo, hold that more tightly.'. _Eret... Am I gonna make it?_  
'It's bleeding! Is there supposed to be this much blood?'. _Calm down, Tubbo... I'll be fine..._  
'Oh shit... Oh shit... _Oh shit!_ '. _...Tommy... Keep it together... Everything will be fine... I think..._

_What the hell happened to me?!_

'Just hold on a little longer. You'll be fine after a bit.'. _I hope you're not just saying that because it_  
'There. Now we just need a support for the cast.'. _god it hurts so much I can't even feel my hand_  
'Wait- Wait- Don't move his- Oh god...'. _what is that stop stop stop it hurts please_  
'Oh my god, was it supposed to snap back like that?!'. _what was that why did it hurt so much why-_

‘Son, you’re fine now. Just rest. Trust me. Everything will be okay.’.

_Okay dad. I trust you. I’ll rest._

And so he did.

Fundy had only awoken hours later, unsure of the time or even his location. His right hand hurt the most out of his whole otherwise agony-ridden body, and he soon noted he couldn’t even move it at all. There was something stiff keeping it in place, but even without it, he doubted he would have been able to move it. He turned to his side and looked around, noting that he was inside the caravan, laying in the bed he had given up for Tommy to sleep on when he first arrived here almost a month back. Near the front he could see someone moving around - But he didn’t really have time to recognise who it was. His mind was more focused on how he got here in the first place - And what exactly happened in that forest.

He remembered flashes - He was standing still and watching the house, seeing as Tommy struggled to force the window open for almost 10 minutes. Whatever locks Dream and his friends put on that house were stronger than anything he had ever seen before - But eventually, the boy got in. Only minutes later Sapnap started moving towards the entrance, and Fundy begun firing at him. And it was here that things got messy - Right before his final, deadly shot, someone slammed into him, knocking him onto his right hand. There was shouting, cursing, someone else got there and a long fight took place as he slowly bled out on the floor below. And now he was here, bandaged and cleaned up, but from how much pain he was feeling, able to tell that their potion supply had finally ran dry. He finally decided to sit up and get moving - He had to know what happened.

Straight away, he knew their mission must have been successful to an extent. On the front chairs of the caravan sat Tommy and Tubbo, completely silent. Tommy wasn’t speaking, for once... Something very rare for him. As for Tubbo, his eyes told it all - Faded, colourless and focused solely on the small, burned daffodil he was grasping in his hand. Tommy gave Fundy a passing glance, forced a sad smile and the focused on his friend once more. Tubbo himself didn’t even seem to recognise him standing there, clearly something else on his mind. The eighteen year old finally turned to the doorway and stepped outside, the bright light of the sun blinding him as he did so.

'Fundy! Fundy, how are you feeling?', Fundy’s father was the first to greet him, grabbing onto him and helping him out of the caravan. The man rubbed his eyes and looked around, seeing Wilbur, as well as Eret, fishing by the lake together.  
'...Better, I think... What even happened?', he scratched the back of his head, noticing that a bandage was wrapped all the way around it. Eret soon abandoned his fishing rod and came closer, putting his hands in his pockets.  
'...George got to you before we could stop him. He broke your arm.’, the man moved his sunglasses slightly. Fundy could see they had some cracks and a splatter of blood on them - but he still didn’t take them off. What could possibly be hiding behind if he insisted on covering it so much?

'How’s Tubbo? Did he make it out okay?’, Fundy instantly switched topics, knowing that since everyone was here and alive, something else must have broken that boy down to the point he was at now. Eret looked aside in silence, meanwhile Wilbur explained instead;  
'Sapnap burned down the flower field. There's not gonna be any more potions from either sides, not for a long time.', the man looked down, rubbing his eyes. ‘Tubbo hasn’t been able to focus on anything else since. I... I don’t really know what we’re gonna do now. Dream, Sapnap and George have all been missing since yesterday.’.

'...We have to run, right?’, at his words, both of the men perked up. ‘Once Dream gets more potions we’re done for, and we can’t make any ourselves. We have to get out of the city before he comes after us! Before he comes here and blows our home to pieces-’.  
'And where do we go then?’, Eret cut in. ‘There’s a reason we never go into the wilderness. No one knows what’s out there! Those things that wander the woods at night, we’d never stand a chance with them! Not with the gear we have right now!’.  
'We either stay and risk our lives or run and get a chance at surviving. Whether we like it or not, we’ll have to make that choice - There’s no other way to stay away from Dream!’, and as Wilbur shouted, the doors of the caravan opened.

'...There’s one way.'.

Now, standing with them, was Tubbo, being supported by Tommy right by his side. He shook the blonde off and moved forward, his feet dragging behind him as he did so. He stopped for a moment, lifting the burned flower in his right hand. It crumbled and the small dust it produced settled on his hand, but he didn't seem to mind. He remained still and as he looked at it, and after about a minute, finally spoke.

'...Take me to the field.', he whispered, lowering his head. 'I can explain it better there. But I need to go to the flower field.'. Tommy looked at his friend monetarily, grabbing his hand.  
'Tubbo, are you sure?'. The boy did not answer. Instead, he turned to the side and begun walking away by himself. The look in his eyes as he passed them was unnatural – It hid deeply rooted sorrow and regret. The four followed – What other choice did they have?

The walk to the field wasn't long – But it was filled with impossible, unexplainable silence. Silence that hid words not yet said, explanations not yet given, and thoughts on everything that had gone down that they did not dare to share with one another. And as the five had finally arrived at the charred remains of the once vibrant flower field, it was clear from Tubbo's reaction he was not yet ready to face it. His eyes widened as he watched the pitch black stems sway in the gentle breeze, not even a smudge of their long lost colours left behind. He knelt down for a moment, the soot and ash staining his trousers as he did so. His hands wandered over the burned stems for just a moment, his fingers tracing the edges of each one. Ash was still floating around, landing on him as he remained unmoved. Tommy crouched down by his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder.

'Are you alright, Tubbo?', he whispered to him, getting an instant reaction. The boy shook his head, quickly wiped his eyes and rose to his feet. There was something new in his them – Something Wilbur had only seen in one person before. It was the flame of hope and a desperate want for revenge, whatever steps may have to be taken to finally get it.  
'...Dream is going to pay for this.'. He looked at Wilbur first of all. 'He will pay for taking advantage of you.'. His eyes settled on Fundy. 'He will pay for exploiting both you and me.'. He turned to Eret. 'He'll pay for destroying our houses.'. And finally, he looked at Tommy. 'And he will pay for hurting my friends. Because what Dream doesn't realize now...', Tubbo grinned, looking at the field. 'Is he just gave us the upper hand in this war.'.  
'...Wait... Wait, wait, wait, what do you mean?', Fundy got closer, shifting his cast slightly. He was definitely not going to get used to having his arm broken... 'If the field is gone, how does that benefit us? We can't have potions and neither can Dream – The whole city is screwed by this point!'. Tubbo waited for a moment, played around with the buttons on his shirt, and then explained;

'...Without potions on either side and with five of us and three of them, we are on somewhat equal ground until potion supply is restored.', Tubbo paused, his smile growing stronger. '...Dream always made sure I gave him spare seeds for every flower I took care of in the flower field. At first it was a safety net, but eventually it was about control. Reminding me that even if I decided to go rogue he would be able to recover the loss without me.'.  
'Now, since the whole Dream Team is missing and they're not here replanting, I'm guessing they're preparing a new field somewhere in private... My best guess is a ravine, somewhere hidden but still with access to light. It also has to be close to the city. So somewhere over there.', Tubbo paused and pointed to the nearby mountains. 'There's no point trying to fight them or destroy their supply. But they're going to be occupied for quite some time.'.  
'With the amount of flowers they'd have to grow to fully restore the flower field to full efficiency... They'd need about... four months of work. Five if they set up a new brewing system. They're going to be distracted, gone most of the time... Unable to stop anything we may want to do.', Tubbo glared at Wilbur. 'But we need someone to lead us. Show us what we should do. We have time and we have people but we need direction.'.

'What do we do, Wilbur?'.

Wilbur hesitated, thinking deeply about everything. About everything that had gone down, about everything that they had endured, and about everything they had fought for. All they ever wanted was freedom, all they ever wanted was the right to choose for themselves, they never wanted anything more or anything less. But to Dream that was too much, giving them the right to live freely under his rule. And in between the questions and everything that had happened, he could only see one clear answer. One way to be free while staying where they are, one way to avoid running but giving them the freedom of choice, one way to stand for themselves with strength and power. One way to keep their heads up. One way to stay alive. One way to fight for what's right and give them a chance. Only one word could describe his idea accurately;

Independence.

'...I may have an idea.', Wilbur spoke slowly, unsure if he truly meant his own words. 'But we can't talk about it here. We need to go back to the caravan... We'll be safe then.', he paused once more, clearly choosing his words very carefully. 'If someone here were to listen... We could get in some serious trouble.'. He finally turned to leave, everyone else following closely behind.

What _was_ Wilbur's idea? He wasn't sure himself. He knew the answer was right there, and somewhere, deep in his memories and dreams, he felt as though he had done things far more impossible before. He knew that the man with the cold glare would have urged him on, his convincing voice whispering into his ear to give him guidance. He knew the man with the crown and the sword would slay all in his way, and take what he thought he deserved. And looking at the hair, the discs and the laugh, he knew for sure that he had to do whatever it took to protect those he cared about. So as the group arrived at the caravan, he turned around, and without a second of warning, begun spouting a plan hatched from his sheer helplessness in the situation;

'...The DreamSMP is and forever will be Dream's playing field. And our home is always in the DreamSMP. But if our home were not to be a part of it...', Wilbur turned back, fixing up his glasses. They were cracked, stained, and falling apart. Yet still, they held on. Almost like this group of unlikely allies did, holding onto a possibility at freedom. '...If we were to stand alone, he would have no right to control us. We have to form our own city. _Our own nation_.'.

'Wilbur, that's insane!', Eret cut in. 'What, you want to have a war of independence with that maniac? Make sure he can slaughter us for good this time?'.  
'We're safe for the next few months.', Tubbo interjected. 'Enough to form defences and prepare for a battle. We could do this. We could win this.'.  
'And we'll make our own city? Right here?', Tommy asked, his eyes already filling with mischievous glee. 'What would we call it? Can I design the flag?'.

'We're _not_ starting our own city here, that's just crazy!', Fundy turned around, waving his hand at the two young boys. 'He'll just crush it. Blow it all up like he did Eret's house!'.  
'...Not if we prepare. Not if we fight. And once we are our own nation, Dream will have no right to attack us. We will create a peace treaty, some sort of agreement-', Wilbur begun thinking aloud.  
'And you think he'll just follow it?', Eret questioned their ideas. 'What sort of reason would he have to just agree with our rules on _his_ turf? You know how Dream is...'.

'He's smart!', Tubbo reminded everyone. 'He knows that if he were to go against some sort of political agreement, the whole city would revolt. And that would be an issue for him!'.  
'...We could do this... We could actually do this!', Tommy begun getting overly excited. 'Corner Dream into signing an agreement with us and then we can be independent!'.  
'Let's not get ahead of ourselves! Independence is a fun buzz word, sure, but what does it even mean? What exactly are we gonna do out here?', Eret started asking himself questions.  
'This was all a bad idea from the start... But I guess we're too far in now...', Fundy looked up at his father, a small smile on his face. 'So where do we start?'.

Wilbur thought, for just a second. A memory seemed to tug at the back of his mind.

_'Whatever stands in my borders is my land. It's as simple as that.'._   
_'You can't just- You can't claim the whole world as being in your border!'._   
_'Well... I just did that... So tough luck I guess. The whole world is mine.'._   
_'New rule – You need a wall to mark your border. Official as of right now.'._   
_'Hey! Not fair! I got the whole world, fair and square!'._

And with a chuckle he didn't quite understand, he spoke;

'...We need to mark our border. With a wall.'.

'A... Wall?', Fundy repeated, narrowing his eyes. 'Can we have some more details? I mean how big are we talking? What kind of materials? Since I can't help build I could plan it...'. It was clear the eighteen year old was already getting engaged with the idea.  
'For a flag, are we thinking stripes, triangles or X-es? How about all of them?!', Tommy started exclaiming to himself, getting on the ground and starting form shapes from nearby flowers and sticks. Tubbo started looking around.  
'If we were to build more homes here, what buildings should we prioritize? We can't all live in that caravan, now, can we?', Tubbo rubbed his chin, looking around. 'Maybe a small armoury here... A home for Eret here... Tommy, do you wanna share a house?'.  
'I think we're forgetting the most important thing.', Eret paused, a grin spreading across his face. 'This place needs a name. Every strong nation has a strong name, right? So what's our name, Mr. President?', with his joking tone, it was clear Eret was the least enthusiastic about the idea. But Wilbur didn't mind – He looked towards the horizon with a fond smile.

'...How about...', Wilbur paused, looking aside. '...L'Manberg.'.

'L'Manberg? Seriously?', Eret looked aside and scoffed. 'Sure. Why not? Mind if I design some uniforms? I have a few things in mind...', the man walked aside without receiving an answer, entering the caravan. He started looking through all of the group's clothes, looking through old pieces and putting them together in various combinations. And while he did so, Wilbur continued looking out into the distance, watching as the sun shone over the DreamSMP. It made the windows glimmer, made the colours of the buildings brighter, and brought some peace to his heart. He turned back to look at his companions as they all scurried to make this nation their home – And he felt his heart fill with an unfamiliar feeling of... Content.

Wilbur looked upon the beginnings of L'Manberg with hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> L'MANBERG BOYSSSSSS
> 
> eret really be designing the uniforms huh  
> this is the canon were going with  
> thats gonna bite us in the ass later huh


	10. The Four (And A Half) Months

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four and a half months of hard work pass. Eret designs uniforms. Fundy struggles with self doubt. Tommy creates a flag. Tubbo thinks about his lost home. Wilbur writes a declaration. Dream declares war.

It didn't take the Dream Team four months to replant the field. It didn't take them five months, either. Instead, it took them four and a _half_ months.

Some would say Tubbo's prediction was accurate enough – Accurate enough for those four and a half months to be productive for the entirety of newly founded L'Manberg. And indeed, it was. Thanks to his prediction, work could be spread out over the course of four months and possible improvements in the fifth month if it were to come around, ordered by importance. And although they had been hesitant with their movements and unsure of how seriously they were to take the whole idea of having their own city, with time they became more and more confident with their plan. People of the DreamSMP asked questions and they always presented the same responses – They proudly told all of their independent city. The four month plan, as Wilbur had dubbed it, went something like this;

For the first month, foundations were laid out for the walls, encircling a large area around the caravan and some of the forest nearby. Trees were cut down, materials were gathered, and everything was carefully planned out by Fundy. The five worked day and night, barely sleeping and spending all their days beginning their ambitious build. Eret, together with Tubbo, had put work into preparing the uniforms for their country, eventually designing the final version and putting orders in place to have them tailored for everyone in the country. And although pessimistic at first, it was clear Eret had started to grow on the idea of having their own nation. And the day the five had finally begun building up the wall, Eret excitedly returned to L'Manberg with a large box of something unknown to them. He opened it before the group with a grin.

'A little deal with Quackity and here we have them – Official L'Manbergian uniforms!', Eret opened the box and started removing five carefully folded outfits, each one with a small label on top of it. While everyone else struggled to get theirs, Wilbur stepped forward with concern.  
'...A deal with Quackity? What deal exactly?', he moved his hair aside. He knew more than anyone Quackity had some shady business practices, and wasn't exactly the go-to guy for deals around the SMP. Eret put aside his own uniform and then passed Wilbur his.  
'Don't worry about it. Just a few personal funds.', he came closer with the man's uniform. 'I had this one made special for you. Since you're technically our president and all.'. Wilbur picked up his uniform and inspected it for a while. 'Everyone! Try them on! Let's see how they look!'.

In seconds the whole group scattered, finding places to change in peace. Tommy rushed to the caravan, Tubbo hid somewhere behind it, Fundy ran behind some trees, and Eret, with a bit more control over himself, went to stand behind some of the foundations the group had made up for the wall. Wilbur soon did the same, arriving at a spot alone and distant from everyone else. He changed quickly, at first struggling with some of the more complicated bits of the uniform but getting them eventually. A few minutes later he had made his way back to in front of the caravan, where he found everyone else still missing. With nothing else to do and great curiosity, Wilbur wandered to the lake and glanced into his reflection.

The uniform, as quickly as Eret had strung it together, was stunning. White, tight trousers with brown boots, and a clean, white shirt to go along with it. Over it, a dark blue coat with golden buttons and shoulder pads. Between the shirt and the trousers, around his stomach, he had wrapped a red piece of cloth, tightening all of the parts of the uniform and making it easier to manoeuvrer. There was a belt going around from his right shoulder to the left side of his waist, with straps for a bow or a sword to be placed on the back. The uniform even had a red tie to go along with it – Wilbur had never been a fan of ties, but it seemed to fit him quite well in this look. The man could even see the custom changes Eret had ensured he got – His name, alongside the title of “President”, was carefully sewn into his jacket with a golden thread.

'...Looking good, Mr. President.', Eret emerged from around the wall foundations, his uniform already in place. His uniform simply had “Eret” sewn into it with silver thread. 'How do you like it? I'd say you look ready for a war!', the man got closer, both now looking down into the lake.  
'You know what?', Wilbur turned and watched his reflection, inspecting his coat from every angle. 'I rather like it. It definitely makes us look like far more than some random rule-breakers.', he put a hand on Eret's shoulder. 'Thanks, Eret. You're really making this whole thing work.'.  
'Happy to help.', Eret titled his head, smiling. 'Once this war is over and done with, we're gonna make this country a force to be reckoned with!', he lifted his hand in a fist for a moment, chuckling to himself as he realized how over-dramatic he had sounded.  
'...I'll be happy to have you by my side, then.', Wilbur told him, relaxing his shoulders. The two's peaceful talk, however, was cut short soon enough. Tommy had ran out of the caravan, grinning widely as he spun around and showed off his uniform.

'Look at this! I look proper badass!', he paused, pointing to himself. 'Who's ready for a revolution? This guy, bitches!'. Eret and Wilbur both couldn’t help but laugh as they watched Tommy run around with his uniform like a kid on Halloween with the best costume in town - His eyes were practically glimmering with excitement.  
‘...Your tie is all weird. Come here.’, Wilbur grabbed the boy by the shoulder and pulled him closer, forcing him to a stop. There was a child-like grimace on his face, but despite this, he stayed still and allowed the man to rearrange his outfit. A few silent mutters and one fixed tie later, he finally spoke;

‘I could have fixed that myself, you know?’, Tommy mumbled with an impatient tone of voice, awkwardly shifting around as Wilbur moved on to rearranging the collar of his shirt.  
'You put it on wrong in the first place. You wouldn't have even noticed it was wrong.', Wilbur arranged his jacket a bit more and finally stepped back. 'And I can't have my right hand man looking unruly now, can I?'. Tommy's eyes went wide for a moment, and he gasped.  
'Your-', before could speak, Wilbur silenced him with a quick gesture. He pointed to Eret, now talking with Tubbo, who had just gotten there with his own uniform. 'Your right hand man, Wilbur?', he whispered in disbelief. 'For real?'.

‘Tommy, you’re the only person who’s seen the dreams. You’re the only one here who will ever be able to understand me.’ Wilbur paused, smiling as he saw the young boy’s eyes filling with glee. ‘Just... Don’t tell the others yet. I’m still thinking about how to announce it properly...’.  
‘You can trust me, Wilbur!’, Tommy saluted him as Fundy, the last to have fully changed, arrived at the group. His tail was awkwardly poking out of the top of his trousers, which Eret attempted to swiftly fix with a pair of scissors. The young blonde joined them soon enough, poking fun at Fundy with how ridiculous he looked trying to fit the fluffy tail into a small hole Eret had cut. Wilbur looked at the whole group as they talked, himself standing at a distance.

_This could work out... This could really work out._

The second month was spent with more focus on the wall than before. The group started doing odd-jobs around the town to get funding and materials, in some places even getting supplies gifted to them. Eret, with the uniforms completed, began making some changes to the wall’s overall design, allowing them to build something far stronger far more quickly. The five spent all thirty days of the month laying foundations, layering large, black bricks and didn’t waste any of their time. And for the whole month, the Dream Team had refused to show themselves. Some of the people in the town took it upon themselves to protect it from the creatures in the woods - But there didn’t seem to be a need for it. As the citizens scouting the outer edge of the city had reported, most of the monsters were slain by someone with expert precision. At the news, the city seemed to relax. They had dubbed the mystery hero “The Blade”, after the clean cuts he had made on the monster’s bodies. The man had proven to be the peace of mind the city needed with Dream, Sapnap and George nowhere to be found... And yet, Wilbur couldn’t help but notice Tommy getting uncomfortable whenever The Blade had been mentioned.

The third month was when doubt begun creeping in. Eret continued questioning the stability of the wall - Although doing it under his breath, his small comments and remarks were enough to send everyone else into internal panic. Fundy’s arm refused to heal, leaving him unable to contribute to the build. This left him disheartened, walking around with his head kept low and constantly whispering under his breath about being “useless” and a “burden”. Tubbo, although he wouldn’t let it show directly, still struggled with the loss of the flower field and his home. The longing looks towards where it had once been and the late night walks to its remains were enough to show everyone he was struggling. And finally, there was Tommy, the worst of them all. Ever since the first mention of The Blade and his heroic fights in the woods around the city, he had been giving the forest nervous glances. He’d tug at his jacket as they wandered through to gather wood or hunt animals, and at night he’d loose sleep patrolling the edge of great forestry. Wilbur knew he had to interfere in some way - So while the others were busy working on the wall, he pulled Tommy aside and confronted him about his strange behaviour.

‘So what’s the deal with you and The Blade?’, Wilbur asked without much context required. Tommy shifted his coat, played around with his sleeve and looked up, trying his best to sound confused. Tommy, however, was not a very good liar.  
‘...What do you mean?’, he asked, but his stammer gave him away almost instantly. Wilbur leaned forward, noticing Tommy’s tie to be off once more. Almost two months of wearing the uniform and he still struggled with it...  
‘It’s not hard to see. You get nervous every time you hear about him.’, Wilbur begun rearranging Tommy’s tie while he spoke. ‘You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to. Just know you don’t have to be scared around me.’.  
‘It’s...’, Tommy sighed and moved the man’s hand away, starting to fix up the tie himself. ‘It’s a long story, and it’d be too much to explain, anyway. Just don’t worry about it.’.

Wilbur grabbed Tommy’s arm before he could walk away. This was enough to force him to sigh and speak, unable to just turn away from his friend;

‘...I’ve met him before.’, the boy finally whispered, looking back. ‘I mean... I think I did. I’m not really sure. Remember when Sapnap threw me into that cave?’. Tommy crossed his arms as Wilbur nodded. ‘Well, someone saved me. There was a spider... A huge one. And it was about to attack me, but then someone... something... killed it. A perfect cut, one stab. Just as The Blade does it.’.  
‘Why didn’t you tell anyone?’, Wilbur instantly asked, cocking an eyebrow. ‘Tommy, there could be someone in those woods who could help us stay safe from Dream, why didn’t you-‘. Tommy’s hands suddenly clenched into fists, an angry glare coming to his expression.  
‘Because I was scared, Wilbur! I don’t know why that man he... he made me feel so afraid and... and I felt like if I told anyone he’d hurt me. But I decided to tell, you because... well, you trust me, so I trust you too. But you have to promise to not tell anyone!’. Wilbur thought about it for just a moment, but seeing the helpless expression on Tommy’s face, he made his choice.

‘...Fine. I won’t. I promise. But I need to know more.’. Hesitantly, the boy let his fists relax once more and stepped back. ‘Why are you so afraid of him?’.  
‘...I... I don’t know...’, Tommy’s voice became shaky and uncertain. ‘...It’s just... his voice, or... I don’t know... I’m scared and I don’t know why... It's like I know I should be, and- I- I don't-’.  
‘Hey, it’s alright.’, Wilbur noticed the boy getting progressively more uncomfortable, so he pulled him closer into a gentle hug. ‘He won’t hurt you, Tommy. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.’.  
‘...I know you will...’, he wrapped his arms around the other’s waist, burying his face deep in his shirt. ‘But I still don’t get it.... why am I so afraid?’.

‘Not everything makes sense.’, Wilbur muttered, slowly running his hand through the boy’s blonde tuft of curly hair. ‘Like our dreams. Those memories. And whatever lies in between. We don’t understand it, but that’s okay. We have each other, so even if we don’t figure it out, at least some of it makes sense. So you might not understand the fear, but at least you know he’s keeping us safe for now. Right?’. The boy sniffled and forced a sad smile.  
‘Right.’, he responded, clearing his throat. ‘Right.’, he said again, moving away from Wilbur. ‘Thanks, Wil.’. The man flinched - He had never been called that before. In a strange way, it felt incredibly familiar. He instantly assumed it to be from the dreams - most of this strange familiarity with the most random things came from it. He watched as Tommy walked away, pleased he could at least give him peace of mind.

This peace, however, would not last for long.

The fourth month was when everything finally came together. The wall was completed, Tommy finished designing the flag, and summer was coming to an end at a quickening pace. The air grew colder and leaves started turning orange and brown shades, falling from the trees at sluggish rates. With this season came a lot of worry and unrest, Tubbo claiming the field would be right about grown by now. Still, Dream did not show himself. A mix of past worries and impatience while waiting for the three leaders to return had left everyone uneasy and unsure of the future of their nation - A nation not yet officially independent.

Wilbur knew he had to do something to motivate his men (even if there were only four of them), so he gathered them all together above a small piece of paper with a quill dipped in ink in his hand. He laid it out on a small table Fundy had made when his arm finally started working properly again. He insisted on helping somehow, and with the wall already built, he ended up pretty much single-handedly wiping out most of the trees within L'Manberg's walls. He started laying down bases for a home that Tommy, Tubbo and Eret could stay in, as well as creating some crafting spots outside. One of these was a table Tommy often used for designing the flag, by which Wilbur was now writing something down and reading it aloud. The rest of the city gathered around him, carefully listening in to what he was writing. Accompanied by the scratching of the quill, his voice dictated the nation's declaration of independence;

_DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE_

_Forever the nation of the DreamSMP have cast great sins upon our great land. They have robbed us. Imprisoned us. Threatened us. Exploited us. This time of tyranny ends with us. This document declares that the nation which shall be henceforth known as L'Manberg is separate, emancipated and independent from the nation of DreamSMP._

_The union of the masters of men. Together we are one. When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one to dissolve the bonds which bind us. Disregarding of this truth is nothing short of tyranny. We hold these truth to be self evident that all men are created equal. The right of the people exists above the right of the king. The right of the government and the right of the economy._

_From L'Manberg we shall prevail._

_Life. Liberty. And the pursuit of freedom._

'First, I sign it. As the president of L'Manberg, I officialy declare this nation our own.', Wilbur moved the quill down and under the text signed with his full name, _Wilbur Soot_. 'Fundy, you next. sign here, please..', Wilbur passed his son the quill and pointed to a spot a large distance below his name, noticeably skipping a line.  
'I am honoured to sign this document...', Fundy started, grabbing the quill. He hesitantly moved his hand to the paper and wrote down, _Floris 'Fundy' Soot_. '...Declaring our nation independent, and our own.'. Wilbur smiled, passing the quill to Eret.  
'I sign this document...', Eret started, and hesitated. Wilbur couldn't overlook how he held back, biting his lip. Then, finally, he wrote his name. Unlike the other two, he only used his title, simply spelling out _ERET_. '...Declaring us independent from the DreamSMP.'.The man paused for a moment and then passed the quill to Tubbo.  
'With great pride I sign this document...', the boy started, quickly scribbling in _Toby 'Tubbo' Smith_. He looked up with a proud grin, putting his hands on his hips. 'And officially declare this nation independent from Dream's tyrannical regime!'. Now, all eyes settled on Tommy, who was last to sign. He grabbed the quill and moved it down past Tubbo's signature, but Wilbur stopped him and pointed to the small spot he left below his own name.

'...Tommy. I am happy to finally be able to officially declare you... ', he looked up with a grin. '...My right hand man and my Vice-President.'. To this, the whole group gasped, whispering between one another as the young boy grabbed the quill. He moved closer, an excited giggle escaping him as he wrote his name down in a rush; _Thomas 'TommyInnit' Simons._  
'Thank you, Wil!', Tommy exclaimed, saluting the president. 'I won't disappoint! I promise!'. Wilbur smiled gently and lifted the declaration up, seeing everyone's faces grow bright from excitement as it was displayed. No one else but Wilbur seemed to notice this, however... For the first time since he first put on the uniform, Tommy finally had his tie on right.

And a half a month later, Dream, George, and Sapnap finally returned, a stash of potions with them.

He remembered that day well. Dream arrived, looked at the walls, took a single look at the declaration of independence, and hid his whole face with his mask. He walked back to his city, and only minutes later he returned, dropping a small document before them. They didn't even need to pick it up from the floor to read it – The title was clear as day to everyone gathered around it.

_ DECLARATION OF WAR _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the blade? THE BLADE?? I WONDER WHO THE BLADE IS GUYS!!!
> 
> anyway yeah so uh.... i had to change the declaration from the official one, since it wasnt very... story-like?? dont mind that-  
> i PROMISE the next chapter will finally ACTUALLY start telling the story of the war, just how it happened in the videos.  
> sorry it took so long to get here, so much lore and exposition to get through yknow-


	11. The L'Manberg War (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The revolutionaries awaken to a foreboding message. Fundy begins feeling jelous. Wilbur has an unusual dream and learns about a missing piece of the puzzle.

On the morning of August 2nd, Wilbur awoke to the deafening sound of a megaphone.

'Tommy... And Wilbur... And the rest of L'Manberg.'.

Snapped out of his rather peaceful sleep, Wilbur shot up, hearing the loud, projected voice booming from the outside of the caravan. Fundy had woken up soon enough, rubbing his eyes and yawning as his ears perked up to the strange sound. Tommy, who had sneaked closer to Wilbur during the night after suffering a nightmare, instantly reached for his diamond blade, which he had been keeping close to himself ever since he first got it. The last to get up were Eret and Tubbo, who had found a spot near the front of the caravan. Since their homes were yet to be built, everyone was forced to share this very small space. Eret put on his sunglasses before he even opened his eyes, a strange habit Wilbur had noticed in him. Tubbo, on the other hand, grabbed onto a spare iron sword and huddled in the corner, listening into the familiar voice.

The familiar voice of Dream.

'We... Are at war.'.

All five L'Manbegrians threw on their coats and put them over whatever clothes they had slept in the night previous, stumbling out of the caravan. In the distance, beyond the walls and atop a large hill, Dream, George and Sapnap stood together, coated in diamond armour and wielding their usual weapons. Dream, a sword in one hand and a megaphone in another. George, a bow, ready to fire a deadly shot at any second. And of course, Sapnap, one hand wielding a burning torch, and the other, a large, bloodied axe. They stood still, for a moment, allowing their enemies to take in their situation, allowing them to bask in the power they themselves had gathered over the past four and a half months. Even from this distance Wilbur could _feel_ Dream's twisted grin, as per usual painted across his face and barely visible under his mask.

'There is no mercy! We have burned down Tubbo's house...'.

The mentioned boy flinched and stepped back, holding onto his arm with a strong grip. Tommy was soon by his side, his hand on his shoulder, as per usual. They seemed to have developed this secret language by this point, where squeezing each other's hands or shoulders in certain manners would translate to different things. And Wilbur was yet to learn this very language.

'We have planted canons outside your land...'.

The group watched in horror as Dream pointed to a large canon, which seemed to be loaded with some sort of explosive. While they got distracted, they heard an arrow whizz pass, noticing that George had fired. It lodged itself in the side of the caravan, trembling as it did. Fundy, who it had only narrowly avoided, became still with fear, his tail and ears perking up and standing tall. Wilbur looked up at Dream, who giggled quietly before his voice called out once more;

'And we have shot one warning shot inside your walls.'.

The five weren't sure what to do – Were Dream and his two companions going to attack now? Were they going to slay the five revolutionaries as they stood, then and there? Or did they have another plan, their speech being only a distraction? While Dream spoke, Wilbur kept his eyes focused on the other two, Sapnap and George, but they seemed about as still as their leader. Tommy and Tubbo ran off to the side and brought everyone their weapons and armours – The same ragged ones from Skeppy they had used four months prior, alongside a few more pieces they had purchased in-between buying all of the materials for the wall and the tools they needed. They had definitely upgraded since their last encounter with the Dream Team – but Tommy's diamond sword was still the best piece of equipment they had on their side.

'We have no mercy! No mercy for you!'.

As Dream’s voice grew louder and more intense with each word, George and Sapnap finally begun making their moves. The archer loaded another arrow and changed his position, the whole group instantly getting closer to the wall to protect themselves. Sapnap, on the other hand, descended into the forest and begun making his way to the gates of L’Manberg. The group begun getting into formations they had planned weeks prior, trying to prepare themselves for this battle. But with it finally here and about to go down, they weren’t sure if they could really handle it. Wilbur and Tommy grabbed their swords and stood up front - The president and the vice-president, ready to defend their nation. Fundy ran back and put himself behind cover, drawing his bow. Eret and Tubbo provided cover for the main two defenders. And yet, no attack to defend themselves from came in the firs place. Dream simply talked on;

‘We will burn down your houses! We will kill everything inside your walls and we will take back the land that is rightfully ours!’.

Dream’s tone of voice was strange - Intense, yes, but above all, it also carried a hint of something rarely seen in him. A complete loss of control of himself, where for once, the psychotic look in his eyes and the twisted smile was not an act for the sake of intimidation. It was a true display of desperation and want to take back what was once his, whatever the cost may be. Wilbur’s grip on his sword grew stronger, just as Tommy’s did. He noticed the boy was a lot more comfortable with his weapon now than he was a while ago - He had been training with it a lot. It was still clean and sharp, Fundy taking it upon himself the help the blonde take care of it properly, but it had definitely lost the glow it once had when displayed under the sun. Any moment, the two expected Sapnap to come out the corner, or for George to fire at them. But nothing happened. They stayed still and silent, and the only sound around them was Dream’s voice booming through their land;

‘If you do not surrender- I WANT TO SEE WHITE FLAGS!’.

Dream cut himself off, his shouts turning into an aggressive scream. The sound was deafening, high pitched noises escaping the megaphone as the man’s threats got out of hand. His tone of voice only continued spiralling down more as he shouted out more and more violent things, his eyes invisible under his mask and unable to be read fully. George and Sapnap had by this point disappeared from sight completely, fading behind the great walls the nation had struggled to build for so long. Wilbur backed up slightly, his fighting stance easing and his grip on his sword becoming loose once more. He could see what was happening - Waking them up so early, forcing them into their armour and leaving them dazed and confused. The Dream Team wasn’t making their first attack, no. They were simply intimidating them into showing them their best. And from the grin on Dream’s face when he spoke his final lines, he could tell that they had not impressed him.

‘WHITE FLAGS, INSIDE THE WALLS, BY TOMORROW, AT DAWN, _OR YOU ARE DEAD_!’.

And with these final words, Dream dropped the megaphone and allowed it to tumble down the hill on which he stood. The group watched as George and Sapnap emerged, pleased smirks on their faces as all three made their way away from L’Manberg. The group was left in shambles. Wilbur stood tall, trying to keep his cool and not lose himself because of the panic. Tommy was standing by him, his grip still strong and his knuckles turning white from the pressure he was putting on the handle. He was trembling slightly, but his angry eyes did not move away from the hill for a single moment. Eret let go of his weapon and sat down on the floor, his gaze absently focusing on the grass below. Still, he kept his eyes covered. Tubbo tried to keep his tears at bay, turning away and focusing on something else. Fundy seemed to be the only one neither shocked nor scared - He simply lowered his weapon, stood still for a moment, and then walked closer to his father in silence.

‘...He wants to see flags?’, Tommy whispered after a moment, stabbing his weapon into the ground and beginning to walk to the caravan. Wilbur tried to stop him but was pushed away, the boy’s arm unusually strong. ‘He wants us to wave flags, does he? Well let’s give the little bitch boy a flag!’.  
‘Tommy, what are you....’, Tubbo started, but realisation answered his question for him as the boy marched out once more, holding a large, folded cloth in his arms. He walked to a flag pole Fundy had prepared alongside all of his wooden creations, crouching down next to it.  
‘We’re not gonna sit here... listening to that tyrant!’, the boy swiftly unfolded the cloth, revealing it to be the flag he had worked on all this time. He attached it to the flag pole and begun moving it up, continuing to shout in-between grunts of effort; ‘He wants a flag... he gets a flag!’.

The higher the flag moved, the more wind blew on it, revealing it more and more. It moved gently and swayed just enough to be seen, but not enough to be ruined completely. Wilbur had watched Tommy prepare the flag but was yet to see it fully like this - Finally, he got a look at all of the elements together in one piece. There were three stripes on the flag in total - Blue at the top, white in the middle, and red at the bottom. To the left was a pitch black half-circle with a yellow outer rim. Finally, three Xes, two red on the white stripe and one yellow one within the half circle. It was a mess, sure. A mess of colours, shapes, and none of it really made sense, but... that was what made it special. Tommy made it as a representation for their nation, so who was he to judge it? It was unique, and it was special to them. It showed their union, their trust. Between Wilbur, Tommy, Tubbo, Fundy, and Eret, the five founders of L’Manberg.

And Dream could never take that away from them.

‘We’ll fight.’, Wilbur said eventually, with his eyes focused on the flag. He then glanced at the group of the four revolutionaries, giving them all a good look. A fourteen year old with far too much energy, his best friend with a passion for flowers, an unlikely hero with beloved sunglasses and the president’s one and only son, unmatched with a bow. ‘We’ll fight for our freedom. We’ll fight for independence. We’ll fight together!’.  
'Yeah!', Tommy cut in, once more lifting his sword and wiping some of the dirt from it on the edge of his sleeve. 'When they come here tomorrow at dawn, we're gonna be _ready_! We're gonna be armed, and we're gonna stand at our gates and we're gonna _defend what's rightfully ours_! No matter what they do, we're gonna fight till our last breath!'.

'That's... If... Uh... The president wishes it to be that way...', Tommy muttered and grabbed his shoulder, realizing how carried away he had gotten. Wilbur giggled slightly.  
'You seem like you have a plan of action. I guess I should start taking advice from my right hand man, huh?', Wilbur came closer to Tommy, squeezing his shoulder tightly.  
'...Hah! I guess so!', Tommy swung his sword and slashed at the air, a grin growing on his face. 'Keep up, old man! Us who actually have some years left to live are taking charge!'.  
'Hey! Old man? I'm not _that_ old, you know!', Wilbur chased after the boy, the whole thing turning into one giant disaster of its own after a short while.

Tommy ran into a tree, Tubbo knocked something over, Eret ended up tripping and ripping a part of his jacket. But it definitely helped – The tensions of the day seemed to ease in a single moment, with everyone chasing each other around and laughing about nothing at all. Everyone but Fundy, that is. Because Fundy looked up at the flag above, watching it sway in the wind. The flag _Tommy_ had made. He looked at the walls. The walls _Tommy_ helped to build. He watched as his father chased the vice-president around, messing around with him and playfully pushing him into the lake. The vice-president being _Tommy_. Fundy wasn't sure exactly why he had gotten so internally riled up over something so minor, a feeling as simple and as insignificant as plain jealousy. He didn't even realize when Tubbo had approached him, tapping him on the shoulder.

'Hey Fundy.', he said with a smile. The man looked at him for a moment, his ears lowering for just a second. Tubbo was the one person here he felt somewhat calm around – And that was a strange thing to say, when your own father was in the area. 'You okay?'.  
'...Me? Oh. I'm just tired.', the man shrugged, blowing some of his hair out of his face. This wasn't entirely a lie – The sudden wake-up Dream had given them and the rush of adrenaline after left him with virtually no energy. 'I think I might go in and nap.'.  
'“I'm just tired” is the number one excuse for when you're not okay, you know.', Tubbo came closer, clutching his arm. 'You can tell me if something is wrong. We're all in this together, right? L'Manberg can't stand tall if we're all divided.'.  
'It's nothing.', Fundy pushed the boy's hand away and begun walking towards the caravan. Tubbo didn't bother going after him – He knew right now the man was not comfortable enough to talk. And as Fundy passed his father, the president could not help but think he had done something wrong. He would have spoken up, of course, talked. But he soon became distracted.

Tommy had ran up to him and started talking, completely taking his mind off of Fundy.

\---

_'...Hey, Wilbur?'. As with any memory, dream, or whatever was in between the two, Wilbur doesn't know why he remembers it. But he does, and what he remembers is him and another man sitting in silence, watching the world below from a tall mountain._  
_'...Yeah?', he replies, his legs hanging over the cliff and swaying back and forth. He doesn't want to admit it, but he knows that if he looks below, he'll see something awful. So he doesn't. He keeps his focus on the stars, listening to the man next to him._

_'...If we don't... You know, survive this.', he starts, sighing. 'And I don't wanna get cliché or some shit like that, but... You know I always cared about you, right? Despite all the characters and bits...'._  
_'...I mean... Obviously.', Wilbur laughs slightly. 'We're partners in crime till the end of time, right? We don't just say that because it rhymes...'._  
_'Well, I guess we reached it.', the man looks down, and Wilbur, although afraid, looks too. The world below is drowning – It's being consumed by a flood. And the two are forced to watch, unable to do anything about it but observe. 'End of time, Wilbur. How does it feel?'._  
_'It would feel a hell of a lot better with some music.', Wilbur admits, playing with a strand of grass. 'I'm guessing you didn't grab those discs of yours when this all started, right?'._

_The man smirks. Wilbur gasps._

_'No way! You did?'. The man laughs as he moves his bag in front of him._  
_'If there's one thing I value more than money it's these stupid-ass discs.', the man removes one._  
_'They've got names, right?', Wilbur leans forward. The man removes a second disc from the bag._  
_'Titles. Of the pieces recorded on them.'. The man removes a third disc from the bag._  
_'Too bad we can't play them...', Wilbur mutters._

_The man removes the fourth, final disc from the bag._

_'I remember the tune.', the man says with a proud grin. He starts humming a familiar song._  
_'...Huh. You're really obsessed.', Wilbur remarks and laughs. 'Why do you love these so much?'._  
_'I... Don't know.', the man shrugs. 'Someone very important gave them to me, long ago.'._  
_'And... Do you remember who it was?', Wilbur asks, looking at the four discs._  
_'No fuckin' clue, Wil.', the other admits with great honesty._

_And even at the end of time, the two laugh._

Wilbur woke up with a gasp, unsure why.

_Four_ discs. He had never seen that memory before. _Never_. It was always _three_ discs, and they were _always_ with Tommy. So why now, of all times, were there _four_ , and why now, of all times, were they with _his partner in crime_? He looked around for a moment, staring into the dark night, soon realizing that Tommy was missing from the caravan. His sword and his bag were gone too, the two possessions he never seemed to leave behind. The man carefully stepped out, trying his best not to step on Fundy or Eret, both curled up on a pile of blankets on the floor. He finally pushed the doors open, stepping out into the cold night. The air was crisp and refreshing – But he didn't have much time to enjoy it. With the corner of his eye he spotted Tommy, patrolling the woods.

'...Again, Tommy? Why?'. The boy snapped his head back, his eyes wide with fear.  
'I... I... I had a nightmare...', he rubbed his eyes and yawned. 'I just... I wanted to make sure.'.  
'The Blade won't hurt you, Tommy.', Wilbur came closer. 'We don't even know if he's real.'.  
'...I know... I know...', the boy sat down on the floor, taking a deep breath.

'...Wanna talk about your nightmare?', Wilbur asked, sitting down by him. The boy shook his head.  
'Why are you awake?', he suddenly asked, causing the man to flinch.  
'Same thing. I guess. But it was more of a... Confusing dream.', the president admitted.  
'Guess we've got something in common, huh?', Tommy laughed weakly under his breath.

Wilbur looked at the boy's tired eyes and decided he'd leave the mystery of the fourth disc to another day – For now, he decided he'd spend the night here with the boy, trying to comfort him enough to sleep. After all, they had an incredibly important day tomorrow.

And as the president silently watched the stars, he felt as though the melody of the fourth disc was being hummed right into his ear by someone very familiar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THERES A FOURTH DISC BABY  
> AND THE PARNTER IN CRIME HAD IT  
> OH BOYE WHAT A TWIST
> 
> also uhh,,, fundy,,, daddy issues much?
> 
> and yayyyy i finally got to write out the "white flags" speech!!! its like one of my faves, right after schlatt's inauguration speech and whatever villbur's evil rant was.


	12. The L'Manberg War (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war begins. George continues doubting his friend’s choices. Wilbur recalls a memory and discovers an unusual ability. The kind stranger shows himself once more.

3rd of August. Dawn. The sun started rising, and Dream was yet to arrive.

For a long while there was nothing. The five stood below their flag, their uniforms and armour on and their weapons ready to strike. Fundy brought along more arrows than he could ever possibly fire, Tubbo had managed to string together some potions from flowers he found in the forest, Eret cleaned and fixed up his sunglasses, Tommy had his tie on right and Wilbur was afraid. So incredibly afraid that all of their work would go nowhere, with them being shot dead right there and then. At least, they could say they stood proudly instead of running, right? That had to count for something in the afterlife. If there even was one that is. Wilbur’s thoughts were cut short as an arrow flew by him and lodged itself into the caravan, a small note hanging from it. He barely had any time to grab it as Eret got closer, unfolded it, and begun reading aloud.

_No white flags. A war it is, then._  
_If you have any honour left in you, meet us on common ground._

_We will fight by the two towers. Don’t back down now._  
_Fight for your precious nation if it means so much to you._

_-Dream_

‘...This sounds like a trap.’, Tubbo muttered under his breath, nervously playing with some of the buttons on his jacket. They were already getting loose because of this nervous habit he had.  
‘If we don’t fight then we’ll never get what we want.’, Tommy insisted, moving forward. ‘It may be a trap but we have no choice. And don’t tell me Dream isn’t the sick and twisted type to give his enemies a good fighting chance.’.  
‘Tommy’s right. Dream has too much pride to set a trap.‘, Wilbur turned his attention to the front gates of the nation, recalling where the two towers were. From what he remembered, they were two tall watchtowers just past the hill next to L’Manberg, which the Dream Team used for scouting the woods.

‘Then let’s go!’, Tommy exclaimed, turning back. He raised his sword towards the two towers. ‘Let’s go and get our independence! Fifth battalion, move out!’, the boy rushed ahead without giving it much thought. Everyone else followed behind, confused above all else.  
‘Why the fifth?’, Wilbur muttered to himself more than anyone else, stifling a confused laugh. Even in a situation like this, Tommy didn’t stop showing everyone that deep inside, he was still just a kid. Just a kid who was about lead them into battle - A strange situation indeed.  
‘I don’t know, it just sounds cool! Come on, let’s go!’, Tommy rushed up the hill, being followed by the other four. And although they were afraid, the group did not stop for a single moment. They had a war to fight - A war where they either died or got everything they wanted. Stakes were higher than they could ever be... But maybe that was what pushed them forward so much.

Or maybe it was just a blind belief leading them into a slaughter.

\---

For George, it was always difficult to tell what Dream was thinking.

First there was the mask, covering his eyes most of the time and his whole face during battle, just as it did now. His hood was usually over his hair, but the blond locks always managed to peek out. When around his friends like this, he often dropped that facade of a twisted grin and blood thirsty eyes and was simply a tired guy who wanted the best for his city, in his weird, own ways. Maybe if he showed this true personality of his more often they wouldn’t be here right now. Maybe if he listened to criticism more and considered the things the revolutionaries were saying there would be no revolutionaries in the first place. Maybe if he stepped back, looked back on everything he had done, and tried to change, there wouldn’t be a war to fight at the two towers. But Dream was stubborn, and would always get his way, and George, as his best friend had to support his choice, whatever it may have been.

Looking upon the grass field from up in one of the towers and waiting for the revolutionaries to arrive in silence definitely gave George a lot to think about. It was just him and the leader of the city on this tower, meanwhile Sapnap and a friend of theirs, Punz, stationed themselves on the other. Just George and Dream... And still, they did not talk. The blonde had been his friend for longer than he could remember - The type of trust they had was unique and irreplaceable. But it was also confusing. Confusing in the sense of... were they friends, or co-workers? Dream treated everything so professionally, it was difficult to tell. Did he truly care about George, or Sapnap, or was it all business? There were flashes of trust showing, sometimes. Jokes after manhunts, quiet evenings patrolling the forest and messing around. Those reminded him there was friendship underneath it all, as rarely as decided to show itself.

But more than anything, Dream was a leader, and that was all that mattered to him. He needed to keep his nation in order, and between all the work recently, there was no time for jokes, banter, bits, laughs, or anything else. All that they had time to do was plant that flower field, protect and grow it, and keep an eye on the rebels. Sapnap was no longer the slightly crazy friend the other two had to put up with, he was now the one Dream gave dirty looks to and refused to speak to after burning their flower field. George was no longer the friend Dream had grown especially close to, spending evenings with one another and talking about nothing at all, he had become the one to blame for the failed defence of the flower field almost 5 months prior and not keeping Sapnap in check. The two weren’t his friends when this war was happening - They were his co-workers, and ones who had disappointed him greatly. And whether he wanted to admit it or not, even with this, he’d follow Dream blindly.

Blindly follow him, hoping for the friendship to emerge again.

\---

The revolutionaries arrived half an hour after dawn.

‘...Wilbur Soot... TommyInnit... Eret... Tubbo... and Fundy.’, Dream exclaimed from the tower he stood upon, George preparing an arrow to fire at them any moment. They could see Sapnap on another tower, alongside someone they didn’t really recognise from this distance. ‘So you came. You truly want to fight for your little trailer park so much?’.  
‘Independence won’t come without a struggle.’, the President stepped forward, pointing his sword at the masked man. ‘Unless you wish to still negotiate the fate of L’Manberg peacefully?’. Dream let out a laugh, coming closer to the edge of the tower.  
‘As if!’, he roared. ‘That land is mine! I worked for that, I defended you from the forest, I kept all of you safe and you still turn on me!’, he moved his mask aside for a moment to project his voice more loudly; ‘You’re all ungrateful! And you’re gonna suffer for it!’.  
‘Bring it on, then.’, Wilbur was calm and collected - Clearly getting on Dream’s nerves. There wasn’t much to be said before the fight finally began - With Dream making the first move.

He picked up a potion, took a long swig of it, put his mask back on and jumped forward, landing on the ground without any effort. Even though he landed on his feet from a great distance and should have broken something, he didn’t even flinch. The potions had clearly started taking their effect. He lifted his sword and spun it around slightly, getting in a fighting stance. As he did this, Sapnap followed in his foot steps, meanwhile Punz and George remained on the towers with their bows aimed. Instantly, Fundy and Tubbo scattered, both taking defensive positions at a distance and firing at the two men on the towers. It was enough of a distraction for Eret, Wilbur and Tommy to all be able to fully focus on Dream and Sapnap, both proving to be formidable enemies with access to such advanced gear and potions. While Eret and Tommy went to face the pyromaniac, Wilbur was forced to fight Dream on his own. The two leaders meeting in battle – Poetic, in a way.

'You know, Wilbur Soot.', the blonde started, rushing forward. Wilbur was barely able to dodge to the side at the sheer speed Dream did it in, his frequent training shining through his form. The man stopped himself with the tips of his feet, whirled around, and spat out; 'You were far more bearable when you weren't even here half of the time!'.  
'No one questioning your tyranny must have been wonderful!', Wilbur shouted back, lifting his sword and swinging it forward while the other man tried to catch his balance. This was enough to stun him for a moment, lifting his hand to knock the other's blade away but also having no ability to dodge the strike. Wilbur spun around with another hit but missed.  
'There's nothing to question!', Dream screamed, and as Wilbur turned, he took the moment to kick his stomach, forcing him away. The president collapsed to the ground and started quickly shifting himself away, trying to get to his feet as soon as he was able to. Dream walked over him, his sword raised to his chin. If not for the mask, Wilbur was sure he would see that usual grin of his.

'I am _the only one_ who has what it takes to run this-'.

Before Dream could finish his sentence he was suddenly struck from the side, a figure knocking him over and raising its sword above him. Wilbur shot up and gathered himself, soon finding the tyrant knocking the L'Manbergian vice-president off of him. Arrows where whizzing above them, some fired by Fundy and Tubbo, and others fired at them from the towers above. Wilbur ran forward narrowly missing each one, just in time to strike Dream with his sword, leaving a large cut on the side of his stomach. The man jumped back, clearly surprised with the sudden hit and clutched onto the wound, giving Wilbur the time he needed to help his right hand man up on his feet. The two were ready to strike, but Dream, of course, would not be defeated so easily.

In a quick movement he removed another potion from a large belt he had wrapped around his waist, this one with a strange, maroon shade. The moment he used it his pain seemed to ease, but the wound still bled just as much as it had before. Despite this, with a loud shout he raced forward, swinging his sword at Tommy, forcing him to block. Wilbur came closer and raised his own weapon above his head but was knocked away with a swift punch – The strength in Dream's fist was unnatural. Wilbur tried to stand up and fight but the moment he hit his head it were as if his whole world shattered and only the image behind it could be seen – And that image was a memory;

_'...Your eyes should never leave your enemy. Even when they are out of sight, you need to feel where they are. Imagine them, let your mind follow their steps. Never, ever, let them escape you.', the crown, the blood stains and the sharp sword speaks. He has not seen them in a long time._  
_'I just- How is this relevant? Just teach me how to swing the sword right-', Wilbur tries to speak, but is instantly hit in the back of the leg with something and falls down. The crowned man now stands above him, eyes burning with rage._  
_'You want to live through this? You'll listen.', the man sighs. 'Fighting is about balance. A balance between strength and wisdom. Yes you need to “swing the sword right”, as you so crudely put it, but you also need to know when to back up. Try again.'. Wilbur whispers under his breath;_

_'...Is this even worth it?', Wilbur pauses, his grip on his training sword loosening. 'I mean... If... If they do come here, are we even gonna be able to-'._  
_'Stop being dramatic and stab the mannequin already. It's way too cold out here to be standing still.', the man points his sword forward, pointing to a wooden mannequin._  
_'Well maybe you should have thought about that before you settled on the god damn Antarctic!', Wilbur finally strikes, unsurprisingly, disappointing his tutor._

_'Wilbur, just focus! It's not that difficult-'._  
_'Maybe for you, you asshole!'._  
_'Excuse me?'._  
_'The fucking world is ending! Of course I can't focus!'._  
_'Stop screaming-'._  
_'This is pointless! I'm going home-'._  
_'Wilbur!'._

_For a moment, he stops. The air is unnervingly cold._

_'We can't just give up hope here. We've been through way too much. You want a future for yourself, right? You want a future for that kid, too, don't you?'. Wilbur scoffs._  
_'Yeah, you're first to care about Tommy, aren't you?'. The man looks aside, his long hair swaying in the wind for a moment. It's so, so cold._  
_'We're past all that.', the man finally speaks. 'Just think about it, Wilbur. Think about the future you want, think about the things you sacrificed to get here. And try again.'._

_Wilbur takes a deep breath. He moves forward and strikes, his-_

-sword slashed forward with perfect precision, cutting right through the mask of the man standing above him. For a moment, he seemed shocked. The two pieces of the snow-white smile moved aside and dropped to the ground, a large, bloodied cut revealing itself in-between Dream's two, emerald green eyes. He stood still for a moment longer – And so did Wilbur.

For the two, the world seemed to freeze for just a few seconds, before it all started moving far too quickly again. Blood moved down Dream's face and dropped down from his chin, yet still, he prioritized his attacks. He raised his sword and swung it forward, so Wilbur dodged as quickly as he could. He wasn't sure how, but the memory somehow kept him light on his feet, giving him guidance as to how to move. He dodged every attack with great precision and hit back equally quickly, leaving Dream unable to keep up and stumbling away in confusion. He called out to George and Punz, who soon joined Sapnap and their leader on the battlefield.

Wilbur smirked to himself. Dream was visibly getting desperate.

The president, while he could, looked for Tommy. The boy was curled up where he last faced Dream, clutching onto his arm and grunting in pain. He was still alive – And seemed like he could protect himself for a little longer. Tubbo and Fundy had switched to swords and now ran to help Eret, who had been holding off Sapnap by himself for quite some time and was clearly getting overwhelmed. While his companions fought off Dream's, the president gave chase. If there was one chance he'd get at killing that psycho it was right here right now, with this strange, unknown motivation and skill he did not know he had. He had almost caught up with Dream when the man suddenly turned around, a grin on his bloodied face and a lit match stick in his hand. Wilbur barely had enough time to react as he dropped the match into a small hole, followed by a hissing sound.

'Everyone, run! He rigged the-'.

The deafening sound of an explosion was enough to silence the president.

\---

_'...Wilbur?'._

_There's blood everywhere. There's fires burning. Someone's screaming._

_'Wilbur!'._

_He fought. So why did it turn out this way? He thought about his future. Did the crown lie?_

_'WILBUR!'._

_He feels his grip on his shoulder._

_'We have to go-'._  
_'They're all gonna-'._  
_'We lost, Wilbur! We have to go!'._  
_'No... No, but we fought-'._

_'Good guys don't always win.'._  
_'You're not a good guy.'._  
_'Well you're on my side now, so neither are you.'._  
_'Screw you! I should have listened to everyone else!'._

_He turns away. He knows what he has to do. There's no future left for him here._

\---

'...I won't let you lose. Not again, Wilbur.'.

The president felt someone lifting him.

'I'm gonna get you out of here.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i decided to merge the battle of the embassy and the battle of the two towers into one, since i needed to change a few things around pacing-wise. 
> 
> ...a guy with a sword... who lives on the antarctic... and wilbur kind of hates him...  
> hmm.... i guess since i made the scammer so obvious, i had to make this one obvious, too.
> 
> i also wrote this during the festival stream and was SCREAMING, dont mind me...


	13. The L'Manberg War (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George wishes for the war to be over. The revolutionaries celebrate their victory. Eret reveals his secret back-up plan.

'You are all useless! Useless pieces of-'.  
'What the hell is your problem? Its' not like you-'.  
'Don't you dare talk over me, you god damn-'.  
'Oh I'll talk over you all I want, asshole-'.

George always hated hearing them argue. They were his friends, after all. As little as Dream showed it, as much as Sapnap would deny it, and as rarely as he himself remembered it, they were three friends who had been through more than anyone else. But in this whole war that friendship had to be shoved aside, it had to be put away in exchange for professionalism that could lead them to victory. And even with all this, even with all these sacrifices, they were loosing.

Dream's mask was lost in the explosion and there was a huge cut in-between his eyes, which he refused to even do anything about. He just kept yelling, spitting out insults and refusing to have his wounds bandaged. Next there was Sapnap, silently staring into a lit match and trying his best to mute out his leader. Every now and then he would snap back, but mostly, he remained silent and focused on the flame. Punz had long gone – He agreed only to help in one battle, and seeing their defeat, decided he'd stop his support of them then and there. And finally there was George – Bandaging up cuts on his arm, trying to ignore the headache he got from god knows where, and doing all he could to keep his mind clear with everything happening.

George knew things wouldn't change until the war was over. This conflict was starting to inch on almost half a year already, and he could barely remember what it was like seeing his friend smile with genuine joy. He wanted it all to come to a stop already – If blowing L'Manberg to bits was the way to do it, hell, he'd go get the explosives right now. He just wanted to see the Dream he knew again, and not be forced to live with the Dream everyone else got instead. It made him think, in a way. These past five months or so with this tyrant as the only side he ever saw made him consider what it was like facing this man every single day, having to put up with his constant aggression and a tendency to snap even at the smallest bit of opposition. He didn't want to think about it too much – He had to remember that wasn't the Dream he was standing by. The Dream he was standing by was underneath, and that Dream would only show himself when everything was finally done. And right now he was loosing, and he was loosing badly.

At least he could sit here after that disaster of a battle knowing all hope was not yet lost.

After all, the three had prepared a back-up plan.

\---

When Wilbur woke up, he felt... Completely fine.

No ringing in his ears from the explosion. No pain in his body from possible burns. No cold blood moving down his skin. Nothing. There was nothing, just... An average feeling of complete neutrality. Now, normally, this would not be something to be concerned about. But seeing how Wilbur had just been in the centre of a massive explosion, with his last memory being a stranger crouching over him and dragging him away, it was more than concerning. He shot up and looked around – His surroundings only confused him further.

Wilbur was where he was before, right where the explosives had gone off. He was sitting at the bottom of a small crater, his uniform covered in ash and slightly burned at the edges, smoke rising from the burned corners. His glasses were completely covered with soot, so he decided it would be best to take them off for now. The world blurred just a little – But he could still see. The thing that truly confused Wilbur, most of all, was what was in his hand. He had only spotted it when he lifted his hand in order to take off his glasses – He was tightly grasping onto something made of gold. A golden totem, in fact, with shiny gems for eyes. They seemed to have some sort of colour once, but it must have faded away. Strangely enough, when the president held onto it... He felt a strange sense of peace. He felt as though he was protected by... Someone.

He finally decided to stand. He got up slowly, just in case the lack of pain was only a momentary state that would fade soon enough. Luckily, it did not. He carefully crawled his way out of the crater, seeing neither his own allies or Dream's in the battlefield. All that was left was the crater, the two towers, and an unimaginable amount of arrows stabbed into the ground below. He walked slowly, still in a daze from how... Completely average he felt. He expected panic, he expected pain, he expected _something_ , at least, but he got _nothing_. He just got confusion, and that was all he had to himself. He walked a bit longer before he finally overheard four voices – The voices of his fellow revolutionaries. He rushed forward and slid down a nearby hill, finding himself standing next to Fundy, Tommy, Eret and Tubbo, who all gave him shocked looks.

'I told you he was alive!', the vice-president suddenly exclaimed, his head snapping back to Eret. His voice carried relief, and his eyes were red from tears.  
'God, Wilbur. Good you showed up. I genuinely thought we were gonna have to put a fourteen year old in charge.', Eret informed him, chuckling nervously.  
'...You seriously have to stop having so many near-death experiences... This is the second time this year we thought you died!', Fundy exclaimed, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.  
'How did you even make it out of there, Mr. President?', Tubbo cut in, himself trying to get rid of tears. As calmly as this group acted, they had been clearly panicking without him here.

'I... I have no idea, Tubbo. Honestly.', Wilbur shrugged, looking aside and crossing his arms. 'I felt like I was gone. The pain, the smoke, the- Everything... And then... Suddenly, I was just... Fine. I faded out and had a weird dream for some time, and then, everything was just okay...'. The president, quite clearly on purpose, was avoiding talking about seeing a stranger at the scene. He didn't need to add onto the already growing stress of the day.  
'...What's that in your hand?', Eret's interest was suddenly piqued, all of his usual focus leaving him as he spotted the glimmering gold in Wilbur's hand. He practically snatched it out of the man's palm, looking into it with a smile full of... Greed? It was so unlike Eret, no one really spoke, so he got the time to carry on; '...This totem... I've only ever seen them in stories before... But... It's weird. They're supposed to have green emeralds as eyes. These gems just have... No colour.'.

'Do you know what it is, exactly?', the president came closer and looked over the other's shoulder, trying to figure out exactly what he saw in this little golden totem.  
'They call them the Totems of Undying.', Eret fixed up his glasses. 'They say these little guys could bring someone back from the brink of death with magic...'.  
'...Where did you get something like this, dad?', Fundy asked, his eyes shocked. Wilbur, having had pieced everything that went down together in his head, took the statue back from Eret.  
'...I just... I don't know... I found it... In the rubble.', he shrugged. 'Maybe Dream dropped it?'. He could see everyone was suspicious of him, but there was nothing forcing him to tell the truth.

'Wherever it came from, it may very well be the reason you're alive right now.', Eret moved his head towards L'Manberg vaguely. 'We should go back and regroup. There's actually something I've been meaning to show you guys... I think right now is the right time for it.'.  
'Eret and surprises? Never thought I'd see the day...', Fundy muttered as he passed the other. The whole group begun turning and heading for their nation, one by one, Wilbur noticeably sticking to the back. Tommy eventually approached him, speaking in a whisper;

'So what's the truth about the Totem, Wil?'. The man sighed. If there was one person he couldn't lie to, it was Tommy. That trust they had built between one another because of their dreams had been something he did not want to break – So he spoke.  
'I think... Someone may have pushed it into my hand, and... It worked. I don't even know if this totem thing is real, but- I'm alive, so I guess there's something there.', Wilbur looked at the totem, its cold and colourless eyes looking back. '...And I think I know who it was.'.  
'Do you?', Tommy tilted his head, getting closer. His eyes were drawn to the totem, but definitely not as much as Eret's had been. Whatever overtook him when he saw that little golden statue was... Something else. Something unnatural, and something worrying.  
'...I think... it was The Blade.'. Tommy flinched. '...Just as he saved you from the brink of death, he saved me. He defended the forest while Dream was gone. Whether we want to admit it or not, he is on our side. I think... He wants us to win this war.'.

'Why? He doesn't even know us! And we don't know him!', Tommy crossed his arms.  
'I don't know... But isn't it slightly comforting? Knowing he's watching over us?'.  
'I...', Tommy sighed. 'I guess. Doesn't mean he still doesn't make me feel weird.'.  
'...I guess that's a mystery for another day. Come on, Eret's waiting for us.'.

\---

'...Gentlemen, in L'Manberg I have hidden a secret weapon.'. The group marched in through the front gates of their nation, looking around. The flag still moved lazily on the flag pole, the walls still stood tall. Once the whole group caught up, Eret lead them to the edge of the West wall, moving a few bushes aside and revealing a person-sized hole drilled through. Behind it was a long pathway, leading into the heart of the overgrown woods.  
'Is this the part where Eret pulls out a god damn missile?', Fundy said jokingly, meanwhile Eret let out a dry laugh. He looked back and reached out with his hand, beckoning for the group to follow him into the woods. Whatever he had prepared, he had hidden it incredibly well. It must have really been something special, if he kept it a secret even from his own allies.

'When you all left for that hunting trip two weeks ago, I decided to take action. Create a final weapon that could win us the war when there was something that had to tip the scales. Of course, I kept it hidden. You know, in case there was some sort of traitor in our ranks.', Eret paused for a moment, his lips curving into a smile. 'But I doubt that would ever be the case.'.  
'What even is it? Can you tell us?', Tubbo rushed forward with excitement, nearly tripping on the path laid out below them. Eret chuckled to himself, but did not respond. Fundy grabbed him and pulled him back for a second, clearly noticing the man needed to focus on where they were and where to go right now. Eventually, the group reached a clearing.  
'Hiding things in the woods seemed like a good idea, with the monsters and The Blade roaming around. Dream rarely even goes past the edge these days. He's far too comfortable at home.'. The group stood in a small clearing in the forest, watching the scene before them.

In the middle of the large, open area with no trees there was a building, built from that same, black brick Eret had gotten them for building the wall. It had a mostly flat roof and was clearly put together very quickly, with only one door and no windows. Eret waited for a moment before entering – He seemed to check the area for any possible interference. Of course, the only things in these forests were animals and the monsters that emerged at night, but even they might have been able to interfere with whatever Eret's secret weapon was. Of course, the four had no idea what said weapon could have even been. The man with the sunglasses finally stepped inside, meanwhile his companions stayed outside reading the sign above the front door;

_FINAL CONTROL ROOM_

Without any more hesitation, they entered.

'Eret, what is all this? How did you get this?', Wilbur was first to go in, the other three right behind him. He looked around quickly – The room was a lot smaller than it seemed on the outside, with five chests tightly fitted in with the names of all the revolutionaries inscribed into them. There was a large button on the back wall – He didn't give it much thought.  
'...Trades. Work. Just a whole lot of struggle, but it will win us all this war. Everyone, please stand in front of your chest and get ready to open it. But don't do it yet.'. The group did as the man instructed – But the whole time, the president couldn't help but feel nervous. When could have Eret gotten the time to prepare all of this? It seemed impossible...

'Now before you do look at what's in those chest, I'd just like to apologize.'. At his words, Wilbur perked up and glanced at him in confusion. Eret was turned away, his gaze set on his own chest. And that button above it... What could that button possibly be there for?  
'Apologize?', before he could even speak, the president was cut off by a hissing sound. The doors to the building had shut themselves, and by this point, all four had looked away from their chests and focused fully on Eret, who started giggling under his breath.  
'This revolution, this war, this country...', Eret suddenly turned back, and what he did shocked everyone there more than anything else could have. He removed his sunglasses. He took them off in a swift motion, his eyes shooting open.

Behind them there was no colour – All that there was was his whites, no pupils or even anything resembling them. Along with this, there seemed to be this strange light escaping them... This glow emitting from them, like lanterns searching for something only known to the man in the darkness of the room they found themselves encaged in. And while his hollow, empty eyes continued glowing with this greedy glow, he said only a single sentence. A single sentence they would never forget;

'It was never meant to be.'.

Eret turned around, pressed the button, and everything else was a blur.

The walls, which Wilbur knew were far too close for them to be normal suddenly fell down, revealing three people behind them. Three people fully dressed in diamond armour, holding their usual weapons and watching them with bloodlust. Dream, George and Sapnap had revealed themselves from behind the walls and were now attacking the group. Eret was passed some potions and a weapon by one of them and did not hesitate to switch sides, attacking Tubbo first of all, who had been standing the closest to him. Wilbur didn't have time to even think through what happened – He had to focus on what was around him right now.

The golden totem he had been grasping onto since the explosion was knocked out of his hand as he tried to reach for his sword, being knocked down by Dream. He was kicked in the shins, forced to the ground, and felt the cold edge of a blade being pressed into his shoulder. He screamed in pain, trying to free himself in some way, eventually seeing as Fundy grabbed onto the tyrant and pushed him to the side. Wilbur felt himself being pushed into the wall by someone, heard something cracking, could hear Tommy screaming for help, but whatever happened around him he couldn't focus. As far as he was concerned, he was going to die here. There was no way out. There was no way to save himself. Before he even knew how to react someone's hands were wrapped around his throat and he couldn't breathe, coughing and wheezing.

This continued for some time – Getting close to what he would consider his last moment, being miraculously saved, saving someone else, getting kicked down and beaten again. With each attack he felt weaker, with each attempt at getting away he had less and less hope, and eventually, he just fell to the ground and lost himself completely. His armour was stripped away from him, his weapon was taken away, and he couldn't even register what was happening around him any more. He was kicked in the stomach, over, and over, and over, leaving him dizzy and barely able to breathe. He wasn't even sure who was attacking him any more – But did it matter? He would die here, as far as he was concerned, and that was all that mattered to him.

'Who- Who the hell is that?!', there was a shout from somewhere, but Wilbur could barely hear.  
'Hey! You there! Who are you? Speak before I shoot your-'. An arrow whizzed by, bringing silence.  
'What the- You want a fight, you idiot-'. The person was cut off by someone shoving them.

'Shut it! Don't you realize who that is?!', Dream's voice, the only one Wilbur recognized, was the only one stricken with fear. 'Let's go! These guys won't make it out of here anyway!'. After this, Wilbur heard the sound of footsteps getting away, leaving them all behind. Now, with the attackers gone, everything finally settled in for the president.

Wilbur's ears were ringing, blood was running down his nose and face, his eyes were blurry, he couldn't feel half of his body and the other half pulsated with so much agony he _wished_ he couldn't feel it. Why? Why would Eret do this? He was their friend, wasn't he? He helped them build those walls, he signed the god damn declaration! Why would he leave them here like this? _Am I really that awful? Am I really such a horrible leader that even my own men don't want to stand with me? Would it really have been better if I just stayed in those dreams? But I can't go back now, they won't let me in. I want to see my partner in crime again, I want to train with the man from the Antarctic. Why am I here? Why am I being put through this? What are those memories and why have I left them behind, what sort of life did I lead before I was left here to die?_

_I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die without knowing. I don't I'm not gonna die here I'm not I can't Tommy we will find out we will find out about the dreams I will see him again I will see my partner in crime I will find the fourth disc I will learn about the war I lost but right now I need to stay awake because it's getting cold and i'm so cold_

_i'm so cold i'm so cold i'm so cold i'm so cold i'm so cold i'm so cold i'm so_

Wilbur Soot passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eret's betrayal.... we all knew it was coming...  
> still doesn't mean it doesn't hurt-
> 
> hope you enjoyed this chapter!!! i put a lot of work into it!!!


	14. The L'Manberg War (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blade offers his help once more. The revolutionaries deal with their betrayal. Eret enjoys his new riches. George is disappointed in his friend.

_**I met a traveller from an antique land** _  
_**Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone** _

He lit the fire first of all. It burned slowly, lazily, its crackling filling the surrounding area. He wasn't sure how long he would spend here – But if the sun were to set while he got everything ready, it would leave him in a tricky situation. He then begun moving them – First the blonde, who looked the youngest. Next, the brunette of a somewhat similar age. Third, the young adult with fox-like features. And finally, the eldest man with the most severe wounds. He wasn't really sure how to approach this situation – It did not mean he wouldn't try. He spent what seemed like hours wrapping bandages, pouring out potions and gathering more between each pause. As he had predicted, the sun begun to move away, and soon, these woods would fill with hellish creatures.

The man didn't waste any time – He put down whatever remained of his supplies and quickly scribbled a note on a spare piece of paper. For a moment he hesitated, looking over the faces of two of the strangers. He did not speak. He did not wait any longer. He knew, deep in his heart, that whatever he may feel when looking at them they would not return. To them he was a shade, a creature from the woods, and unknown entity, a bogeyman. It would be best if he left now, while they were still away in another world, a world where they did not have to worry about the cold of the night or the danger of the forest. It would be best if they never even saw his face.

He left them at the fire all alone.

_**Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,** _  
_**Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,** _

The first to wake up was Fundy. An intense pain in his jaw, dry blood on his lips and a lack of feeling in one of his legs he still prioritized others above all – And instantly crawled his way over to his father. He shook him for a moment, his own hands trembling. He didn't even question the campfire that he woke up next to, he didn't question how he was out of the final control room. All he really cared about was making sure his father was still alright, with how many close calls he had suffered in this past year alone. He looked over to the side and spotted a small pile of supplies, most of them either used up or opened. He inched closer and read the text on the small note left by it;

_There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare._  
_\- “The Blade”_

Fundy grabbed onto some bandages and started replacing the ones already on his father's body, drenched in his blood. Someone saved them – Or, tried to. There was no telling who here would make it out alive, because right now, the president's son was the only one showing signs of life. About half way through his sloppy work, which was only made worse by the tears welling up in his eyes and how much he was trembling from panic, he felt the man before him shift slightly, seeing as he muttered something under his breath as his eyes slowly opened. Instantly, Fundy wrapped his arms around his shoulders, pressing his face into his shirt. The amount of relief he felt seeing his father awake once more could not be described, and Wilbur seemed to understand. He put his hand on his head and pulled him closer, whispering something into his ear.

'I thought- I thought we were done for-', Fundy muttered, his voice shaky and crawling with panic. 'How did we- How did we get here? Where are we? Why-'. Wilbur cut him off, pulling him closer and putting his hand on his back reassuringly.  
'Calm down.', he whispered. 'I'm alive, okay? We need to check on Tommy and Tubbo. Nothing else matters right now. We need to make sure everyone is okay.'. Fundy nodded for a moment and shifted away, putting his focus on the brunette fourteen year old.

Turning to Tommy, Wilbur begun going through the many medical supplies The Blade had left them. Whoever that man was he seemed to grow quite fond of the revolutionaries – This wasn't the first time he had supported them this way, with him slipping that Totem into Wilbur's hand after the explosion. Still, the president carried on without thinking about it too much. If there was one thing he was good at it was keeping his focus on the task at hand – It was something he had to learn back when his dreams were more invasive than ever and he had a child to take care of. He figured he did quite well, raising Fundy in the state he was in – But sometimes, looking at him he felt as though he may have made some mistakes. Maybe that was why he was so fond of Tommy – Maybe he just saw him as a second chance. He looked at the boy's face for a moment.

And looking down at his bloodied face, he could only imagine the dream he was lost in.

_**And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,** _  
_**Tell that its sculptor well those passions read** _

_He's running._

_He's always running through that desert, the stranger is always chasing him. It has been this way for weeks now, loosing sleep over this repeated nightmare. Nothing ever changed, nothing ever got better, nothing ever seemed close to improving. All that there was was the pain in his lungs as he struggled to breathe, the helplessness as he fell and the horror as the blade moved towards his chest for the final, deadly strike. He wouldn't tell this to anyone, of course – But that nightmare had been the same each and every night, keeping him from getting a restful sleep for almost half a year now. But why would he say anything? It wouldn't change the single true fact._

_And the fact was this – At the hands of the stranger with the crown, Tommy always died._

He woke up with a gasp, breathing heavily and coated in cold sweat as always. This time things were different, though – This time, he never expected to wake up in the first place. When he was thrown to the ground, when his head hit the dark bricks that covered it, he thought he was a goner. As his world spun in circles and his stomach twisted in a knot he thought this was it for sure, this was the night he finally kicked the bucket and lost any chance at ever figuring those nightmares out. And maybe it was the night he finally freed himself from those confusing memories. But no, he just had to wake up, he just had to carry on. Because someone out there wanted him to live, someone out there wanted him and Wilbur to piece this mystery together, and those other two strangers from his dreams he was yet to meet were waiting to be found. He sat up, rubbed his eyes and tried to keep all questions at bay as he watched the scene around him – An incredibly depressing scene, at that. Fundy, Wilbur and Tubbo all sat in silence, staring into the flames before them.

_**Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,** _  
_**The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:** _

'...Why did he do it?', Tubbo whispered at some point, cutting short the silence the four had been trapped in for hours now. No questions about The Blade and why he saved them, no questions about the Final Control Room, no questions about anything. Just deafening silence that the teenager thought was too much to handle. Maybe it was good, though. They had all refused to discuss what had gone down, but they had to eventually. Getting it out of the way was better than sitting there and wallowing in their helplessness, right? At least, the president hoped so.  
'I don't know, Tubbo.', Wilbur wrapped his hands around his knees, curling up as he tried to find a comfortable way to sit. With how every part of his body ached, it was near impossible. Tommy's head was resting on his shoulder, the boy having had crawled up close to him after suffering a nightmare. Fundy was on his other side, leaning on him and aimlessly watching the stars in the sky. He was the only one not looking into the fire, as the others had been for a while now.

‘...I trained with him for hours.’, Tubbo continued speaking, his voice cracking and his eyes filling with tears. ‘He taught me how to block with a sword. He was so nice to me... Why would he...’.  
‘It’s obvious, Tubbo. He was a greedy piece of shit.’, Fundy cut in, his eyes still set on the stars. ‘The way he looked at that totem. The way he glanced at us like we were nothing but bounties-‘.  
‘Eret isn’t like that!’, Tommy screamed, suddenly rising from where he sat. ‘Dream probably threatened him with something... You know what he’s like! He’s got something on everyone!’.  
‘Fundy’s right, Tommy’, Wilbur whispered under his breath. ‘The way Eret looked at us didn’t show any ounce of guilt or regret. He just wants power - I guess we took too long to notice.’.

‘...So what are we gonna do now?’, Tubbo continued with his questions. He was always the one asking questions, always looking for guidance from others. Wilbur would have snapped back at him if he weren’t too tired to - The frustration of that day was already weighing in on him.  
‘I.... I don’t know.’. For a moment, Wilbur glanced at the note that The Blade had left them - It was hastily scribbled on a torn piece of paper. The man clearly wanted them to see whatever he said. ‘But The Blade seems to be suggesting something... And I think I understand.’.  
‘Well stop keeping us in suspense, Wil!’, Tommy shot up. ‘Because honestly, I have no idea how that little quote from some random guy with a sword in the woods is supposed to win us a war!’.

‘...That’s the point, Tommy.’, Wilbur sighed. ‘He doesn’t want us to fight any more. It’s as this quote says.... if we keep fighting we will only cause ourselves and others more pain.’.  
‘We’re not gonna give up, are we?’, Fundy asked. ‘Not after all we’ve been through! What was the point if we're just gonna... Let it all go to waste?’, Fundy’s ears flopped down.  
‘...We can’t fight any more. We’re too weak. We have no choice, Fundy.’, Wilbur sighed. ‘They took our weapons, our armour... The best thing we can do is put up white flags.'.

‘...Wil, no-‘, Tommy tried to speak, but was soon interrupted by the president.  
‘Tommy, we can’t keep rushing into battle-‘. Tommy screamed at him;  
‘At least try! Try to do... Something!’, he begged. ‘Please...’.  
‘I’ll...’, Wilbur bit his lip. ‘I’ll try to negotiate. Maybe we’ll get... Something.’.  
‘When?’, Tubbo shifted closer, hope filling his eyes.  
‘Tomorrow at dawn.’, Wilbur responded, looking down.

‘We will walk into L’Manberg at dawn.’.

_**And on the pedestal these words appear:** _  
_**'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:** _

Eret was king of kings.

He spun around L’Manberg imagining a long cloak flowing on his back, he could already feel the crown being placed on his head. It was all he ever wanted - Why revolt, why fight, why suffer for someone he never truly believed in when he could have it all for a simple deal? Tomorrow at dawn he would be crowned king of the SMP - All would fall to their knees before him, he would have more riches and more treasures to ever need in a life time. Some would say he was crazy, giving up trust and friendships in exchange for power. But Eret had a trait to him – Eret had an _addiction._ As long as Eret was above people, he was happy. As long as Eret ruled, he was comfortable. As long as Eret was in possession of everything great and glimmering, he could smile in peace.

_King Eret._ It had a lovely ring to it, did it not? Dream promised him power over the SMP, he promised him a castle, he promised him a crown, jewels, paintings, gold- He couldn't wait! All he had to do was lead the revolutionaries into that small room – Not a big deal, right? Whatever the Dream Team did after that wasn't his fault. He wasn't the one who killed them, he wasn't the one who left them out in the cold with fatal wounds... Admittedly, he _did_ feel a bit bad about it. But he didn't force those four people to trust him. He didn't force them to follow him. He simply did what he had to do to get what he wanted, he was sure they would understand. If they were alive, that is. No one had really went out to check since The Blade decided to show himself in the area.

But King Eret did not care. Because in his head King Eret felt the velvet cloak fall on his shoulders, when he grasped a stick and imagined it to be his sceptre, and when he touched his head he could almost _feel_ the crown being placed upon it. Why have friends, why have trust, why have anything like that when you could have _so much power?_ His eyes gleamed as he thought of all ahead of him – His castle, his throne room, his golden statues and gorgeous gardens. He giggled to himself as he feel asleep that night. Indeed, King Eret felt no regret.

Because King Eret was king of kings, and kings have no regrets.

_**Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'** _  
_**Nothing beside remains. Round the decay** _

Dream had gone too far. George knew. But he kept telling himself it was not his friend that did it.

On the list of most evil things a person could do, turning friends against each other and exploiting a man with clear personal problems was pretty high up there. And by using Eret as an inside weapon, of course, Dream had done both. Not many actually knew the state Eret arrived in the city all that time ago, since he was one of the first arrivals. George remembered all too well. He stumbled in, started searching through their home and picked out anything that looked expensive. Some arguing, fighting, and a calming potion later, it wasn't hard to see what Eret's problem was – Wherever he came from, whoever or... _whatever_ , considering his eyes, he was, he had an uncontrollable need for power and material possessions. To George, the truth was clear.

Eret was a megalomaniac.

But did that mean they would turn him away? No. That wasn't how things worked back then. They helped him, they tried to support him as he worked through it all. They didn't ask about where he came from, what could have happened to him to make him crave absolute power to this degree. They didn't ask why his eyes were so blank and had that strange glow. They simply helped Eret deal with his... _Condition_... And eventually, he became an average citizen like any other. Only George, Sapnap, and of course, Dream, knew of the man's past and how he used to be, knowing that, if ever offered such absolute power, he could fall right back into his old habits. So why, why did Dream make this happen, when he knew how much Eret hated himself when he was lost like that?

He offered him the title of King. He offered him a crown. He offered him a castle, jewels, gold bars, statues, he offered him _everything_ , knowing damn well how he would react, knowing exactly how he would lose himself the moment those things were even said to him. Dream knew Eret would regret it all, Dream knew he would eventually find himself, but Dream would win this war in ways that were far worse than just fighting fair. And it made him wonder – If he was so quick to destroy the friendships of strangers, would he not be just as eager to destroy their own bond? George didn't want to think about it too much – After all, Dream was his friend, right? He kept trying to convince himself of that...

But with each day, it became harder to believe.

_**Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare** _  
_**The lone and level sands stretch far away.** _

_The desert is filled with blood and screams._

_Fires burn, people run, and above it all, a single man stands. A single man that calls the shots, a single man that brought along this slaughter. This would not be the last time he did something like this, this would not be the last time he raised his sword up high and took another life. This was the average – This was the norm. But is he satisfied with it? This is a difficult question to answer. People often tend to lose themselves when they have power._

_He sees a young boy. He gives chase. Why wouldn't he? The boy trips on some sand and falls back. He raises his sword. He sees his fear, his helplessness. He can see his tears. His long hair sways in the wind. His blade slams down, and before it meets the boy's chest and ends his life, he wakes. He always wakes before the boy dies._

The Blade awoke in cold sweat.

For a moment he looked around, seeing shadows cast by the fire he lit dance on the dark walls of the cave he rested in. He rubbed his eyes for a moment, knowing the feelings from these nightmares would take a while to fade. To others it would be fear, but to him, it simply seemed to be guilt. He grabbed onto a water bottle he kept nearby and chugged some of it, trying to calm his breathing. He'd been through worse. He'd survived worse. Waking up in the middle of the night was the norm at this point, barely ever getting any sleep.

The Blade lay down, turned to the side, and tried to get more sleep, pushing his dream away.

And somewhere else in the forest, a young boy tried to do the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ozymandias... sun tzu quotes... this chapter made me do more work than 3 years of secondary school english, damn
> 
> anyway... finally confirmed that the blade IS the dude with the crown from the dreams  
> it was probably obvious, but id guess ill give you full closure on that
> 
> hope you enjoyed a small chapter to wind down from the betrayal, and get ready for the usual rewrite to return soon!!!


	15. The L'Manberg War (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur marches into L’Manberg inspired by a memory. Eret is crowned king. Dream agrees to negotiate.

_‘Why do you never run?’_  
_‘Huh? What do you mean?’._

_‘...You never run. You always walk everywhere.’, Wilbur looks down at his desk, where he just finished writing the first draft of the lyrics for a song. He isn’t sure what he’s gonna title this one yet, but ‘Saline Solution’ is starting to sound like a good idea. His partner in crime is sitting nearby, resting on the edge of the table and thinking deeply about something. He was snapped out of his thoughts, however, by his companion’s comment._  
_‘Ah. So you’ve noticed. Well, there’s a simple reason, Wilbur.’, the man turns back, a grin growing on his face. He always grins like this. Always smiles, always laughs. It’s unnatural to see him in another state. With that convincing voice of his and that constant charisma, he could convince anyone to pretty much anything. It’s one of the reasons they’re living so comfortably, after all._

_‘...It’s because if I’m in a situation where I’m forced to run, I know I’ve already made too many mistakes in life to bother running at all.’, the man pauses, thinks, and carries on; ‘I always put myself in situations where I’m in control and can’t be harmed at all - That’s how I stay sane.’._  
_‘...That’s stupid.’, Wilbur stifles a laugh. ‘What about like, a marathon? What if someone organised a race for some money or something? Would you just walk then, too?’. The man waits for a moment and himself laughs, shrugging._  
_‘Guess I’ll just not take part then.’, he glances aside. ‘But that’s mainly the reason, I suppose. I’m not gonna have people bossing me around, and forcing me to run counts. It all boils down to that.’. Wilbur grins to himself, turns away from his page and puts his focus on his friend._

_‘And what if I were to give you a challenge right now?’._  
_‘Huh? What the hell does that mean?’._  
_‘You hate losing, don’t you? I challenge you to a game of tag.’._  
_‘You wouldn’t... You evil, evil bastard.’._  
_‘Oh I would... You better start running!’._  
_‘Ah! No, get away you-! Wilbur!’._

_And with a laugh, Wilbur-_

-walked forward, his head held high and trying his best to not cave under the pain his whole body was feeling. He shook his head to keep his focus away from the dream - It was in states like these they became the strongest. Waking up after all that had happened was worse than he imagined, with his wounds from the day previous coming back with more power than before. His bandages were getting loose, he could feel his headache intensifying and leaving him dizzy. Still, he walked forward. Because if he ran now, he would officially declare this war over and leave himself as the one losing it all. He couldn’t allow that - As the president of this nation, he would stand as long as his legs allowed him to, and stay on the battlefield until he had no blood left to shed. When the group finally entered L’Manberg, the scene they found before them was stranger than anything they could have expected to witness.

In the centre of L’Manberg, Eret was being crowned king.

The walls were still there, as was the caravan and the foundations for all the other new buildings. Everything seemed somewhat normal - Clearly, the Dream Team didn’t have the time to fully take the land back yet. They had, however, took down the flag, and it was now laying on the ground, covered in dirt and stained by rainwater. Wilbur could hear Tommy gasp when he saw the state of the thing, but still, they carried on. Eret was kneeling on the ground as Dream stood above him, slowly lowering a golden crown onto his head. The crown was littered in expensive gems Wilbur had never seen the likes of before, and the soon-to-be-King was still tightly gripping onto the totem he had taken from him in the attack. His eyes were still exposed, glowing with that all too familiar glow. The groups both faced each other for a few minutes, Dream being the first to speak.

‘And so you made it out! I’m not surprised... Seems The Blade really likes the four of you.’, the man stepped closer, a new mask covering his eyes but leaving his mouth exposed, his usual grin and confidence returned to him over night. Wilbur ignored him completely - His eyes set on Eret, who’s expression was hard to place. Somehow, it had some regret in it, but it was hidden deeply behind madness and greed, swirling in his eyes and keeping his smirk large and proud.

‘...We trusted you, Eret.’, Wilbur said, seeing the light in the man’s eyes falter for just a moment. He inched closer. ‘How could you?’.  
‘...What do you mean? Everything is great!’, the man spread his arms out and grinned. ‘I’m a King and you guys are alive! Win win!’.  
‘Are you crazy?!’, Tommy screamed, making Eret flinch. ‘We’ve lost everything! We have no chance and it’s all your fault! And you did it for what, a crown?’.  
‘A crown... a castle... oh, so many things!’, Eret laughed under his breath, his voice trailing off. Clearly, he wasn’t sound of mind at that very moment. This didn't ease the group's anger at all.

'...He's lost it... He's lost it completely...', Tubbo was muttering under his breath. His voice was breaking on every other word. 'Eret, we were friends. Why would you give that up for some gold?'.  
'...I... Well... Isn't it obvious?', clearly, the man was beginning to struggle to explain himself. 'Because... Having power... Is great! You're always... Uh... Above!'.  
'You may want to start referring to Eret as King Eret right about now.', Dream came closer, leaning on the other's shoulder. 'We're gonna have to move your coronation up a bit... Sorry about that.'.  
'Oh, it's quite alright.', Eret's strange, greedy behaviour returned to him as the other man came closer. 'They wouldn't understand. It was a sacrifice worth making...'.

'You did a wonderful job, Alastair. Don't listen to what they're saying.'.  
'Why thank you, Clay. I'm glad _some people_ around here appreciate hard work.'.

Those two sentences were like the final bullets right through the hearts of all four of the revolutionaries – The final phrases that finally made it clear to them that Eret never cared, and never would. Eret had never trusted them with his name – Even on their declaration of independence, a document so vital to their nation, he had refused to use it. But to Dream? Not only did he tell him his name, he allowed him to use it freely. The highest possible trust one could grant another in this city. Dream had returned this very trust – Even George and Sapnap rarely used his name. How long had these two been working together? How much had they plotted? While three of the L'Manbergians talked on, Tommy stepped forward, his hands in fists and trembling from his rage alone. He didn't say much, but he said enough to be understood;

‘Eret, listen to me, and I mean this in the nicest way possible...'.

His eyes burned right through the “King”.

'... _You fucked up_.’.

Eret's reaction was strange. There was a flash of regret at first – Some of the light left his eyes and his smile dropped, leaving him looking at the blonde with pity. It was clear Tommy was holding far more intense emotions than just anger – But that wasn't something very clear to someone as blinded by other things as Eret. The King turned back for a moment, looked at Dream, and upon the other mouthing something to him, he put his sunglasses back on and grinned. He turned away, getting ready to leave the country once and for all, only saying one last thing before his departure;

‘Farewell, gentlemen.’.

And so, the King of the DreamSMP was gone.

'...Now... I suppose we should sort this whole situation out, shouldn't we?', Dream's attention turned to the four, his grin only growing wider as he spoke. 'You are in no position to bargain, I'm sure you can see. So let's settle this quickly and painlessly. You might just escape with your life!'.  
‘We’re willing to negotiate.’, Wilbur started, a tired look of defeat in his eyes. He had been through far too much trying to win this war.  
‘...Terms of surrender?’, Dream asked with a small smile, but was instantly shut down by Wilbur’s swift yet understandable answer;  
‘We’re willing to negotiate.’, he repeated, watching as Dream’s smile faltered and a far more worrying grimace replaced it.

‘...Very well. No weapons, no armour. Come alone and meet me at the two towers as soon as you’re ready. I’ll be waiting.’, Dream’s lips curved into a smile and he turned away, his two friends following behind. They, however, looked very different to what he would normally expect from them. Sapnap looked tired and disheartened, his gaze set on Dream with a hint of spite. George, on the other hand, looked to the revolutionaries with pity. Even he seemed to feel sorry for them, understanding the pain that the betrayal of someone so close to them could have brought them. As the four were all left alone, there was silence hanging over them so heavy they felt they would crack any moment. Tommy shifted where he stood and grabbed onto his shoulder, Tubbo started kicking a small tuft of grass with the tip of his shoe, and Fundy aimlessly placed his hands in his pockets. It was unbearable seeing everyone like this - Wilbur knew he had to speak.

‘I’m gonna go. Do not follow me, are we clear?’, Wilbur’s words made everyone standing with him instantly apprehensive.  
‘No! This is a trap, Wil, you can’t-‘, Wilbur couldn’t fight him. He couldn’t argue. He had to do this, and speaking to Tommy would only make him rethink it.  
‘Speak with respect to your President, Mr. Vice-President.’, Wilbur snapped, putting an emphasis on “vice”. Tommy hesitated, stammering.  
‘Mr... Mr President...’, he muttered. ‘As your... Vice-President... I don’t believe this is a safe thing for you to do... Or a smart one, in fact.’.  
‘Well, Vice-President.’, Wilbur carried on with spite he was not sure the origins of. ‘We have no other choice. We’ve lost everything... Walking right into a trap is our only option at something.’.  
‘...Just... Be careful.’, Tommy came closer, and from his tone of voice, it was clear he was starting to accept the facts of the situation. ‘Please Wil- ...Mr. President.’.

Before he left, Wilbur hugged his son, whispering something about keeping it together into his ear. Then, he hugged Tommy, telling him something about leadership and staying strong. Finally, he put his arms around Tubbo and reassured him things were eventually going to get better - In turn, the boy told him something about poppies and their fondness of battlefields. Finally, Wilbur rearranged his bloodied and ripped coat, and made sure his title of “President” was clear and visible. He marched forward, his breathing irregular and panicked. He knew his chances here were slim, and whatever Dream would offer, he’d have to accept. He just hoped he could grasp onto the charisma of that stranger from his dreams - The stranger that could scam anyone out of everything, never ran, and last carried the fourth disc. Whoever he was, imagining him by his side gave Wilbur enough confidence to march on. And thinking of how he would handle this situation, he almost felt sure of himself enough to negotiate himself out of this.

And he walked, not ran, just as the stranger from his dreams did.

\---

‘And so the president shows his face. I must say, I admire the bravery. Or idiocy.’

Dream was lying through his teeth. He didn’t admire his bravery. He didn’t think it was idiocy. But if Dream were to show, right here, right now, that he was losing hope in this war ever bringing anything good to either sides that would be a victory for Wilbur - And he had sacrificed far too much to lose this struggle now. Almost six months of tireless work, treating his friends like pawns and watching them grow more and more frustrated with him each passing day and still those four traitors stood tall and insisted on creating their own nation. He was furious, obviously. Irritated by all the losses taken by the DreamSMP and all of its citizens because of a few people who thought, somehow, they deserved more than those who actually contributed to their city. I mean, what did Wilbur ever do? Until Tommy arrived, he was constantly inside of his own head and never once did anything of use. Fundy wasn’t any better - Between taking care of himself and his father you’d never catch him working for the city. Tubbo had turned on them and forced them to abandon the city without defences for months - The Blade’s arrival and his tendency for monster-killing was a simple stroke of luck. And Tommy! God, what wasn’t there to say about Tommy? From day one in the SMP, a nuisance to everyone.

Yes, Dream was sure. He wanted to win this war. But...

George and Sapnap. When did he meet them? It was hard to recall. Alone in the woods, three men met and with nothing else to their name decided to defend one another when they had nothing else. Eventually, they built a city, allowing more and more citizens in. They protected them from the forests, they stuck together through thick and thin. No matter what was thrown at them, the Dream Team remained untouchable. And of course... They cared for one another. Dream wanted his friends to be safe. George wanted them to be happy. Sapnap wanted them to live in peace. But with this past year or so, and especially with its climax in this war, things started spiralling so much out of Dream’s control he wasn’t sure how much longer he could grasp onto everything without losing his friends. Eventually, he’d have to choose. Eventually, it would come down to his friends or the city. And before he reached that point, he had to wipe out any further threat of rebellion. If Eret was a taste of his worse, his plan for the next thirty minutes was going to be his magnum opus. His final stand, his final attempt. Because sure, he doubted a lot of his ideas. He doubted a lot of his decisions. But this was one thing he knew for sure;

Wilbur Soot and his little uprising would not get in between him and his friends.

‘Dream... I trust you didn’t lure me out here just to kill me.’, the man spoke slowly. He couldn’t help but feel slightly bad seeing him limp, noticing all of the cuts and bruises on his body. It was a necessity, though. The city couldn’t stand strong with a revolution right in the middle of it.  
‘Of course not.’, Dream outstretched his arms. No potions, no armour, no weapons. Just his green hoodie, his white mask, and black, fingerless gloves on his hands. He had truly put all of his defences away, and told George and Sapnap to go take care of another issue. It was just the two generals, facing each other in a final stand for peace.

'...Then... Let's talk. And let's try to figure this out.'.  
'Let's do that indeed. I can't wait for peace already.'.

'...It's clear to me that both of our sides are suffering in this war. ', Wilbur spoke, looking aside. 'We have definitely lost more but it's still clear that you, George and Sapnap don't want this to carry on either. And you know we won't go down without a fight. Even if we have nothing...'.  
'You are ambitious. I can appreciate that.'. Dream paused for a moment. 'But that won't get you far, Wilbur. Ambition is not enough. You need determination, focus, strength... Trust...', the man chuckled. 'I bet Eret has made that part pretty difficult between the four of you.'.  
'Dream...', Wilbur ignored the man's hurtful comments. 'We don't wish for bloodshed. We don't wish for war. We don't wish to show our power in any way. We just want freedom.', Wilbur paused for a moment, seeing Dream consider. Then, he tilted his head and grinned.

'...Would you like to hear what I want?'. Before the President could even answer, Dream carried on. 'I want white flags. Up inside “your land”. I want white flags of surrender, declaring L'Manberg is not an independent nation, and that it is a part of the DreamSMP.'.  
'Then I suppose we're at an impasse.'. Wilbur narrowed his eyes, staring right into Dream. The man laughed dryly, turned his head to the side and allowed a large smile to grow on his face. Before he spoke, he made sure to lean forward and lower his voice into a more menacing tone;

'If that does not happen in the next thirty minutes...', he paused, his gaze setting on the distant walls of the nation, its flag noticeably missing from its pole. '...I will blow up all of L'Manberg.'.  
'You don't have the power or the capacity to blow up the whole nation!', Wilbur instantly retaliated, noting the obvious lie. The twitch at the edge of Dream's lips, however, made him shudder.  
'Okay. Let's go see then. Let's go right now.', Dream begun walking away, leaving Wilbur in stunned silence. The president stammered, moving forward.  
'Dream? Dream, what have you done?', Wilbur came closer, trying to grab the other's shoulder. With all his wounds, his grip was too weak to stop him. 'What have you done?!'.

A scream coming from the direction of L'Manberg was enough to turn his attention away.

And very unlike the stranger from his dreams, Wilbur ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmm... scammer... has a disc... a former friend of wilbur's... and he never runs... oh how i love making things obvious  
> oh shit the negotiations,,,, i actually rewrote some of the dialogue from the vid cuz- dream and wil roleplayed really well here-  
> we're slowly getting closer to the end of the war, with just the duel and the disc trade left!!! woo!!  
> im also planning to introduce another l'manbergian who is yet to appear soon... so look out for that
> 
> thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, and make sure to leave a comment if you did!!!


	16. The L'Manberg War (Part 6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur makes his final stand and regrets it. Dream tastes victory. Tommy gets mad and makes a bad decision.

'Fundy! Tommy! Tubbo! Are you guys okay!?'.

Wilbur raced into L'Manberg with his heart pounding and his breathing heavy and panicked, his legs already beginning to scream at him to stop. His wounds were all reminding him exactly why moving fast like this was not a good idea – But he didn't care. He had to know what was happening, he had to know what Dream had planned. The moment he walked through the front gates of the nation he felt an arrow whizz by him and he froze, finding a horrible scene before him. Tommy, Tubbo and Fundy were all standing together, with Sapnap and George both aiming their bows at them, keeping them from moving completely. Dream eventually caught up, shoving Wilbur froward and forcing him to stand still with everyone else. They all raised their hands and did not speak – They were in no position for bargaining, clearly.

'...Now, Wilbur.', Dream came closer meanwhile George and Sapnap passed him some weapons and armour. As he got them ready, he spoke on; 'Why don't you tell your friends the deal I proposed while I get everything ready? Oh, and don't try to stop me.'. Dream pointed to his two companions. 'These two are great shots, mind you. They know where all the vital organs are.'.  
'Dream, we don't have to do this-', Wilbur stepped forward, but was cut off by the other instantly.  
'Tell them about the deal or drop dead, _“Mr. President”!_ ', Dream hissed, his tone grave.

'Wilbur?', Tommy asked, his voice going quiet.  
'What's going on?', Tubbo cut in, playing with the buttons on his jacket.  
'Dad?', Fundy was last to speak, seeming the most worried.

'Listen... Dream has given us an ultimatum. And I want you guys to resound with me our answer.', Wilbur moved some of his hair out of his eyes and took a deep breath. 'He said that if we do not rescind our ownership of this land then he will blow it all up.'. Wilbur looked around the other three, seeing their eyes grow worried and angry.  
'...We... We can't back down now...', Tommy watched, helpless, as Dream slowly begun setting up explosives everywhere he could. By the walls, by the caravan, by the foundations for the home that was to be shared by the citizens. 'Not after everything we've done. Not after everything we've lost. Not after everything we've given to be here!'.  
'He won't do it.', Tubbo shook his head and lowered his voice to a whisper. 'He can't do something like this... He wouldn't destroy so much of this land if he considers it his own, right? He didn't want to destroy the flower field, either, that was an accident! This is just intimidation... Right, Wilbur?', the boy spoke on, but it seemed like he was trying to convince himself before anyone else.  
'We have to stand.', Fundy was last to speak, just as Dream finished his work. He stopped and stood quietly over one of the pieces of dynamite, a lit match in his hand. The flame moved lazily in the wind, but he did not light fire to anything. '...Whatever he throws at us, we stand. We have nothing else we can do but stand for what we believe in. We can still win.'.

The thirty minutes passed in what seemed to be hours. Finally, Dream spoke.

'Well, Mr. President?', he moved the match forward, a grin growing on his face. Sapnap and George suddenly chugged two Fire Resistance potions, clearly not expecting this to end well. Still, they stood. _It's all intimidation. It's all intimidation. It's all intimidation..._ Wilbur raised his head, narrowed his eyes, and spoke from his heart;  
'Independence... Or death.', Wilbur paused, his gaze setting on Dream. 'If we get no revolution, then we want nothing. We would rather die than give into you and join your SMP, Dream. You can scare us all you want with your dynamite. You can beat us down and turn our men against us. But we will not back down until we have what we want. That is all.'.

Dream quickly drank a potion of Fire Resistance, lowered his mask fully and laughed.

'Your choice.', the man said, turning his head to the side. 'Goodbye, L'Manberg.'.

In a swift motion, Dream dropped the match and allowed the flame to spread onto one of the pieces of dynamite. In the moment, Wilbur knew he had to act quickly. He grabbed onto Tommy and Fundy, meanwhile the blonde grabbed onto his best friend, and all four quickly ducked into the lake, diving to its bottom. For a few seconds they floated underneath the water, hearing muted explosions above and the mad laughter of those who had caused it. Only a few seconds later the man was forced to go back up, taking a deep breath before he did anything else. He felt someone emerge next to him and opened his eyes, quickly rubbing them to try and get rid of the blurriness over them. To his right was Fundy, soon joined by Tubbo. The last to emerge was Tommy, gasping for air as he did. Wilbur didn't even have time to look around properly before he saw Tubbo's face go pale as a scream escaped him, Fundy and Tommy following with gasps of their own. The president turned and looked upon L'Mannberg – Or, whatever was left of it.

About half of the wall had been completely destroyed, leaving massive holes in the great construct that had once defended all of them. The bricks that they were made of were scattered all around, crumbled into pieces and completely covering the grass. The caravan was as good as gone – All that was left were a few pieces of it scattered in five different piles all around the nation. Smoke was rising from every direction and the sickening smell of gunpowder was beginning to fill the area. Flames were rising on the flagpole, the wooden house bases and whatever trees were left inside the nation's walls, and some of them had started spreading to their piles of building supplies they had kept over from their four and a half month preparation. Everything was gone. With the snap of Dream's fingers, it had all been taken from them, it all turned to ashes in seconds. The Dream Team was nowhere to be seen – But their hollering laughter could be overheard from the distance. All four revolutionaries silently swam to the shore and scrambled their way out of the lake, unable to comment in any way on the destruction. What was there to say?

Wilbur's hands were trembling as he looked down. He promised them freedom. He promised them a safe home. He promised them independence. And here they stood, watching it all fall apart before them. The president, however, did not have time to even think through everything, or to let himself be taken away by another dream already pulling him closer and closer into its embrace. Dream, George and Sapnap had returned to the nation's remains, and were already getting ready to hunt them down and finish this once and for all. Wilbur felt himself being pulled somewhere, jumping into a crafer that the explosion created, unsure where he was going but following none the less. A minute or two later of running and he was sitting in a small room paved by dark bricks, Tommy shutting large, metallic doors behind them. He pressed his back against them and sat down, everyone staring at him in complete shock.

'When... When did you make this?!', Wilbur shouted out, looking around. There wasn't a lot there, but the room seemed sturdy enough to keep them safe from the three maniacs above for a while. Tommy looked up, breathing heavily. He wiped sweat and soot away from his face.  
'I figured... We might end up getting in a sticky situation. Me and Tubbo made this.', Tommy looked at his friend, who, as always, continued nervously playing with the buttons on his coat. 'I guess Eret wasn't the only one with secrets...'.  
'...Well this won't hold for long with what those three have up there!', Fundy sighed, sitting down on the floor and starting to twirl some of the hair on his tail nervously in his hand. 'So what do we do? D-dad? You have a plan, right? Some final idea?'.

Wilbur looked down at the floor below him, feeling his legs completely fail him. He collapsed to the ground, sat down, and put his back against the wall. His men needed him to act – They needed him to pull out his final trick, do something that could save them here. But his mind was blank. What could he do? There were psychopaths with explosives roaming above, they had no weapons or armour, and even if they did have any, they were all too hurt to fight because of what Eret had done. No matter how hard he thought, he could not see a way out of here. Every plan he thought of meant death, every way out he imagined didn't seem to work. There was one way, one chance he could possibly make it out of here. One way he could make it out alive. One way for Fundy, Tommy and Tubbo to survive, and for all four of them to walk out of this bunker breathing – But he wasn't sure if he was ready to commit. He stood up, lowered his head and took a deep breath;

'We have lost everything.', he started, his voice low and tired. '...We sit here awaiting death. I see no way for L'Manbergians to walk out of here.... But I see one last chance.'. Wilbur paused as the rest of the group gasped, realizing what he meant. '...We can walk out of here as Citizens of the DreamSMP. We shall shed our uniforms. I will cut a piece of my white shirt off and wave it.'. The man crossed his arms and looked aside. 'We will surrender.'.

'Wil, we can't! We can't do that!', Tommy was first to object, obviously. He had that flame, he had that passion, but it would only get him hurt, and deep inside Wilbur knew that well.  
'Tommy, we have no choice. We're gonna die here if we keep fighting!', Fundy, luckily, a voice of reason, cut in and tried to talk the blonde down.  
'Mr. President?', Tubbo spoke up, stepping forward. He removed a crumbled piece of paper from his pocket and passed it over. 'Before you step out....'. Wilbur looked down at the page.

_DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE_

'I grabbed it before we went to the Two Towers... In case anything happened.', Tubbo carried on as the president read over his own words, his hands trembling and eyes filling with tears. His gaze settled on the very bottom of the document, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

_Signed By:_  
_President Wilbur Soot_  
_Vice-President Thomas 'TommyInnit' Simons_  
_Floris 'Fundy' Soot._  
_ERET_  
_Toby 'Tubbo' Smith_

'...We are a nation. Even if Dream takes everything from us, we are one. Even if we surrender here...', Tubbo smiled. 'The ink on this document is dry. We will grow stronger. We will rise again. All hope is not lost. But right now... Mr. President, we trust your judgement.'.

Wilbur folded the declaration and placed it in his pocket.

Without another word, the president took off his jacket and put it down for a moment. He unbuttoned a part of his white shirt and removed his hand from one of the sleeves, pulling at it with all his might with another. With a rip about half of the sleeve was torn away, and he placed it aside as he buttoned his shirt back up. Everyone else removed their jackets. The piece of the shirt Wilbur prepared was dirty and bloodied, but he did not care. He knew Dream would get the message. He turned to his men one last time, and even Tommy was silent. There was a glare in his eyes – A glare that told a million things. He did not know what the boy was thinking - But he knew one thing for sure. Whatever happened, he had those three with him. Two young boys and his own son, who tried to start a nation and lost more than they even had. He raised the piece of ripped cloth and slowly walked out of the bunker, being followed by Tommy, Tubbo, and Fundy. He eventually emerged in the crater they had jumped into, and before Dream could fire an arrow at him, he quickly lifted the shirt and waved it. The man looked down, his grin growing wide and his laughter getting maniacal.

'...And so I get my white flag! I must say... With what you were against you fought well. I'm impressed.'. The four were helped out of the crater by the Dream Team themselves, a further point of embarrassment to all of them. Still, they tried to stand tall. As long as their nation was still free, however many more minutes it would take, they would be proud of it. 'Of course, we did far better. You never stood a chance in the first place. But still, good try...'.

'Dream... Don't even say _that_.', Tommy stepped forward, and Wilbur could feel his worry grow. If there was anyone who could make this situation spiral way out of his control, it was this kid.  
'You fought... Incredibly well. We just fought... _A little bit better_.', Dream came right up to the boy, clearly seeing how much he was agitating him. The blonde's left eye twitched.  
'You think dirty tricks are “fighting better”?! You really think that?!', Tommy continued shouting, only making Dream laugh more and escalating the situation further.  
'Wilbur brainwashed you good, kid.', Dream concluded, turning back and looking Tommy right in the eyes. He lowered his voice and smirked. 'You're just a little naïve child though, aren't you?'.

This was it. This was what made Tommy snap.

'You- Oh yeah, you know what, you fucking asshole?! Why don't we fight right now?! Huh? _A little 1v1, how does that sound?!_ ', the boy threw himself forward, being held back by Wilbur and Fundy. He was swinging his hands, his eyes filled with rage.  
'Tommy- Tommy, calm- Calm down!', the president tried to speak, but it was impossible. Tubbo was standing aside for a reason – He, as Tommy's best friend, knew more than anyone that there was no calming him when he got like this.  
'Why don't we have a bow duel?! You and me big man, come on! A one man show-down, _you greedy son of a bitch! You self-obsessed bastard_ -', the boy looked down, growling in frustration. For a moment he stopped speaking, giving Wilbur a chance to calm him down.  
'Tommy, you need to breathe. You'll get yourself killed! We have to surrender, there's no other way-'. Tommy pulled himself away from the president. He was calmer now, Wilbur knew. He allowed him to step forward, stopping right in front of Dream.

'You've blown up all of our shit. You have nothing left to lose, right?', Tommy looked around, watching the remains of L'Manberg fall to the flames. 'A bow duel. One on one. Whoever wins gets what they want. What do you say, you little bitch boy?'.  
'Tommy! Tommy, please- Dream, I'm sorry, he does _not_ speak for me, I swear-', Wilbur started defending himself, but upon seeing the small twitch in the corner of Dream's smile, he stopped.

'Okay.', Dream said with a shrug. 'Let's do it. Duel to the death. One on one. You and me.'.

To this answer, almost everyone seemed shocked. Wilbur, Fundy and Tubbo most of all. Sapnap and George secondly, unsure why their leader would respond to something like this when victory was already in his grasp. And finally, there was Tommy – Quickly, all of the things he had said in his angered state dawned on him, and now, the gravity of the situation was settling in with him. Dream shrugged once more, sheathed his sword and begun walking out of the remains of L'Manberg, his grin wide and proud. His two friends followed behind, giving Tommy horrified looks of pity. Dream looked back about half way through his walk, speaking with a tone of voice that showed his twisted enjoyment of all of this;

'...Meet me at the Prime Path an hour before sunset. Bring a bow and one arrow. Don't bother bringing extras, Tommy.', the man laughed to himself. 'I won't miss. You won't even have a chance to reload. See you then, _L'Manberg_! Enjoy your last day of independence.'.

Silence. The worst silence they had faced yet. Nothing could match how they felt – Not after the Two Towers, not after Eret's betrayal, not after the earlier explosion. This was a new feeling of stress and helplessness. The stakes had been raised higher than they had ever been before – There was another chance at independence, sure. But on the other end... Tommy could die. This young kid, only fourteen, would have to face death and try and stand tall. There had to be another way out of this, right? They could run, they could have someone else fight. Wilbur would go up there and fire that shot if that was what it took to make sure Tommy made it out alive. But would Dream even give them that choice? There were so many risks that could be taken, so many choices to be made, so many possible outcomes and none of them seemed good.

And while everyone else was lost in thought, Tommy put his uniform's jacket back on.

'I'll talk to Skeppy. I'm sure he can spare another bow.', the boy rearranged his collar and moved his hands around, trying to ease the pain in them from all of his bruises still left over from the Final Control Room. '...Tubbo, can you come with me? I... I don't wanna go alone.'.  
'Tommy, wait! You're not... You're not actually doing this, are you?', Wilbur came closer, putting his hands on the boys shoulders. His eyes were filling with tears slowly, and his breathing was growing heavy. Fundy and Tubbo remained silent.  
'What else can I do?!', Tommy screamed, his voice cracking. 'This is our final chance! This is it! This is all we can do, and... As Vice-President, it's my duty to do it!', Tommy wiped his tears with his sleeve and turned away, tugging at Tubbo's shirt.

'I need to get a bow and an arrow. Just one.', Tommy paused and sighed. 'I don't plan on missing.'.

And so he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh shit ANGSTTTT
> 
> this shit got perma death so the duel hella serious  
> get ready for it,,, if you know the outcome....
> 
> i also finally got to write out the "independence or death" speech!!! pog!!!!!
> 
> anyway uh... hope you enjoyed!!!  
> someone very, VERY important is gonna appear the next chapter!!!  
> shes one l'manbergian who might turn this thing around...


	17. The L'Manberg War (Part 7)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The duel happens, with dozens watching. A mysterious stranger from the woods reveals themselves.

She watched from the woods in silence. She had been, for a long time.

It wasn’t long before the news about the duel spread throughout the whole city. Everyone knew what was happening - Some were even planning to come watch history unfold before their very own eyes. There were some siding with Dream, others pitying Tommy and begging their leader to call the whole thing off. Strangely enough, not a single person believed the L’Manbergians could win this fight. Alyssa, Ponk, Punz and Purpled all found spots nearby the path and watched intently. Callahan, Sam, Bad and Skeppy chose to watch from a distance. Karl, Quackity and Jack were said to have been avoiding the whole thing in fear of it spiralling into another massive fight, but would want to know the results soon after. King Eret would stand alongside Sapnap and George - Having had been one of the many to start this struggle, he wanted to be there once it ended. Even The Blade himself was spotted near the outer rims of the woods - None dared chase him away. Whether or not they wanted it, the whole city had its eyes on Dream and Tommy, and whatever they did here today would go down in history. Now the question was, what would happen?

She did not know, so she watched. She looked into L’Manberg.

‘Tommy, your life is worth more than the revolution.’. The president had been trying to convince his right hand man to back down for the entire day now. The boy, although trembling from fear and already getting sick from the stress didn’t listen to a single word the man was saying.  
‘Wilbur look around us!’, Tommy snapped at him, putting down the bow he had gotten from Skeppy. He had been playing around with it for hours now, always too shaky to lay a single proper shot. ‘We have nothing left, okay? This is all we can do, so- Just let me do this!’.

‘Tommy, you can still back out-‘.  
‘No! No, I can’t, I have to-‘.  
‘There’s still a chance for-‘.  
‘There isn’t just- Just let me-‘.

‘..Wil just- I-‘, the boy took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his breathing. ‘I don’t know if I can do this I’m- _I’m so fucking scared_ , and- But there's so much on the line, I- I can't back down, okay? I don't _want_ to back down, I _want_ to stand but... I'm so scared...'.  
'You're truly set on doing this?', Wilbur came closer, receiving a rather hesitant nod. He put his hands on the boy's shoulders and forced a smile. 'Then... All I can say is make sure to focus on the future you want. The future you can build with this arrow.'.

_He can almost hear the crowned stranger speak;_

_'Think about the future you want, think about the things you sacrificed to get here...'._

'...I'll stand there. I'll shoot my shot. And I won't miss. Not with everything that's on the line, but...', the boy turned away for a moment, played around with the arrow in his hand and glanced at Wilbur again; 'Do I shoot him, Wil, or do I aim for the skies?'. The man lowered his head.  
'I want you to do whatever your heart says you should do.', the president responded, his gaze filled with worry and uncertainty. Whatever happened an hour before sunset would decide the fate of their small nation – But most importantly, it would decide the fate of this innocent kid.

She prayed under her breath as she looked away. Her gaze set on the DreamSMP.

George had enough of thinking. He had enough of waiting, wondering, and hiding behind a fake facade as his friend tore everything they ever made apart because of his constant lust for power and showing it. He was going to put his foot down – If this truly was to be the last conflict in this ongoing war, he was going to make sure of it. No more final duels, deals, conditions or any more fighting. He was going to make sure Dream walked away from that fight and that once he did, they were finally done once and for all. When Sapnap left for some time to get King Eret from wherever he was basking in his riches, George finally decided he would speak. And for the first time in this war, he would not speak as GeorgeNotFound to Dream.

He would speak like George used to speak to Clay.

'...Dream?', he muttered at some point, but of course, his quiet and tired voice barely got the attention of the man scrambling about and going through every bow he had in his armoury, chucking aside any single one that seemed to have even the smallest defect. George stood up, raised his voice and narrowed his eyes. 'Dream!'.  
'What?', he snapped, the look in his eyes showing he regretted it. This was one of the rare times where he would put his mask aside, put down his hood and sometimes even change out of that hoodie of his. George always wished others could see him like this – Maybe then, things would be different. 'I meant.... I... What's up, George? What do you need?'.

'...Are you sure you want to go through with this? They surrendered. We could just take the win and let them live. We don't have to fight any longer.'. George shivered as he watched Dream's eyes turn cold, his gaze burning right through him. He seemed unable to force that iconic fake grin, though.  
'I'm going to the duel and I'm going to win it, George. You know this.'. The man tried out another bow, and this time, actually seemed satisfied with it. He attached it to his back and begun looking for an appropriate arrow. His friend came closer with a frown.  
'Whatever happens here we lose, Dream. I know you'll get the kid because you never miss... And once he dies, the whole city will be in uproar. I mean, are you really willing to just kill an actual child for your cause, Dream? Is that how far this delusion has gone?'.  
'...It's not a delusion.', Dream was still calm, but the twitch in his eye could not be overlooked. '...The kid's death will show everyone what happens to traitors. Now, If you're done talking, I have a duel to go to', Dream turned, but was stopped by a hand suddenly grabbing his shoulder.

'And if you miss...', George started, his voice quivering.  
'I won't. I never do.', Dream reassured him.

' _If_ you miss, Clay...', his voice made the other flinch. 'Me and Sap- _Me and Nick_ will lose our best friend. The city will fall into ruin and everyone here will struggle to get by. Do you truly want to put all this on the line for the sake of _proving a god damn point?_!'. Dream seemed to think about it – His eyes shifted around, he narrowed them for a moment. Then, he pushed the other's hand away.  
'This is the last fight, George. I promise.', he turned around and opened the door to his home, grabbing the white mask he kept right next to the door. He slipped it on, over his eyes and finally lowering it over his mouth. He put his hood over his head, hiding all of his individual features, and leaving only that empty husk everyone else witnessed. '...Come on, let's get going.'.

She decided to get _his_ opinion on everything. She knew he'd have something to say.

'...Why would Dream take Tommy up on his offer? He has nothing to gain here.', she whispered under her breath, biting her nail and watching everything go down from afar. There was a crowd already gathering at the Prime Path, but Dream and Tommy were yet to arrive.  
'You shouldn't bite your nails. It's not healthy.', he reminded her, as he often did. 'As for him, I've seen that look before.', he replied, his voice coarse and tired. '...He's lustful for power. He got a taste of victory and he wants more. However stupid and risky it may be.'. The man looked away for a moment, allowing his friend to gather her thoughts.

'If anything happens, can you-'.  
'No. I'm sorry. Not today.'.  
'Right, well... That's fine.'.  
'I have to go now. Goodbye.'.

'W-where are you going? Aren't you gonna watch the duel?', she turned back, puzzled.  
'I'm sorry. I have something else to do. Tell me about it once it's done, though.'. He waved at her.  
'Alright... Be safe. You know what the woods are like.', she gave him a smile and waved, too.  
'...Don't worry. I can take care of myself.'. And his final words, he left.

She watched as The Blade disappeared into the woods, and then once more looked at the Path.

Finally, everyone was there. It was all about to begin.

When the L'Manbergians arrived, everyone else seemed to already be there. Alyssa, Ponk, Punz and Purpled were standing at a large distance from the path, but were close enough to be seen. They all had their eyes focused on the boy – And they all seemed to feel nothing else but pity. Wilbur was behind him, holding onto his shoulder. Fundy and Tubbo were there too, he could hear their footsteps, but over the pounding of his own heart, they were barely audible. Across from him stood Dream, Sapnap and George to each of his sides. King Eret showed his face as well - At a distance, standing on a small mound and his empty eyes covered by his sunglasses. Even here, it seemed, he wanted to be above everyone else. Tommy could feel his blood boiling just looking at him, but couldn't let himself be distracted. He stood face to face with Dream, trying to focus.

'Let me just clarify. If you win and I die, George will grant L'Manberg the independence you yearn for so badly.', Dream spoke with such ease it was clear he did not plan on losing. Tommy shifted his feet slightly, squeezed his bow with all his might and narrowed his eyes.  
'...And as agreed.', the boy said, his voice far less confident and a stammer at every word. 'If I lose... And I... Die...', the boy swallowed, already feeling faint. 'All L'Manbergians will leave the DreamSMP and never return. Your land shall be yours once more.'.  
'Sounds fair to me. Get off the path, everyone! It's about to get bloody!', the man shouted out to everyone, forcing Wilbur to step aside. As he walked away he gave Tommy one last nod – The other returned it very hesitantly. The president joined King Eret on his mound, as did most of the fighters.

She watched enemies stand shoulder to shoulder, putting aside their differences and letting history happen before them. She herself felt nervous and bit her fingernails. The Blade had told her it wasn't very healthy, but at a time like this, she cared little for things like that. There was no way she could just stand there and observe in silence.

'Shake hands, please.', Wilbur started, and the two did as they were told. 'Turn your backs to each other.'. Once more, they followed. 'Now... I will count ten paces. Once I say the word fire, you may turn around and fire upon each other. Is that clear?'. The two nodded without further comments.

'...One.'.

 _So this is it, I guess,_ Tommy thought to himself, taking one step forward. _Just ten steps away from what could be my death. Am I ready?_ He tightened his grip on his bow, his knuckles growing white from the pressure. He could feel his legs trembling, nearly tripping as he tried to take steady steps. It were as if the whole world was watching him – The stress he felt was unbearable. His stomach was turning and he felt like he would throw up any second. There was sweat building up on his forehead, moving down his face and dropping to the ground. Maybe he should have trained more, this was all happening far too quickly... How many steps had it been already?

'...Two.'.

 _Right,_ Tommy said to himself as he stepped forward, _we have only just begun._ Maybe Wilbur was right? Maybe the smarter thing to do here would have been to run as far away as they could while they still had the chance to? He wasn't sure how good of a shot he was, if he were to be honest. He barely had time to train with how quickly the sun went down around this time of the year. Maybe he could have asked Fundy for some help, and he could feel more confident. Maybe he should have tried out some of these arrows before he picked one out blindly. _Maybe I should have thought about all that before I actually challenged Dream to this duel._

'...Three.'.

 _If I die here, will it at least make things better for everyone else?,_ Tommy asked himself, _or will it change nothing?_ Another step, another dark thought. With each one it started to feel like he had less and less time for those – And more and more time to break down. His breathing was only getting more irregular and his hand was trembling, he was sure he would die right then and there. _I should have just kept my mouth shut and let us surrender. I'm going to die here, and for what?_

'...Four.'.

 _I need to stop crying,_ he convinced himself, _I probably look like an idiot right now._ But it was true, there were tears already in his eyes that he could not stop. Every emotion he was feeling in that moment was clashing with one another, leaving him broken and torn. _Wilbur, Tubbo and Fundy are all watching me and looking for hope right now, and I'm doing this... I need to get my shit together and figure this out before it's too late._

'...Five.'.

 _We're only half-way there and I'm already barely holding on,_ he noted, _this bow is slipping right out of my hands..._ His steps were irregular and he was close to falling over more than once now, the pounding of his heart muting out any other noise around him. _Wilbur showed me how to calm my breathing after that nightmare once, right? I'll just do that. I'll just do as Wilbur taught me and everything will be fine, I'm sure of it._

'...Six.'.

 _If I die here I'll leave Wilbur alone in that haze again,_ he realized, _what kind of person does that make me? I'm a horrible person for not being able to stick around and help him find out about the dreams- No, scratch that! I'm not gonna fucking die here, I'm gonna shoot that bastard right in his heart and leave him bleeding out on this path of his!_

'...Seven.'.

_I'm not gonna leave Wilbur, Tubbo or Fundy because I'm their vice-president and I promised to serve them and our nation. In three steps I'm going to turn around and shoot, and I will not miss. I can't miss, not now, I'm going to hit him_

'...Eight.'.

_but god my hands are shaking so much will I even be able to take a good shot? will I even have a chance at turning around, or will he just shoot before it's even time to?_

'...Nine.'.

_wait slow down i can't do this i'm not ready_

'Ten paces, fire!'.

_it hurts_

She watched. Just as she had been for what seemed to be months now, she watched. She had been watching for a long, long time. Everyone was watching. And everyone, just as she did, watched Tommy be pierced by a single arrow, leaving him falling to the ground. Everyone, just as she did, watched the puddle of blood that formed around him as he struggled to breathe, his three companions running to him instantly. Everyone, just as she did, watched Dream lower his weapon, and without a word, walk away. No grin, no laugh, no words. Just silence. But she was not like everyone. She would not let this end here. She would not let him win. She would not stand aside and watch like everyone else did.

Heroes are meant to win, aren't they? This wasn't right. She would fix it.

Everyone watched as she raced from the cover of the woods and onto the Path, pushing past the crowd forming around him. Everyone watched as she forced the president aside, his men stepping away under his command eventually. Everyone watched as she pulled out various supplies and tools from her bag and everyone watched as she did everything she could to save the boy. Everyone asked questions between one another, questions she didn't bother answering right now. _Who are you? Where are you from? What are you doing? Why are you here?_ She did not care because it was not the president that asked – And the president understood she was trying to help, so he kept them all away from her. For a long time, she had watched. And it was about time she got involved. That day, everyone who watched said a mysterious woman emerged seemingly out of nowhere in the woods and begun doing everything she could to save the dying boy laying below her.

But if you were to ask Tommy, he would simply say he watched a beautiful girl with a gentle smile lean over him as his world turned dark.

\---

_'Hey, Wil?'._  
_'Yeah, Toms?'._  
_'Where do you think we go when we die?'._  
_'Hopefully as far away from here as fuckin' possible.'._  
_'Yeah... Hopefully.'._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NIKI TIME BAYBEEE  
> and shes friends with the blade... because why not-
> 
> i hope you enjoyed this- i've been wanting to write the duel FOREVER-


	18. The Fallen King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Struggling to survive, Tommy begins recalling a traumatic event. Tubbo sits by his friend’s side and tries to put everything together.

A beautiful girl with a gentle smile. It was all Tommy remembered before-

_-he’s walking on the sand, and for once, he’s not running. He’s taking slow and careful steps, but he is not afraid. There’s someone he knows well by his side - The man with the sweet singing voice, the round glasses and the yellow sweater. He’s looking ahead, and whenever Tommy seems to hesitate, he pulls him forward. He can see something showing itself in the distance - Large walls of a great kingdom. They pass people who silently work on their farms, knowing from their clothes and the small badges on them that they are not to be interrupted. They eventually enter the walls and are not stopped by the guards. They are simply looked at, admired. Wilbur squeezes Tommy’s arm and urges him on - They don’t have the time to stand around._

_‘They’re just villagers, Tommy. They won’t do anything to us and you know it.’, the man reminds him, leading him through the large city. It’s hard to enjoy it with all the people staring at him._  
_‘They still give me the creeps. Doesn’t matter how long I’ve been a Leader.’, Tommy responds, trying not to meet eyes with all of the humanoids glaring into his very soul._

_The city is full of life. People rush about through the marketplace, peeking out from the windows of their small, sandstone homes. The sun shines above, as it often does around this area, and the warm air is blowing through the streets. A large cow passes them, a bell lazily swaying on its neck. Someone shouts out a deal, a young child pushes past them and runs forward. Gradually, the people stop paying attention to them and let them through. They walk through the streets, watching as homes grow more and more lavish and people seem to be wearing more and more expensive clothes as they draw close to the castle. Finally, they reach the great construct with a large, heavy gate, which is lifted as they approach. Tommy can already feel himself getting nervous._

_‘Are you sure this guy will help?’, he asks, his hand running through his blonde curls. He watches as the palace shows itself, a large staircase leading right to the King’s throne room. The castle is vastly different to the style that the rest of the city is built in - It’s primarily made up of stone brick._  
_‘...The Fallen Kingdom is all that stands between us and the Antarctic Empire. If he can’t help... I’m not sure who can.’, Wilbur admits, honestly, and sighs. The two are escorted inside the throne room by two large, strongly built guards with heavy diamond armour._

_Tommy takes a deep breath. He’s never-_

-been in as much pain as he was in in that very moment. The whole world was nothing but a spinning mess of colours, sounds and smells, and no matter how hard he tried to grasp onto anything, it all fell into one giant swirling mess any way. He could hear two things above all - Voices, and sobs. Some of them seemed to be mixed with one another, but however hard he tried, he could not figure out who was speaking. He did, however, pick up on some conversations, however muted and however overpowered by his pain they were.

‘There. I did all I could for now. Now it’s time for the hard part.’.  
‘The hard part? So what you just did there wasn’t hard?’.  
‘The hard part for Tommy. This is what’s gonna decide whether or not he lives.’.  
‘W-well what does he have to do? Please, please, don’t let my friend die...’.  
'He just has to fight on. Stay strong and have hope for him.'.

'He can do it... This kid's got more strength in him than most adults I know.'.  
'I-I'll sit by him! Every day! I'll keep talking to him until he wakes up!'.  
'That's actually a good idea. There's a chance he can hear you. Hearing you will comfort him.'.  
'How... How can we ever thank you? I mean, what's even your name?'.  
'My _title_ is Nihachu, Mr. President. And there's no need to thank me for doing what's right.'.

Tommy felt something tug at his shirt, but could barely even tell-

_-when the King enters the room, expecting some sort of grander appearance. The man simply steps in from behind a rather small doorway, rearranges his cape and crown, and offers a small smile. He is a tan man with messy black hair and dark, blue eyes. He has a black jacket, white pants, dark trousers and sunglasses with a red rim. Not a look you'd expect from so-called royalty, but he himself knows better than anyone that Leaders often prioritize comfort over theatrics. He waits for a moment, rearranges his golden crown riddled with expensive gems, and reaches out with his hand._

_'Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit. It's a pleasure to finally meet the two of you.'. Wilbur moves forward and shakes his hand firstly, and Tommy follows soon after. The boy scratches the back of his head and forces a smile through all of his stress._  
_'You can just call me Tommy, Your Majesty.'. Upon hearing the title, the man laughs out loud and removes his cloak, passing it to a servant. He doesn't take off his crown, however, even making sure it is still there as if it were some sort of nervous habit._  
_'No need to be so proper, Tommy! Around here I already get enough of that stuff... It'd be nicer to have some friends. After all, we're all Leaders. We're on the same level, right?'. The man turns to Wilbur and nods at him, the other crossing his arms._

_'Tommy, this is King CaptainSparklez of the Fallen Kingdom. But I'm sure you knew that already.', he moves some of his hair out of his eyes and fixes up his glasses. As well as he's hiding it, Tommy can clearly see that the man is incredibly nervous, too._  
_'...The Fallen King!', the boy's eyes light up. 'You are, like, legendary! You were one of the first to settle in this land, right? And you used to...', Tommy stops himself, realizing he's probably bringing back painful memories. The Captain laughs, although with less joy this time._

_'...It's true. I used the rule the world...', the man says and smiles as a fond memory returns to him. It soon fades, however, and he frowns. 'But those days are long behind me. It's the Antarctic Empire that's trying to do the same thing now, I guess. And that's why you're here, is it not?'._  
_'Exactly.', Wilbur cuts in, clearly wanting to carry this conversation forward. He's impatient, playing with the sleeves of his yellow sweater and tapping his foot. 'With how quickly the Empire is advancing, they will have all of Africa under their control by-_

-today, you won't believe what happened!'.

_Tubbo?_

'Ms. Nihachu is starting to tell us all about the forest now, remember? I... I don't know if you hear me every time I talk to you. Or... Or if you hear me at all. B-but it's fine! She took me and Fundy into the woods and we did some hunting. Wilbur... Didn't wanna go...'.  
'Well, anyway! When we were in the forest, we heard something... And then we saw a horse! It was, like... Chestnut brown with white patches? It had a really nice, blonde mane. Ms. Nihachu told us a lot of them live out beyond the forest, but sometimes find their way in.'.  
'We were a little scared, since we don't see those often, you know... But she said it was fine! She got close to it, started petting it, and said we could take it home! It's outside our camp right now, we tied it to a tree with some rope we found. Ms. Nihachu says he's a boy!'.  
'She named him Fungi. She says he's very friendly, and if we get a saddle, she could teach me how to ride him! I've never seen a horse so close before... But Ms. Nihachu is a natural! She says she's been in the fields beyond the forest... Do you think it's true?'.

'Oh shoot! Fundy's calling me for dinner... Uh... See you, Tommy! Get well-

_-soon. Very soon.', Wilbur responds to a question the Captain asked, but Tommy is too spaced out to know what exactly is being discussed. They are sitting in a small room, with a round table in the middle and three cups of water set out in front of them._  
_'...Right... That might be a problem.', the Fallen King speaks slowly, leaning back in his chair. '...Are we absolutely sure the Antarctic Empire will try to push through my kingdom?Their advances through Africa have been aggressive, sure, but that land is unclaimed.'._  
_'...There were villages there.', Tommy whispers, barely heard. The heavy silence weighing on the room, however, allows him to be understood by the other two. 'Innocent people who died because they were in their way! Even if it was unclaimed land that asshole had no right to-'._

_'Tommy!', Wilbur snaps, trying to silence him._  
_'Sorry...', the boy mutters, shifting in his seat._

_'That land was not granted to them through talks. They traded nothing for it. And they hurt innocent people. They've broken every law we have ever laid out in this world and this is not the first time. It's an act of war, Captain. There's no time for hesitation.'. Tommy had always admired the ease at which Wilbur spoke – Where did he learn such convincing strategies?_  
_'...I cannot fight the Empire, and neither can you two. Their leader, he's...', the Captain hesitates. 'He's too strong for us to face. Not to mention his two protectors... He trains them in all of his techniques. We're going to have to somehow settle this politically – And I'm guessing that's why you're here, right? You've already come to the same conclusion as me.'._

_The two look at the Fallen King with guilt._

_'The Antarctic Emperor is a difficult man to negotiate with, but... We can figure something out if we put our heads together. And... Your Kingdom is all that stands between Africa and Europe and Asia. If he goes through you... He's free to go anywhere he pleases and hit from our most defenceless angles. For the sake of everyone, we need your support here.'. The Captain thinks, for a moment, looks aside and rearranges his crown once more. It seems very important to him._  
_'...I need time to think about this. You said we have about a month before things get critical? Very well then. Spend one night here, at my castle, and I promise I will make my decision tomorrow.', the King stands, walks to the doorway and turns back. 'I could simply allow his armies through here if I wished. His protection is priceless, you know.'._

_The two look nervously between one another – They take this as their warning-_

-us, we still didn't really listen... But maybe we should have, considering what happened. Oh, right! I should probably explain... Ms. Nihachu- Well, she prefers Niki now that she knows us better- Ms. Niki took me and Fundy out to the fields past the forest today! It's so nice there! There's flowers, bees, animals running everywhere. And far, far away there's these huge mountains!'.  
'Wilbur, again, didn't go. He wanted to stay with you. And he also told us leaving the camp might be dangerous, considering... But we still went! Fundy ended up tripping and falling into a lake and now he has a cold... Poor Ms. Niki is getting blamed for all of it. Oh, as for Wilbur, in case you're wondering, he's doing fine! He's still worried about you, but... Yeah. He's doing fine.'.  
'He found an old guitar and is learning to play now. He's actually really good at it! He can also sing so, so nicely! He wrote this song, I think he called it... Saline Solution? Well, wrote is a strong word. He kind of just played it as if he knew it already! And then he serenaded Ms. Niki... You know, as suspicious as he is of her, I think he might have a little crush on her...'.

'W-what, Mr. President? N-no, I wasn't- Uh- Welp, Tommy, I gotta go! I think I might be in-

_-the end, the only thing that matters is stopping them! Can't you for once step down and try to think of others?'. They're fighting now. How did they get here? Tommy has no idea. It all spiralled and now he's forced to listen as Wilbur and the Captain argue viciously._  
_'...You come to my Kingdom and you expect me to give up the thing that matters the most to me?! Do you really think giving him something nice and shiny will keep him away!?'. Tommy can't take it any more. He has to step in. He has to say something._

_'The Emperor of the Antarctic will be satisfied as long as he is in control.', the boy stands, and strangely enough, the other two men listen. '...Your crown, Captain... I know it matters to you. I know it's all you have left of your old kingdom... But to ensure this one doesn't meet the same fate, isn't it better to sacrifice something so small?'. Silence. So the boy carries on._  
_'He will be satisfied with it, I know he will. With it on his head he'll think he triumphed over you – But you can show him he hasn't won yet! Give him the Crown in exchange for peace, Captain, let the Fallen Kingdom become a thing of the past and let me and the other Leaders secure a future! Isn't that enough for you?'. The Captain bit his lip. The boy looked down._  
_'Let me have a future, Captain.', his voice lowers into a whisper. 'Let me live on and be a Leader. Give me a chance to have the kingdom you once had. Give up your crown and secure freedom for all of us! I'm begging you!'. Finally, the Fallen King sits down. He rubs his eyes, sighs, and moves his fingers to his crown and removes it. He places it on the table in front of him._

_'Let's give others the chance to have what I once had.'._  
_'You're making the right choice, Captain. Me and Wilbur will-_

-never wake up. But that can't be true, right? Tommy, please tell me Niki is lying! You'll wake up, I know- I know she said there's a small chance you will, but- I know you will! You always get out of these situations, like- Remember when- Remember when the Blade saved you from that cave? That was... Ha ha... Please wake up already... I'm so lonely...'.  
'Um... Today... Niki found a saddle for Fungi! She started training him... She says it might take a while, but she's very good at it... He's already really nice to her- And um- God, I can't lie to you even when you're asleep... Look, things are getting messy. And... And I wish you'd wake up and help me take care of everything. But... Niki says you might not.'.  
'Niki and Wilbur got into a big fight this morning... he asked her if she's ever met The Blade while living in the woods, and when she went silent, he started asking lots of questions. She eventually snapped at him and told him to mind his own business... Wilbur isn't singing her songs any more. Niki keeps saying you're getting worse... Tommy, you have to wake up... Please...'.

'I don't want to be alone here. I'm so-

_-scared. For the first time in a long while, Tommy is scared. He watches in silence. He watches as the Emperor of the Antarctic approaches the Fallen Kingdom, his hands stained in blood and a sharp sword in his hand. To his right is an older gentleman with silver hair and a neat suit, and to his left is the man with the bucket hat, angel wings and and a kind smile. Strangely enough, Tommy feels like he knows this man – And like he can trust him. Alongside the Emperor, though, he looks a lot more menacing than he does in the other memories._

_'...Emperor. It is an honour to stand before you.', the Captain speaks slowly. It is clear he doesn't want to do this. But everyone has already agreed – There's no holding back. Now all that is left is to make the deal, and the grin on his face shows he knows it._  
_'Let's cut the formalities. We're a very busy bunch, you know?', the Emperor walks forward, and without any hesitation at all, snatches the crown out of the Fallen King's hands. He places it on his head as his companions laugh and cheer him on._

_'...The Crown of the Fallen King...', the Emperor whispers, stifling a giggle. 'Finally... The most precious thing in this whole world is mine.', he rearranges it, the Captain helplessly watching in silence. Tommy steps closer and puts his hand on his shoulder – He can only imagine how hard this must be for him. But it's all they can do, right? It's all they can do to save the rest of the world. The Emperor finally has his glimmering crown – A crown stolen from someone who deserved it far more.'Thank you, Captain. Thank you for granting me this gift.'._

_'So you'll leave now, right?', Wilbur asks. 'You will leave and you will stop your-'._  
_'Yeah, sure sure, whatever. But... What if I were to say... I really need to get into Europe'._  
_'N-no! We agreed to something! We made a deal, did we not? You can't-_

-hear me, I know. Niki said it's unlikely you can, but this is all I can do these days to gather my thoughts. So... Wilbur and Niki made up. Sort of. They apologized to each other and agreed we have to stick together. Niki promised she will tell us more about The Blade once... If... You wake up. And...Wilbur sang another song. It was... A really nice evening. I wish you were there with-

_-no army to speak of, what will you do, stop us?', the man with the bucket hat speaks._  
_'These walls would look a lot better with a couple explosives...', the older man remarks._  
_'Yeah... And you'd look nicer with a bloody face.', the Emperor points to the Captain._  
_'No! No, no, you can't do this! We had a deal! You cannot just break your vows here and-_

-I know you're trying your best, but... Try harder! Please! Please, I know you can snap out of this, you can wake up and then- Then I'll show you everything myself, okay? I'll introduce you to Niki, Wilbur will sing you a song, I'll show you Fungi... Just wake up already so I can-

_-tear your guts out and leave everyone in this village begging for my mercy!', the Emperor moves his blade back. The Captain turns, he wants to run, he tries to get away but-_

-no matter what we try it just doesn't work, so only you can snap out of this Tommy and-

_-he moves forward, his blade tearing through the other's throat, blood pouring out-_

-side, but I'll be back in a bit. I promise I won't leave your side until you are-

_-so overwhelmed with fear and anger, all he can do is scream-_

'No!', Tommy yelled as he shot awake, gasping for air.

He looked around.

He was alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh shit CAPTAINSPARKLEZ BOYSSSS  
> the fallen kingdom refrences in this chapter- oh god oh frick-
> 
> also niki,,,, and fungi has upgraded from being her pet fox to her horse because I SAID SO
> 
> ALSO PETE AND PHIL ARE FINALLY HERE  
> they wont do much yet,,, but i have BIG plans for the Antarctic "second-in-command"s


	19. The Runaways

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy explores the L’Manbergian camp. Wilbur tries to write a song. Niki introduces herself.

'Tommy?'.

He kept breathing heavily, his hands shaking.

'Tommy!'.

There were tears in his eyes that he didn't know the origins of.

'Tommy, you're awake!'.

Two arms tightly wrapped around him, and suddenly, he was alright.

He could hear his friend sobbing into his shoulder as he tightly squeezed him, a pain growing in his chest. Tubbo ran into the tent as soon as he heard the boy scream, not wasting any time checking if he was okay. He moved away after a while, looking down at his stomach. Tommy, seeing this, looked too. His shirt was gone, and the entire top of his body was covered in bandages. They seemed to be pretty fresh, most trying to hold up a large heap of herbs around where he guessed his heart to be. Even shifting around made it all fall and crumble, showing it was an incredibly make-shift creation that was not prepared for him awakening.

'D-don't move too much! Niki says you're still in a really fragile state...', Tubbo quickly stopped him, grabbing his shoulders and keeping him static. The boy took a few more deep breaths, still shaken from his nightmare. He wanted to ask questions about _everything –_ Where he was, how long it had been, what did Dream do, what was of L'Manberg... Everything was mixing in his head, and in the end, his throat only allowed him a few words;  
'Where... How long...', he grabbed onto his throat as he spoke with great strain, unable to get a full sentence out. He must have been asleep for quite some time to feel like this – But Tubbo was soon at his side with support. He grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently, somehow causing him more comfort than anything possibly could have. He moved aside a blanket that was put over him and tried to move his legs, shifting onto his knees.

'Don't worry. We will explain everything, but for now, you need to relax. You know, I think Fundy is making breakfast now... Are you hungry?'. He didn't respond, but instead nodded vigorously, receiving a giggle from his friend. 'Right! You've been asleep for a while! You must be starving! I... I still can't believe you're okay.', the boy paused for a moment, lowering his head. 'I missed you, Tommy. I sat by you every day and talked to you. And-'.

'I know. I heard.', his voice was a whisper, but it was enough. Tubbo's face lit up.  
'Y-you did? So Niki was wrong! You could hear me! I knew it!'. He laughed with great relief.  
'...Only small bits... And...', again, he stopped himself as the pain in his throat grew stronger.  
'We'll talk about it later! Just... It's good you're here. Really.', the boy turned away.

And finally, the two crawled out of the tent.

The “camp” Tommy had been hearing about during his dreams wasn't anything impressive. In a small clearing in-between some trees, three tents were set up around a single campfire. Fundy was sitting by it, preparing something on a small, wooden plate, but he was yet to notice the two. There was a piece of rope tied to a tree, but it was hanging loosely, from which Tommy could only guess Niki's horse must have been away. Although he didn't know exactly what Niki looked like, he didn't see any long-haired woman wandering around, so he could safely guess she was gone, too. Wilbur wasn't in sight, but when he listened carefully, the boy could hear singing and the strumming of a guitar somewhere in the distance, barely heard over the wind moving through the leaves, making them rustle. Tubbo called out to Fundy, making him turn back instantly.

'Tommy! Tommy, you're awake!', the man exclaimed, his ears perking up. He put aside the plate he was working on and came closer, looking at the boy with a mix of joy and shock. 'God, you really never give up, huh? Niki was about ready to stop replacing your bandages all together...'.  
'...Who's... Niki?', Tommy muttered, still struggling to speak. His head was spinning slightly from standing up as suddenly as he did, but luckily Tubbo was by his side, helping him stand. Fundy laughed nervously and slowly returned to the fire, speaking;  
'Right! Niki! You'll meet her soon. She's out training Fungi in the fields right now. She's the person who saved you... It was like a miracle.', the man continued his work, whatever meal he was making emitting amazing smells. But maybe it was just his hunger that made it smell so wonderfully...  
'...Maybe you should sit down? Here, you should eat... I'm sure Niki and Wilbur will be back soon.'. Tommy joined Fundy around the fire, sitting down on the grass. Tubbo quickly joined him, excitedly grabbing a plate of food from the president's son. Tommy took his portion more hesitantly.

'...Where... Are we? Why are we-', Tommy was cut off by a cough. 'Why are we here?'. Tubbo and Fundy looked between each other as they ate, as if trying to pick out who would have to speak up. Eventually, the younger boy cleared his throat and spoke.  
'...Dream thinks you're dead. So... he also thinks he won the duel. Well, he did, I guess. You would have died if not for Niki.', Tubbo put his food aside, clearly unable to eat. 'One of the terms of us losing was we had to leave the DreamSMP. So... We hid in the forest.'.  
' _These_ are the woods everyone is so afraid of?', Tommy looked around, his voice finally returning him somewhat well. All he could see was trees, and he could only hear the the rustling of leaves and Wilbur's distant singing. '...They don't seem too bad.'.  
'During the day...', Fundy spoke with his mouth full. '...You should see the shit Niki has to do to keep us safe at night. Apparently The Blade taught her to do all that.'. He swallowed, paused and shrugged. 'But honestly, yeah, it's not as bad as Dream made it out to be.'.

'I guess it's just another thing he uses for control. Little lies we don't even notice to make him seem like he's vital to us.', Tubbo completely gave up on his food and crossed his arms. 'We're fine out here, though... For now, at least. Niki knows what she's doing.'.  
'...And L'Manberg?', as Tommy asked this, the silence that overtook the two was overwhelming. They gave each other one of those uncomfortable glances, and this time, it was Fundy that took the fall and decided he would speak up and explain everything.  
'...Dream started taking down the walls. He left the craters there and put up a bunch of posters about traitors and how much of a problem we were. It took them a while to get over your death, but the city is pretty much back on its feet now.'. Tommy sighed.  
'How long... How long have I been asleep?', the boy muttered, this time getting no response at all. He realized these two barely had any information he needed – And even if they did, the other two people in charge were keeping them from speaking. So, he concluded;

'I need to talk to Wilbur.', he looked around and listened into the distant singing. 'I'm guessing that's him out there?'. He didn't even wait for a response before he stood up.  
'Tommy, wait! Niki should check you before you walk around-', Tubbo tried to stop his friend, but it wasn't really working. Tommy simply turned back to him with an empty look.  
'Where's my shirt?', he asked, disregarding his friend's pleas. Fundy continued sitting alone, clearly knowing better than to try to stop Tommy of all people from doing something.  
'Uh... Here, in our tent- I cleaned it and stitched it up for you. I've been doing that for everyone's uniforms, actually-'. Before Tubbo could even pass it to him, Tommy snatched it out of his hands.

Ignoring any other pleas from his friend, the blonde slipped the shirt on and quickly buttoned it, marching into the woods and following the sound of singing somewhere in the distance. He wished he could turn around and tell Tubbo he wasn't actually mad at him, or go back and thank Fundy for the food he made for him. But Tommy's mind was swirling with thoughts that clouded his judgment completely, muting out any other noise. He was angry- No, no, he was _furious_. He was furious at how everything turned out, and where he was now. He survived – So what? He still lost. Dream still got everything and him and his friends somehow lost more, just when they thought they had nothing. And now Tubbo was acting as if this were normal – Hiding out in the woods, eating god knows what, sleeping in tents, none of it was right. He challenged Dream to that duel for a reason. He wanted change. And all he got was loss, loss of anything they could ever say they had left. Tommy had to know. Tommy had to know how bad the situation truly was, and if there was still a chance at recovery. And the only man who could give him those answers was the president.

He found Wilbur singing alone by a large tree.

' _Well I've heard there was a special place.._.'. Tommy knew his singing voice. He was sure the others didn't before the duel and its aftermath, but he had heard it before in some of his memories. Wilbur always loved singing – It was one of the things the boy remembered that he lacked in the “real world”, if it could even be referred to as that.  
' _Where men could go and emancipate..._ '. The guitar, too, was something he had seen before. He was sure that in one of the dreams Wilbur had even taught him how to play it, but it was something he had long forgotten. Whenever he had those dreams, though, he always felt... Happy. Calm. It was far better than the nightmares of the Antarctic Emperor he had been having lately.  
' _The brutality and the tyranny of their rulers._..'. Wilbur was different in the dreams. He wasn't as tired as he was when he watched him play and sing, he wasn't as hopeless. He was always smiling, always giving him tips and teaching him things he said he learned from a “good friend” a long time ago. Where did that Wilbur go, with this war?

' _Well this place is real.._.', the man paused, playing the same chord again. ' _Well this place is true.._.', he tried once more, clearly not satisfied with the line. ' _Well this place is... This place is..._ Fuck!', Wilbur hit the strings of the guitar with all his strength and put it aside, an angry sigh following. Yes, indeed, the calm and kind Wilbur from his dreams was definitely a Wilbur very different to the one sitting in front of him. He continued sitting there, silent, until Tommy shifted slightly, causing some leaves to rustle. Instantly, the president jumped to the side, grabbed onto his bow and readied an arrow, making the boy gasp.

As his eyes widened it were almost as if he was on the Path all over again, Dream aiming his weapon right at his heart. He fell back, fell to the ground and screamed, his eyes completely blinded by the image. He tried to cover himself from the oncoming arrow, feeling that pain surge through his body just as it did in that moment. But this time, he wasn't laying the floor, world spinning and fading out. This time he simply sat there, trembling from fear and unsure of how his mind found itself travelling back to that moment so vividly, and taking him right back so swiftly.

'Tommy! Tommy- Shit, I'm sorry!', Wilbur got closer, trying to offer support. The boy, still fidgety from what just happened pushed him away and backed up, rubbing his shoulders. His heart was racing and his whole body was shaking as he tried to get himself back into reality, taking deep and careful breaths. Eventually, everything moved back into place and he stared up at the president with more confusion than anything else.  
'...I- Uh... It's fine- I- I just- Panicked...', the boy rubbed his eyes and forced himself to stand, the world spinning as he did so. He quickly supported himself on a nearby tree, completely disregarding the concern coming from Wilbur. The boy looked down. No arrow, no blood. The president hadn't even fired a single shot. So why did it feel so real? He shook his head, trying to get rid of the thought. He didn't want to think about it right now.

'Are you... Are you sure?'. The boy nodded, not wanting to worry the man. Although clearly spotting his hesitation, he decided to change the topic. 'Well... You're... You're awake. You're actually awake. Just- Just come here, you stupid gremlin.', the man pulled him closer and wrapped his hands around him in a tight hug. This one was different to Tubbo's – It was a lot weaker, more reserved. It carried more exhaustion than anything... It was clear Wilbur had been the most tired out by everything. He didn't speak as he hugged him. He just enjoyed the moment, and Tommy did the same thing. But not because he was happy he survived – It were more as if he found comfort in it, pulling him away from that overwhelming panic that vivid flashback had caused him. He eventually stepped back, grabbing onto his shoulder as he took a deep breath.

'That was so dumb of you, you realize that? That whole duel, mouthing off Dream, it's a miracle you're still alive!', Wilbur's voice turned angry out of nowhere, his tone of voice jumping around so much it was hard to keep up with how he was truly feeling.  
'Well I _am_ alive! So what's the big deal?', he crossed his arms and looked down. There was more bandages than he could count wrapped around his chest and he was thrown into panic the moment he saw a bow aimed at him. That definitely was a big deal, but he would never admit it.  
'...You're gonna thank Niki personally. And you're gonna drop the little gremlin child thing around her and you're going to treat her with the respect she deserves for saving you after your little act, do I make myself clear?'. Tommy stifled a laugh. He had never seen Wilbur so serious.  
'You seem to really like that Niki girl.'. As soon as he said this, the president turned away as his face turned a bright red. The blonde started laughing uncontrollably to himself as the man picked up his guitar and put it on his back using a large leather strap attached to it.

'You're a dickhead, you know that?', Wilbur said as he passed the other. He stopped for a moment, sighed, and put his arm on the his head, ruffling his hair. 'It's good to have you back, though.'.  
'You're sending me some real mixed signals right now Wil.', and even though Tommy spoke with a light-hearted tone of voice, his mind was screaming a million different things at him.

He wanted to tell Wilbur about what he saw the moment that bow was aimed at him. He wanted to tell Wilbur about the Captain and his dream. He wanted to stay with him here, alone, talking until they figured everything out. He wanted to yell at him about how much of an asshole he was being, and also hug him and cry into his shirt about how much he missed him and how much he just wanted everything to be okay again. But instead, there was nothing. Because never before had Tommy felt so helpless, so alone and so scared. Never before had he had so much on his mind, so many questions and so many things he wanted to say, and not a single way to say it. So instead of asking for help, stopping Wilbur, telling him everything... He simply forced a smile and followed him back to the camp, trying to not let the swirling mess in his mind show.

'...How have your dreams been?', Tommy asked at some point, his mind subconsciously trying to throw his nightmare in as a topic. Wilbur shrugged, himself unaware of the internal turmoil the person right next to him was trying to deal with.  
'Same as usual. The first few days after the duel... I barely managed to hold on. The only times I was around was when Niki was, too. I think something in my brain was trying to hold onto her, since she was a stranger. After a while it went back to normal.'. _How long have I been asleep?_  
'...Did anything new show up?'. _The Captain please tell me you also saw the Captain I can't deal with this alone I don't know what I saw I don't know who he was but it all happened so fast please tell me you saw him die too please tell me you saw the Emperor I don't want to_  
'No. Just the usual people.'. _Fuck._ 'What about you?'. Tommy hesitated, opened his mouth to speak, closed it again and sighed. His eyes raced around the place, he squeezed his arm and shrugged, trying his best to sound _god why am I pretending why can't I just say it_

'Nope.'. _Please ask me again I promise I'll tell you eventually._ 'Just the usual people. Same as you.'.

The two entered the camp after a rather short walk, Tommy still nervously fidgeting with his shirt. Fundy and Wilbur, of course, easily overlooked it. Tubbo, however, had noticed the boy's strange behaviour a while ago. He did not have any time to ask the blonde as to why exactly he was acting this way, though, as a loud noise echoed from the forest. The repetitive sound of galloping hooves, eventually accompanied by the rustling of bushes and tree leaves. Tommy didn't even have time to react as he was knocked aside, stumbling onto the ground below. He heard someone exclaim something and looked up, seeing the strangest sight.

A large, chestnut brown stallion with white patches of fur with a stunning, blonde mane was standing at the edge of the camp, finally stopped by someone pulling on its reins. The horse made a rather annoyed sound, stopped moving, and finally settled in place, allowing the person riding it to get down. The figure jumped off, landed on the ground below with grace and quickly tied the horse up, rushing over to Tommy right after. As she leaned down, he instantly recognized her as the woman that he saw leaning over him back when the duel ended. Long brown hair, with only two strands of it dyed white at the front, and an incredibly gentle smile. She was covered in bandages and had loose, dirty clothes with stitches and patches, showing she had been living out here far longer than they had _how long have I been asleep how long have we been out here_ She moved some of her hair out her face, smiled and reached out with her hand.

'Sorry about that! Fungi is still a little fidgety!'. Tommy grabbed onto the woman's hand.  
'Uh-'. Tommy glanced at Wilbur, who gave him a terrifying glare. 'Uh- T-that's fine! I'm okay!'.  
'I'm glad!', the woman giggled. 'It's nice to finally talk to you, Tommy. I'm Niki.'.  
'...Niki... Right... Uh...'. Once more, Wilbur glared. 'Thank you for saving me! Thank you!'.  
'No problem!', the woman laughed, clearly noticing what was going on. She turned away.

'Now... Since Tommy is awake, I'm guessing all of you want to hear about The Blade?'.

And at Niki's words, the whole group went silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE MCC THIS WEEK WAS SO POGGERS  
> uhhh anyway i should talk about the chapter huh
> 
> this fic is NOT gonna have any niki/wilbur shipping, since shipping real people is hella weird. however, the small "crush" wilbur has on her (obvi an act in the videos, im not one of THOSE people who cant tell that apart from reality) is only gonna get referenced a bit, like it did here, since i think it'll give niki and wilbur more depth to their characters (and since him acting all timid around her and trusting her a lot is an actual thing he does, and i need a SMALL reason for that). theyll never get together, theyll never have a thing, theyll never get romantic. just wanted to make that EXTRA clear. 
> 
> the only shipping you'll ever see in this fic is actual canon "relationships", although they won't be treated too seriously or have too much focus put on them. (i mean, how the frick do i make quackity/jschlatt an actual serious thing?)
> 
> so yeah... uhhhh
> 
> niki is here??? on a horse???? pog???  
> tommy angst happened unintentionally but i kinda just rolled with it  
> this poor child has double ptsd from real life AND his dreams now  
> ....someone give him a hug please
> 
> this was mainly a very chill chapter to wind down from all of the stuff that's been happening lately, since it's been a hot mess. sorry-


	20. The Unlikely Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niki tells a story by the campfire. Tommy and Wilbur put the pieces together.

'How long have I been asleep?'.

Niki agreed she would talk about The Blade in the evening – Before then, she had a lot of things to do. Fundy and Wilbur didn't seem to mind. The two had to go hunting anyway, with how low they had been running on food. So, in the end, once the father and son left and the woman entered her tent to work on something, asking not to be disturbed, the two boys were left all alone. Niki asked Tubbo to help Tommy replace his bandages – Which he did gladly. It would give the two time to talk, which they definitely appreciated. They were sitting near the fire Fundy used to make breakfast, now put out and only a small pile of charred wood left behind. The wind was blowing more strongly now, and the sun was slowly but surely making its way down. Tubbo hesitated before answering, but he knew better than to lie to Tommy.

'...A month and a half.', the boy muttered, grabbing onto some of the buttons on his shirt and starting to twirl them in his hand. 'We're about half way through September now...'.  
'A month... And a half...?', Tommy whispered, his voice filling with terror. The dreams themselves felt like they only took place over a short period of time, a week at most.  
'Not much has happened, though. We've just been out here... Trying to survive.', Tubbo shrugged. '...We only check in on Dream sometimes. It's risky to show ourselves at the edge of the woods.'.  
'Do people even care? That I... _Died_?', Tommy's voice turned quieter, the boy slowly losing himself in this strange situation. Tubbo clearly noticed, coming closer with a smile.

'Hey, there's something I've got to show you!', he jumped up, bouncing on the tips of his feet. He rushed into Niki's tent, apologized for disturbing her and then jumped back out, a dirty, leather backpack in his hand. As Tommy recognized it, he gasped and grabbed it from him.  
'No way! You got them out?', he quickly unzipped the bag and removed three discs, all in strangely good condition. His name, however, painted on the side of each one, was beginning to rub off, showing the label underneath. 'And they all seem completely fine! How did you... When...?'.  
'After the duel, Dream went back to L'Manberg and got these. He put them up in his house like some sort of trophy... I told Niki about it one time when she was taking care of you. She didn't say anything... But that night, she left after we all fell asleep.'.  
'Did she go get them?', Tommy asked, touching the edge of one of the discs. The paint peeled away slightly, revealing writing underneath it... It seemed to be a name. For some strange reason, as Tommy looked at the discs, and image of The Crown of The Fallen King appeared in his mind.  
'Either Niki got them herself... Or she got The Blade to get them for her.', Tubbo gave Niki's tent a worried glance, and upon noticing no movement, he carried on; 'She might not say it, but she gets The Blade to do a lot of things for her... He even leaves her supplies sometimes...'.

'Why are you whispering?', Tommy asked with a quiet chuckle. Tubbo lowered his head for a moment, playing with his thumbs and instantly changing the mood.  
'Niki doesn't like when we mention him... She gets super defensive about it. But maybe she'll finally explain it this evening?'. The boy hopefully looked at his friend.  
'Well, whatever the deal is she's a strange one, isn't she?', Tommy muttered with a grin. Tubbo punched his arm, causing him to laugh.  
'Don't let Wilbur hear you say that!'. The two laughed on, the blonde feeling that helplessness he felt from his nightmare fading with each second.

'I'm really happy you're back, Tommy.'.  
'God, Tubbo, you're so clingy...'.  
'Hey! You're ruining the moment!'.  
'Sorry, sorry! Don't look at me like- Ow!'.

For just a moment, as Tommy and Tubbo chased each other around the camp and knocked over more things than Wilbur and Niki would ever possibly be okay with, things seemed to be alright. For just a moment, as they laughed on and talked about things that didn't feel as important as they made them out to be, Tommy forgot about his strange nightmare. For just a moment, as Tubbo showed Tommy how to feed Fungi and the two got a few good laughs out of it, the boy didn't even think about the overwhelming fear that shot through him when Wilbur aimed his bow at him. For just a moment, while the group gathered in the evening again and everyone got ready for Niki's evening tale, he didn't feel like everything about hiding out in these woods was _wrong_. For just a moment, Tommy looked at his discs and he felt comfort, rather than feeling himself travelling back to the front gates of the Fallen Kingdom, with the death of a Fallen King.

And as the evening grew ever closer, Niki finally emerged from her tent.

\---

The wind had calmed down. The fire was crackling loudly. Crickets, owls, and other night-loving creatures begun singing their usual songs, and Niki listened in carefully. She already knew how to take care of these things – She owed most of her knowledge to The Blade, and his unlikely kindness towards her. The whole time they prepared for night, Tommy couldn't help but ask questions about pretty much everything she did. So, just as she explained a month and a half ago, she explained everything now.

She ordered Tubbo and Fundy to light some of the torches she attached to certain trees, giving them a ring of light separating them from the forest. She told Tommy the campfire was normally not enough to keep monsters at bay – it was better to create a large circle of light additionally as the creatures of the night despised light. Along with this, she and Wilbur scattered some strange flower around Tommy had never seen before. Niki explained that their smell often kept most creatures away, and with a group as large as theirs, it was always better to be safe than sorry. Finally, she showed him a couple of the traps she set up outside of their camp – Partially, against the monsters at night. Partially, against Dream.

'...Now, before I tell you anything I need to make a couple things clear.', Niki started as she sat down, finally taking a break from all of the work she had been doing. Wilbur was sitting next to her, with Fundy joining his other side. Tommy and Tubbo sat across from them, slightly further away. 'I can only tell you a bit. No questions before, during or after.'.  
'Is it really such a big deal?', Tommy asked, instantly regretting it after seeing the glare he got from Wilbur. The woman moved some of her hair out of her face, revealing she was equally unimpressed with him. She looked into the fire and reached out with her hands, warming them.

'The Blade is a very, very particular man. But I spent enough time with him to understand him.', Niki crossed her arms, a hint of sadness in her eyes.  
'...And he doesn't want you telling people about him?', Wilbur asked. Clearly, Tommy was not the only one left out of _this_ piece of information about the woman.  
'Exactly.', Niki nodded. 'And I cannot tell you his title, either. But I can tell you how we met and how I've been living out here for the past few months. Will that be enough?'.  
'Y-yeah! Come on, tell us about The Blade!', Tubbo cut in, clearly getting far more excited over the matter than anyone else there. 'Uh... If you want to, of course-'.

'Right, right. Let me stop stalling.', Niki flipped back her hair and smiled. 'So it all starts like this...'.

\---

I think an important place to start would be where exactly I come from and how I got here.

It's a really long story, but I can summarize it pretty well. I used to live in this pretty big city, far from here. There's actually a lot of them around, if you travel far enough. But right around half a year ago monsters stormed the place and destroyed everything. We were too overwhelmed to fight – So everyone just ran. We all ran our own ways, hoping to get away with our lives All I had with me was a bag of medical supplies I took from my work place... I was a nurse back there, and I was working on a patient when it all started. That patient being... My best friend. She was one of the guards at our city and got badly hurt that day. Hah, I remember she always told me I shouldn't worry about her and that she wasn't as fragile and gentle as me, and... I'm... I'm getting off-topic, aren't I? Right... Well, we ran. Together. And then... We were separated... I don't even remember how, she just... Went out of my sight, and then... I never saw her again...

…

...Right, so... anyway... I was alone in the woods, and I was.... I was so scared. The whole “the woods are the most dangerous place on this Earth” thing isn't just something Dream does to keep control. It's pretty common in other cities. And to an extent, it's not even propaganda. Those woods are riddled with monsters at night, and with no light source or repellent you are as good as dead. And that was me – A weak girl with no weapon running through the forest, stricken with fear from everything she had just been through. I was still looking for my friend, screaming her name, bringing more attention to myself than was probably necessary. I think I kept going like that for... Hours? I don't even remember... It was all such a blur, I must have gotten miles away from the city by the time something actually spotted me. From what I remember, it was a skeleton. I felt an arrow whizz by my head and I instantly turned to the side, seeing it standing there with its weapon raised. All I remember is screaming for help before the skeleton was knocked aside by someone.

Someone hit the skeleton with their sword, knocking it aside and making it drop its bow. I just watched in stunned silence – I had gone through too much that day to just keep running. More monsters started closing in, so in a panic I picked up the dropped bow and some of the arrows the monster had dropped, trying to remember the techniques my friend had taught me. I don't even remember how many of them swarmed in on us... But I know I fought as well as I could. The stranger, of course, did most of the work. There were noises, blood, smells I didn't recognize and smells that made me sick... But I stood tall, because I was too afraid of what could happen to me if I just gave up then and there. When it all calmed down I wanted to thank the stranger for saving me – But as I turned back to where he stood, I found him laying on the floor, passed out.

Turns out, during the fight, he got bit by one of those huge spiders and got poisoned. And I... I felt like it was my fault, for some reason... This guy clearly knew what he was doing, and I got in the way which threw him off. So I lit a small fire, lay him down on a large patch of soft grass, and tried my best to take care of him... I know around here you guys rely on potions a lot, but we didn't really know how to make them back in my old city. So we relied on other ways of treating wounds – Including poison. I managed to figure out how to get the guy back in a somewhat safe state, but I didn't wanna leave him, either. The sun was rising and I was conflicted – I could have left to look for my friend... But something drew me to stay by this man's side.

Now, I can't describe how The Blade looks, but I can tell you a few small things. First of all, when I put bandages on him, I noticed a ton of battle scars. That guy, wherever he was from, had been through hell. That was what I concluded at the time, at least. He also rarely slept – The bags under his eyes were more prominent than anything. I was scared, I didn't know what to do, and now I had a passed-out stranger to take care of... As you can guess, I was having a great time. He eventually woke up... He was disorientated, still slightly sick from the poison. It took a lot of talking him down to even get him to actually sit down and rest. We had a pretty awkward morning of just eating in silence and giving each other nervous glances – I was lucky he actually shared his food with me, since I had nothing with me but some stitches, bandages and old medicine.

'What's your title?', he eventually asked me, and I was a little confused on how to respond. Usually, people ask for your name, right? I hesitated, stammered, and then looked aside.  
'...N-Nihachu.', I responded hesitantly, biting my nail. This was probably the only time I did it and he didn't remind me of how unhealthy it was – He simply told me his title, which I cannot repeat.  
'Why are you out here?', The Blade continued asking me, noticeably looking down at his wounds. He seemed impressed with how I took care of them. Or... I like to believe.  
'My city was attacked.', I whispered, the lack of sleep that night and everything that had led up to it showing in my expression. '...I had to run... And here I am...'.

There was some silence.

'Thank you for saving me.', I whispered, unsure on how to approach this man. His expression seemed like he was about ready to cut me open with his sword any moment...  
'...Thank you... For saving me.', The Blade said with some hesitation. 'There's a city not too far from here. I could take you there. There's a group there who could use a nurse as skilled as you.'.  
'I... I'm sorry... I don't think...', I moved some of my hair back, hugging my knees. 'I don't think I can go to another city right now. My friend... I lost her, and I...'.  
'You want to... Find her?', he repeated, leaning closer to me. It felt like he was staring right through me, with eyes that carried years of knowledge... I gulped.

'Yes.', I nodded. 'I... I need to find her. She's all I have. She's... Basically my family.'.The Blade watched me carefully, and eventually, nodded his head.  
'I could help you.', he told me. 'I know these woods better than anyone. I could show you how to stay safe while you search. Looking for lost family... it's an admirable task.'.

Somehow, I felt like he knew _exactly_ how I felt. I didn't ask any questions, though.

From here things get more boring than you might imagine – The Blade showed me the way to the city, in case I changed my mind, and then showed me how he survives in the woods. He taught me about the importance of light, what flowers and herbs work as repellent, and where to strike each beast to make it die quickly and efficiently. For some time... I watched you guys, as well. I watched you build your nation, I watched the war happen... I didn't want to intervene, though. You see, me and The Blade made a deal. A deal very important to him.

He told me that if I ever interacted with the city we would have to cut contact. He doesn't want to ever be known by name here. I don't know why, but... He told me that people make him... Nervous. They make him... Remember things. Now, he never explained what that meant exactly, but it means that being around me for about half of his day was already a bit much. He would rather stay hidden and distant, without anyone ever intervening with his business. And I agreed. So I guess... The last time I saw him before the duel... Was truly the last time. It's funny... In the span of this half year I ended up losing two of my best friends to these woods... But it was worth it, I'd say. Tommy is alive. And that's all that really mattered to me when I made that decision.

And in case you're wondering, no. I never found her... My friend, I mean. I gave up about two months in and focused on helping The Blade. I mean, do you truly think it was him alone that saved you from the Final Control Room? I may not have been there, but it was my supplies he was using. I'm grateful I met him, though... These past six months have been special to me. He taught me a lot of things I never knew could be useful, and it's thanks to him I'm alive and able to pass that knowledge on to you guys. I just wish...

I wish I got one more chance to say goodbye, I suppose.

\---

'And that's it... That's the story.', Niki paused, wiping something from her eye with her sleeve.  
'Wow... I... You didn't have to give that up for us, Niki.', Wilbur muttered, getting closer to her.  
'I'm sure The Blade himself would have wanted me to do it, too.', she shrugged.  
'And... You won't even tell us what he looks like?', Tubbo sounded incredibly disappointed.  
'Tubbo, come on!', Wilbur exclaimed, but Niki cut him off with a sigh and a roll of her eyes.  
'Fine, fine. I'll tell you only three things.', she cleared her throat and looked up with a smile.

'The Blade wears a glimmering crown, his hands are always stained with the blood of various monsters and he wields the single sharpest sword I have ever witnessed.'.

Now, to Tubbo and Fundy the description was satisfying enough. A bit over dramatic, sure, and even Niki laughed at how serious she sounded when she said the phrase. To Tommy and Wilbur, however, the sentence had a very, very different meaning. They looked at each other with eyes that were filled with terror – But also understanding. Understanding about what this single, innocent sentence had revealed to them. Wilbur quickly made up a lie about having to speak to his right hand man in private – And then pulled him to the edge of their circle of light, pacing around nervously. Tommy simply stood against a nearby tree, leaning on it for support.

'Glimmering crown... Blood-stained hands... Sharp sword... Tommy, are you-'.  
'A perfect fighter who seems more fond of us than he should be as a stranger. Yeah.'.  
'You've seen him too, right? We see the same people, don't we?'.  
'It's him... It's actually him.... The Blade, he's...'.  
'...The Emperor of the Antarctic. It's him, Tommy.'.

And as the president and his right hand man talked on, on the other side of the woods an Emperor awoke from yet another nightmare.

And this time, the nightmare involved a crown and a Fallen King.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH SHIT THEY CONNECTED THE DOTS GAMERS  
> THE BLADE IS THE EMPEROR UH OH  
> now what about the scammer... big hm
> 
> i think its pretty obvious who niki's best friend is, since there arent a lot of women in the mcyt community, but... idk bro  
> she WILL show up eventually... even though shes not even on the smp... why? cuz i want her to hee hoo-


	21. The Argument

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blade struggles with his past. Wilbur and Tommy try to talk and end up in a vicious fight. Tubbo brings his friend where he wishes to be. Dream has a choice to make.

_Blood drips down his neck, onto his clothes, onto the sand below..._

_The Captain falls, and his crown remains on the Emperor's head._

_'No! No, why would you- Captain!', the kid rushes forward, sits by his victim. The man with the glasses also comes forward, although more hesitant. The blonde is panicking, his breaths quick and irregular, tears pouring out his eyes as he struggles for air._  
_'...Tomorrow. We will take the Fallen Kingdom tomorrow.', he turns back, beginning to walk away. He can see it in their eyes – Even his own companions are shocked at what he had just done. He doesn't care. He walks, because he knows what will happen if he doesn't._

_'You bastard! How can you live with yourself?!', the boy screams, but he does not listen._

**_I can't but I can't control this either_ **

_'I'll kill you! I'll kill you, you hear me?!', he continues screaming, his friend pulling him away._

_**It would be better if you did but you know I'll fight back**_

_'You'll fucking burn in hell for this!', he adds before he finally gives up._

**_I hope I do_ **

_'...That wasn't the way to go about that.', the man with the angel wings speaks. **No not you too I don't want you to be disappointed in me**_  
_'...We swore to never kill Leaders, did we not?', the older man remarks. **I know we did and I tried to keep it in but you know what I'm like**_

_'It was necessary.'. **That's a lie.** 'I did what I had to do.'._

_The other two follow. They disagree, he knows. But they're too afraid to say it._

The Blade woke up, as he always did, plagued by guilt and with a sick feeling in his stomach. He looked around for just a moment, trying to recognize his surroundings – Everything was always blurry after a nightmare like that. He grabbed onto his water bottle and drank whatever was left in it, his mouth feeling strangely dry after that whole ordeal. He looked around, his campfire as per usual burning gently. He could smell the herbs he placed around in the air – He knew he was safe from the creatures in the woods, but even so, he still checked all of his defences. He taught Niki to always do that, too – Better to be safe than sorry.

Right... Niki.

He never thought himself to be one for friends. He knew better than that. He knew that for the safety of himself, and of others, it was best if he stayed away. But something about Niki was different – Something about her made him want to stick around. Her kind heart, her forgiving nature. And of course, her want to find her friend – Such a noble cause. Searching for someone you care for that you lost a while ago... The Blade knew that feeling more than anyone. He wanted to help Niki, no matter what. It was a shame to see her give up on the search so easily.

And even as the search ended, even as Niki eventually gave up on her friend, he still let her stay with him. She thought it was because of her skills – How she could fix up any of his wounds without issues. But to him, he simply liked the company. He liked when she sat by the fire and told him excitedly about all the things her and her friend used to do, he didn't mind when she _insisted_ on braiding his hair when she was bored, and he adored it when she asked him to teach her how to survive out in the woods more and more. She was passionate, sweet, and didn't mind his strange behaviours. How he wouldn't like spending the whole day with her, or how he insisted on sleeping in a separate camp. She didn't care, she didn't ask questions. Because she knew better than anyone that people wandering through these woods had pasts they did not want to turn to.

But he also knew he was risking a lot keeping her around.

The way his hand itched to touch the handle of his sword whenever she turned her back, the way he found himself walking to her camp at night while she slept. He knew more than anyone keeping Niki so close to him put her in more danger than the woods could ever manage. He knew that that strange feeling he got whenever she showed any vulnerability at all wasn't just a coincidence. He knew that the instinct to grab onto the nearest weapon and end her life then and there would come back to bite him eventually. He'd be caught off guard, take his shot, and watch her bleed out just as he watched all of the people in his dreams. And Niki deserved better – She deserved someone who wasn't just a god damn ticking time bomb. So he showed her the L'Manbergians, hoping one day her kind nature would push her to join their side. And just as he predicted, it did.

And he was alone again.

All alone.

But at least everyone else was safe.

\---

'This is insane, Wil! This is actually insane! Do you know the things he's done-'.  
'Calm down and stop shouting! We don't want Niki getting suspicious!'.

'He's the Emperor, Wil! _That's_ why I was scared of him! In the back of my head, I must have known, somehow, and-'. The president came closer and placed his hands on his right hand man's shoulders, trying to calm him down. He watched him take a deep breath, and then spoke;  
'Tommy. We still don't know what those dreams are. As far as we're aware, it's all make-belief.', Wilbur paused and gathered his thoughts. '...We can't just start panicking for no good reason. We need to put our minds together, okay? What do you remember about the Emperor?'.  
'...He's... He's an asshole! A murdering asshole who doesn't care about anyone!', Tommy, once more, raised his voice, but went quiet again when he saw Wilbur's expression change to anger. 'Every memory I have of him he... He kills innocent people!'.  
'It's pretty much the same for me...', Wilbur muttered, glancing aside. 'Toppling empires, taking no prisoners. But... There's this other part of my memory where... We worked together?'. Tommy's eyes widened and he stepped back, gasping.

'You worked with the Emperor? Why!?'. Wilbur closed his eyes, trying to recall the dream.  
'...He was... Training me... I said something about the end of the world?'. The boy shook his head.  
'I ain't ever heard anything like that. All he does is kill. I mean, he killed- killed...'. Tommy stopped.

'Killed... Who?', Wilbur, instantly, became interested. He watched as the boy stammered, struggling to come up with some sort of lie to cover himself. Tommy, on the other hand, already felt himself getting overwhelmed by the usual feelings of helplessness and fear.  
'...The... The Captain...', Tommy whispered. Wilbur's reaction to this was strange – First there was shock, then some anger, and finally, unreal amounts of relief. The boy grabbed onto his sleeve and started tugging at it, meanwhile the president spoke up;  
'So you've seen it too. You've seen the Fallen Kingdom.'. Tommy gasped, but didn't have time to say anything. 'I ended up completely losing grip for almost two full days after the duel... That's when I saw it. The Captain and what happened with the crown.'.  
'Well why didn't you say anything?!', the boy almost screamed, sounding more betrayed than anything. 'I've been- I've been thinking over that nightmare since I woke up, and- And it felt so real, but I've never even met that man, so why am I-'.

'Why didn't _you_ say anything?', Wilbur cut in, his voice turning spiteful. Tommy looked up. 'You think I haven't been scared out of my mind?! You had the luck of at least being asleep when all that happened! I had to just... Just turn around and pretend nothing happened after I saw that shit!'.  
'You're not gonna turn this on me, are you?', Tommy's voice cracked as he tried to speak, his expression disheartened. 'I was- I was just scared, okay? I didn't know if I should tell you, because... Because... I just-'. Wilbur turned around, letting out an angry sigh.  
'Right, you're too scared to tell me about a little nightmare but you have no problem challenging one of the most skilled fighters we know of to a bow duel to the death. You have a real sense of danger, Tommy. Really.'. At this, the right hand man became furious.

'You're an asshole! At least I tried to stand! You just wanted to surrender!'.  
'If you had let me, we'd at least have a home to sleep in! Now we have nothing!'.  
'And you're gonna blame that shit on me? For _trying_? For _almost dying for you_?!'.  
'I never asked you to! I never even fucking wanted you to show up!'.

Tommy stepped back. This time, the words cut through him like a blade.

'Wait- Wil- You don't-'. He hesitated, stammering. By this point, their argument had gotten the attention of everyone else there, and they were listening in silently. Niki looked like she was about to step in, but Fundy stopped her. Tubbo stood aside in silence.  
'If you had never showed up to my doorstep that night, I would live my life how I used to! No new nightmares or dreams or memories or whatever the fuck they are! No need to be aware and around all the time, but you snapped me out of it and made me live in this... Bullshit reality!'.

'You and your _stupid fucking discs_!'.

The boy didn't speak any more. He didn't make a single noise. He simply stepped back, nodded his head, and quickly wiped something away from his eye. Wilbur didn't apologize – You'd expect him to, but he said nothing. For a moment, it even seemed like he wasn't really here, nearly collapsing to the floor as he was taken somewhere else by his mind. Fundy was soon by his side, Niki following with some of her medicines. _Of course,_ Tommy thought, _of course it's “Mr. President” that's more important here._ The boy rushed off to his tent, grabbed onto his backpack and tried to keep his tears at bay as he stumbled about, gathering supplies. Niki looked like she was torn between helping Wilbur or stopping Tommy – Of course she chose the other. _Of course she fucking did._ Tubbo, however, put his full focus on his best friend.

'Tommy? Tommy, where are you going?, he tried to grab onto his arm, but the other pushed him away. Rage was burning in his eyes and hot tears were streaming down his face.  
'Which way to the DreamSMP, Tubbo?', he asked, his grip firm on his bag. The boy hesitated, so he shouted again; 'Which is it?!'.  
'That way!', Tubbo shouted, pointing into the woods. 'It's a long walk Tommy... And it'll be dangerous in the dark.'. The blonde's face softened slightly, some anger fading.  
'You won't... You won't try to stop me?'. Tubbo's face, even though plagued by fear and worry over what just happened, showed a smile.

'You're my best friend. Why would I ever doubt you?'. The boy looked briefly towards where Fungi was tied up. 'You know, it'd be a lot faster with a horse...'.  
'...Let's go then. Before those assholes realize what's happening.', Tommy grinned, and the two got to work. They rushed to the horse, untied it, and jumped on.

Tubbo grabbed onto the reins meanwhile Tommy grabbed onto the saddle below, placing his bag before him and holding it steadily. Fungi neighed as they got going - Niki shouted out to them as they did but they did not care. There was this strange rush of adrenaline overtaking both of them, keeping them from listening to anyone else. Tubbo didn't know what his friend's plan was – But he trusted him more than he did anyone else. The two understood each other far more than anyone else ever could. After all, at their hearts, they were still just teenagers. Teenagers tied up in a war. It just didn't seem right. So, if Tommy had a plan on how to change what was happening, Tubbo would tag along. If Tommy just wanted to get away from Wilbur after that argument, Tubbo would take him out of the forest and beyond. And if Tommy wanted him to take Fungi and get him to the DreamSMP, he would do it without question. He didn't have a plan – He simply had trust.

Tommy, on the other hand, had an idea.

There was a reason he grabbed his bag of all things – As Tubbo forced Fungi to go faster and faster, he looked down into the bag and ensured they were still there. His discs. His three discs, the three things that brought him to Wilbur, and according to him, ruined his life. The only thing that was ever a definite in his life, as he ran from city to city and searched for the man who never really cared. He felt betrayed, sure. Overwhelmed with rage, his blood boiling at the thought of the words the president said to him. But he wouldn't cave – He had something else to do, and this fight finally pushed him to take charge of the situation and go. Because Tommy understood exactly why his dreams were the way they were. Why they showed him the discs when he was looking for a home, and why they showed him the crown when all hope was lost. Despite plaguing him each night, despite making him ask more questions than he could handle, the dreams wished to guide him to... something. He was unsure of what it was, but as he always had, he followed.

The Captain offered his crown, the only thing he had left over of his old life, to ensure a future for those around him. He gave away the only definite in his life, the only source of stability. He put aside his own wants, he put aside the greed burning deep inside of him. And he died for it. He died for it because the Emperor of the Antarctic could not see the true sacrifice happening in front of him. The Emperor wanted control, but the Emperor wanted to gain it through his own means. He'd take nothing handed to him, he'd never ask for anything. He'd come, he'd take, and he'd leave, having had conquered everything in his way and ripped it from the hands of those who rightfully deserved it. But Tommy knew one thing for sure – He knew the enemy he was facing now was different to the Emperor. He knew what he would do, how he would react.

Unlike the Emperor, Dream would take the crown and leave.

Dream wanted control. Dream wanted power. But not through means as violent and as mindless as the Emperor. He would use Tubbo to make his potions, he would take supplies from Fundy when he needed them. Never take them himself, never rip them away, he would make it so he could look into someone's eyes, ask for it, and receive whatever it was he wished. Because that was true control. Not strength, not intimidation. Pushing someone into a corner where they could not say no any more, and dangling an invisible prize right over their head. Tommy once more looked at his discs, already feeling himself getting uneasy. If Dream had control, he'd trade anything for it. He'd trade in his entire empire just to be able to look you in the eyes and say that he still won. Whether Tommy liked it or not, he had been forced into this corner. But he didn't care. He didn't care about Wilbur's words. He didn't care about the significance of the discs. He didn't care about _anything._

Like the Captain, he would stand before the Emperor and give up his crown.

The two arrived at the edge of the woods, Tubbo made Fungi come to a stop, and the they got down, slowly and with hesitation. It wasn't long before they were spotted by someone – Of course, the city had someone put on defences around the clock. While his best friend took care of the horse and made sure he didn't run away, Tommy walked forward, his eyes burning with that flame that Wilbur had once admired. Once. Someone moved their sword towards him, but upon recognizing his face, quickly lowered it and ran off. Torches were lit around him as a small group of spectators arrived, watching the boy's every move. He stood tall. He looked ahead.

He watched as Dream emerged from the crowd.

'Dream!', he started, raising his head. The other man looked at him, eyes obscured by his mask.  
_'...Emperor. It is an honour to stand before you.', the Captain speaks slowly._

'...You're not dead. So it's not over then.', the man pauses. 'Are you here for a rematch?'.  
_'Let's cut the formalities. We're a very busy bunch, you know?', the Emperor walks forward._

'Dream, I'm not here to fight.'. Tommy lifted his backpack. 'I'm here to bargain.'.  
_He snatches the crown out of the Fallen King's hands._

'Your discs... So you did take them back...', Dream came closer, glancing at the bag.  
_He places it on his head as his companions laugh and cheer him on._

'...I have a simple offer, Dream.', Tommy didn't stutter. He didn't hesitate. He stood tall. Everyone was watching him, and this time, he didn't intend to disappoint. '...Independence for L'Manberg. Once and for all... In exchange...'. He dropped the bag down on the floor. 'My three discs. The thing I value most. I'll do anything to get them back... They are the single thing I would never give away otherwise.... But situations like these call for desperate measures.'.

And as Dream felt the eyes of the whole city on him, for the first time in his life, he hesitated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh this chapter is probably the most emotionally intense one so far- so-
> 
> blade got a bit of a bloodlust  
> niki is trying to put up with everyones crap  
> vilbur is kind of starting to show  
> and tommy is about to make a very important deal
> 
> things are getting TENSE...


	22. The Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream makes a promise to George he cannot break. L’Manberg gets its independence.

George was glad things were finally okay.

Ever since the war ended and Dream returned to his usual behaviours, things had been... Fine. Just like they were before everything went to hell after Tommy arrived. The three went back to protecting the city with their potions, although they had to get Callahan to mind the field and deliver the supply to them now, with Sapnap making them instead of Tubbo. Of course, this took away some of his free time, but he didn't seem to mind. They had found time to do their manhunts once more, with Dream training them in some new techniques he had picked up while they worked on the new flower field a month and a half back. Sure, Tommy's death was unfortunate, but he brought it upon himself, did he not? He knew what he was getting into when he picked up his bow, turned his back and counted those ten paces. As far as George was concerned, only one thing mattered – He finally had his friend back, and things were going back to normal.

'...Hey. Hey, George?'. He looked up, having had been busy with writing something down for the past half an hour or so. It was just general DreamSMP-related work, writing down summaries of some of the resource trades he overlooked earlier that day. He looked up and found Dream, no mask and no hoodie on, just a loose white shirt and jeans.  
'Oh. Hey Dream. What's up?'. The other man came closer, sat down at the edge of the desk and slumped. It was such a minor thing, him being so lazy and relaxed, but with how on edge he had been for the past few months, his friend was more than glad to see him like this. The man ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath.

'I know you've probably still got lots of work, but... The weather's really nice today. The stars are visible and all. And Karl is coming by in a while with some food...'. George laughed.  
'Are you asking me out on a date?', he joked, receiving an instant cackle as a response. For a moment Dream tried to calm down, fixed up his hair and smiled;  
'With Karl and Sapnap there? No way. But maybe on another day, if you're nice.'. He crossed his arms and sighed. 'I just... With everything happening, I'd be good to take a break and just-'.

'Hang out. Yeah, sure.', George shrugged. 'I'll get changed and we can go to the roof. The view is nice from up there. Remember when you went up there during a manhunt and held out there for like... What was it, nine hours? Or was it like... Eight?'.  
'Ten hours... With you and Sapnap struggling to get up the whole time.', Dream looked at his friend and grinned. 'And then... I ended up resorting to just throwing rocks at you... Who knew there were that many rocks up there?'. George cut in;  
'And we never even finished that one! We all ended up passing out from not sleeping all that time and Bad got Skeppy and Callahan and they carried us home.', George leaned back and smiled. 'Yeah, that was fun.... I missed it.', he paused. 'I'm glad everything is back to normal now-'.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Dream was the first to react. He walked to the door and opened it, finding Punz on the other side. He was breathing heavily, bent over and gasping for air. Clearly, he ran a long way and did so quite quickly. He looked up, pulled the local leader closer and muttered something into his ear, earning an instant response. Dream's eyes went wide, he turned to the side, and grabbed his mask.

_No wait no please-_

He picked up a crossbow he kept nearby for emergencies.

_Don't go back to it not now-_

He slipped on his hoodie and a belt covered in potions.

_I don't wanna loose my friend again._

'Come on, George.', Dream said, slipping his gloves on. 'Something popped up. We need to go.'.  
'What's going on?'. _I don't care I don't care don't tell me it'll just hurt more._  
'Tommy's alive.'. _No not this again I'm begging._ 'Let's end this. Once and for all.'.  
'I'll go.'. _It should have ended a long time ago_. 'But promise me it's the last time. For real.'.

Dream looked back, but he did not speak.

\---

_Promise me it's the last time._

George's voice was echoing through his mind above all as he stood still, watching the boy in front of him. He could see the bandages showing under his shirt and jacket, both of which were torn and lazily stitched back together by someone who clearly had no idea what they were doing. Tubbo was standing at a distance, holding onto a horse by its reins. Dream could hear people whispering between each other as they watched the scene before them, holding their torches in ways that allowed them to see but obstructed their faces. Somehow, it was clear to everyone that whatever happened here, no one would want to admit to being witness to it. The look Tommy had in his eyes felt so... Intense. He wasn't sure what was motivating that boy, but whatever it was, it was far stronger than whatever energy he had in himself when he faced him in that duel.

Dream, first of all, looked down at the discs the other had dropped on the floor. The bag was wide open, and all three discs could be seen. The small labels on them were admittedly peeling off, but apart from that, they were the very same discs Tommy always carried around. No way for them to be fakes – He studied them closely enough when he had them in his possession for that short while. Of course, he was interested in getting them. They were the ultimate sign of his victory over this kid – Taking away the thing he cared about most and having it handed to him. He could wave that over his head for years to come... And if ever in need of anything, offer them back. Or better – Threaten to destroy them. But he could just take them and break the deal, could he not? Turn this on this child and take everything while he got nothing. But he knew that was not the solution he could afford to go with – In the corner of his eye, he could see them.

He could see George and Sapnap, and that was enough.

 _Promise me it's the last time._ He never responded, but he knew with the way they looked at each other a deal was struck. A deal to never, ever go back to that state they all pushed themselves into during that war. _Promise me it's the last time._ It wasn't about the discs that Tommy brought. It wasn't about L'Manberg or how ridiculous its whole existence was. _Promise me it's the last time_. He knew, deep inside, whatever he did here, whatever his next move was, was about how much he truly cared about the two men standing by his side. It was about how much he valued spending that evening looking at the stars, it was about how much he wanted to laugh about all the stupid things they did during their infamous manhunts. _Promise me it's the last time._ As he looked at Tommy, he knew that flame in his eyes wouldn't die out. And as he looked at his bandages and with how much ease he stood tall despite having had been pierced by an arrow only a month and a half prior, he knew the vessel in which that flame burned could not be destroyed, either. _Promise me it's the last time._ And looking at those discs, he knew there was still a way he could spin this into a victory in the public eye, while remaining with those he cared for. And wasn't that enough?

It would have been a lot easier if the kid just died.

But alas, here they were.

And so went his response;

'Independence... For three discs?', Dream knelt down, picked up the bag and watched Tommy flinch as he did. Tubbo came closer and grabbed his hand – But didn't say anything else. That one, Dream knew, was always good at staying quiet when it benefited him most. If only all of those revolutionaries were like that. If only Tommy never got there, if only Wilbur never woke up, if only none of this ever happened and spiralled this much out of his control.

'...It seems like such a stupid deal to make...', he continued speaking, inspecting the contents of the bag. Maybe if he had committed in the Final Control Room and finished the four off, granting Eret that title he loved so much and moving along with his day he wouldn't had been forced to stand there, so conflicted. Maybe if he just blew up L'Manberg the first chance he got, and not at a point where it didn't even have meaning any more, he wouldn't be in that situation.

'But it's also... Incredibly tempting...', he watched as Tommy's eyes widened in anticipation. Those discs would hang on his wall, forever, and remind him of the mistakes he made that got them there in the first place. But maybe, just maybe, they could remind him of who he made those mistakes for, and why he made such a stupid deal in the first place. The discs would remind him that he gave up everything so that he still had them by his side.

He looked back at Sapnap and George.

He looked at the discs once more.

He spoke knowing the whole city was listening;

'...It's a deal.'.

_I promised this would be the last time._

\---

Wilbur, Niki and Fundy got there the next morning. Tommy knew why – Walking that distance through the woods at night would have been a death wish. That was okay, though. Bad was kind enough to let the two boys stay the night at his and Skeppy's – And at the break of dawn, they made their way to whatever was left of L'Manberg. Scorched soil, rubble scattered about that was once the great wall, and the old flag, still somehow there. Half-burned, covered in dirt and trampled on the ground, but still, there in L'Manberg where it belonged. Tommy picked it up when they got there – For a moment, he just looked. It wasn't long before he was interrupted.

'Tommy! Tubbo! What the hell happened here?' - It was the president that spoke to them. He walked over some of the black bricks that once made up the wall, with Niki and Fundy following behind. The two boys looked back, Tubbo still holding onto their horse. Tommy didn't even want to look the man in the eyes – But this wasn't about him. This was about the whole nation, so as little as he wanted to do it, the vice-president spoke;  
'Mr. President, I've secured our independence.'. Mr. President. Not Wilbur. Not even Wil. He was speaking to the president and no one else. He walked up to him in silence, handed him the torn flag and passed him, eventually stopping and taking a seat on top of the remains of what had once been the caravan they were all forced to share, in a memory so distant it felt like a dream. The president looked down at the flag, and then back up at the boy.

'What? How? Tommy, what did you-'. He cut himself off. He knew he wouldn't respond. 'Mr. Vice-President, what did you do to secure our independence?'. The blonde waited. He wasn't sure why, but after everything he did the night previous, he found himself lost for the right words.  
'I gave him the discs.', he hesitated, his voice quivering. It hurt to even admit it. Not having them nearby for the first time in his life felt unnatural. 'All three of them.'. The president, alongside his son, gasped. Even Niki, who had only been told about the discs by Tubbo, seemed shocked.  
'All of them? But... Why? Don't they... Don't they mean everything to you?'. Tommy looked up, the flame in his eyes long gone. The man in front of him didn't even have the courtesy to acknowledge their fight. Not enough respect to apologize. Yet still, the teenager answered;  
'It's okay, Mr. President.', he stood up, looking him right in the eyes. It was hard to read what he saw in them – There was some guilt and regret, sure. But he had far too much pride to make that sort of thing visible. Tommy shrugged and turned his focus to something else.

'They don't have as much meaning as they used to any more.'.

The President didn't try to stop him as he walked away. He didn't try to speak or apologize. He knew that right now, that was not the right thing to do. His words were far too hurtful to go away after a messy 'I'm sorry'. He knew he would have to do something else, and right now, he did not have the strength to do it. He gathered everyone around the ruined flag, which he hung on an old piece of wood he managed to recover from the ruins. He propped it up in one of the piles of rubble, letting it flutter in the wind. Next, he asked Niki for a piece of paper and a quill – They were lucky the woman had a habit of mapping the forest, and had more than enough writing materials to spare. Just as he did almost three months ago now, he laid it out in front of everyone and spoke aloud as he wrote the decree... This time, without the signature of a traitor and with independence on the side of their nation.

_THE DECREE OF INDEPENDENCE_

_As we gaze upon the swaths of redwood trees, the great hills to our south and the walls that have protected us, I, as the now President of L'Manberg herby state;_

_This nation stands free, independent and free of tyranny. We stand strong, we stand free, and we stand together side by side._

_A promise was made and a promise was fulfilled._

_From L'Manberg we have prevailed._

He moved his quill away. Somehow, finishing this document felt more bitter-sweet than victorious.

'I sign this Decree first as President, showing all that we are now free.', he started, just as he did all those months ago. It now felt unreal – If he didn't know any better, he would mistake it for one of his dreams. His quill moved slowly and his hand was trembling – The whole situation was still settling in with him. _President Wilbur Soot._  
'I sign it second as Vice-President, showing all we stand together.', Tommy spoke without his flame, without his motivation. He snatched the quill out of the other's hand forcefully and wrote his name down with a single, vicious movement. His writing was unclear and messy, a contrast to how carefully he had signed the initial document. _Vice-President Thomas 'TommyInnit' Simons._  
'I sign it third, showing all we are free.', Fundy stepped up, his movements around Tommy far more careful and gentle than usual. He kept giving his father nervous and somewhat angry side-glances, clearly showing he was not happy with him. He played with the quill in his hand for a moment before he actually committed to writing. _Floris 'Fundy' Soot._  
'I sign it fourth, showing our bond is unbroken.', Tubbo stepped up, clearly with a different attitude to everyone else. From the way he looked at everyone it was clear he hated seeing them like this – So torn, so separated. Even his words backed it up – He simply wanted things to be back to normal. He wrote his name down swiftly; _Toby 'Tubbo' Smith._

Finally, all eyes set on Niki. She stepped up, hesitant.

'…I sign it fifth.', she started, grabbing the quill. She gave everyone a good look – She truly picked a turbulent time to join this nation, did she not? She wondered if The Blade could see her right now... Knowing him, he was watching from somewhere nearby. She smiled – She hoped he was proud of her. '...showing no matter what we face, we will stand, unbroken. We will rise from the ashes and we will fight forever.'. She put down her name; _Nikita 'Nihachu'._

The document was raised – And even with all of their anger, it still managed to bring hope.

They knew things would be difficult from here. Tommy and Wilbur would take a long time to repair their relationship – But hopefully, it wasn't too far gone to save. Fundy would struggle with his father's, often unintentional, negligence, but hopefully, finally being able to contribute to building L'Manberg far more than he did initially because of his injury would allow him to put his focus somewhere else. Tubbo would wish for things to finally calm down and return to normal – he would still walk to the burned flower field whenever he felt like he couldn't ignore his feelings any more. But hopefully, with time, his wounds would heal, and another field could grow in its place. And of course, Niki would struggle with the loss of her friend – She would look into the forest and hope to see him one more time, say her goodbyes. But hopefully, eventually, she would move on and try to focus on her present, believing he understood her decisions.

This conclusion to their war was not perfect – Wilbur knew. But he didn't mind it.

He believed that from here, they would finally start moving up.

Hopefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they're free... but are they happy? i made this way sadder than it should have been...
> 
> i'm gonna put in a whole lot of filler to explain some more of my lore before we get to the election, so don't mind that  
> and of course, a certain someone has to appear and be banned before we can get there...  
> but that's all to come.
> 
> hope you enjoyed!


	23. The Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niki receives a letter and heads out to work, remembering an old friend on the way. Alyssa needs help. A charismatic businessman shows himself.

_My dear friend,_

_First of all, I feel like I owe you an apology. I know we made a promise and we both tried to keep it, but I still think it's unfair I left you without a goodbye - And without an explanation for my behaviour. So, I have decided to write you this letter. I hope it answers most of your questions and leaves you satisfied enough to move on with your life – I don't want you to keep holding onto me when there's so many better people ahead._

_I'd like you to know that these past few months I spent with you have been some of the best of my life. Whether it was training, working, or just sitting around, you made my days brighter than they had ever been before, and for that, I thank you. But, these past few months have also been incredibly stressful. I'll try to explain as well as I can – But there is a lot I cannot say, and a lot more I simply don't understand myself. Still, here goes nothing..._

_Ever since I was born, I had memories I couldn't place. And once it all started making sense, feelings and habits emerged that I could not stop. I don't want to scare you away – But maybe that's the safest thing to do. The thing is, my friend, I have a bloodlust. A bloodlust that is never sated, and especially seems to intensify around other people. I don't understand it. And it... Scares me. I'm scared to be around people because I'm just a danger to them. And I'm a danger to you, most of all. But I don't give up easily, and you know this about me. So I've made my choice._

_I'm leaving, but not forever. I'm going to look for something that can help me. Some sort of cure, some sort of fix. I don't know how long it will take. It may be months, it may be years. But know I will always remember you, the time we spent together, and will come back as soon as I can. You've motivated me to look for the change I need and not just sit and wait – And I thank you for that. And who knows, maybe, once I'm better, I'll come back and join that nation of yours._

_I have no doubt it will still be standing strong, with you on their side._

_Your friend,_  
_The Blade._

Niki's hands gripped the letter, trembling as they did. She could already feel hot tears building up in the corners of her eyes, dripping down her cheeks and onto the floor below. She had found the small crumpled page in her tent that morning, and ever since, she had been sitting there, rereading it over and over. She didn't even notice the small message her finger was covering until she lifted it to her mouth out of habit – Just as she was about to bite her nail, she read the note;

_P.S. Don't bite your nails. It's really, really unhealthy._

And even through a letter, he still managed to make her laugh through her tears.

She wouldn't say she didn't expect some sort of goodbye letter – As cold and distant as he made himself out to be sometimes, The Blade was a kind man who cared for those around him. Or, at least, cared for her. She couldn't say she ever witnessed him interact with anyone else. But this didn't change the fact that the whole note still made her emotional. With everything happening in L'Manberg for the past week it was nice at least knowing her friend was watching over her – But now, even he was gone. At least he was away trying to find help for himself... That, she was happy with. She folded the letter and stuffed it in her pocket, glad to finally had gotten some proper clothes from whatever Wilbur purchased from the city. Since she escaped her previous home, she was forced to wear stitched rags, a mix of whatever she had and stumbled about out in the forest. Finally having a stable home, fresh clothes and not having to worry about the monsters was a welcome change of pace. However, life in L'Manberg, especially these days, was far from perfect.

Niki crawled out of her tent hoping to do some work and get her mind off The Blade's letter – She knew better than to run into the woods and beg him to stay, or something similar. She knew that if he were leaving this note with her, he was already long gone. As every morning, she looked around and stretched, hoping to make the most of her day. The rubble of the L'Manbergian walls was starting to be cleared out, with foundations for new, stronger ones beginning to show. Fundy had been hard at work planning them – That particular morning, he was sitting by the drawing table he made out of some left over wood and sketching more plans. Tubbo was walking Fungi around the perimeter of the nation, training him at jumping over obstacles. Tommy was silently training with his bow, shooting precise shots into a tree at the distance and not saying a single word as he did. Finally, there was Wilbur – Away, most likely talking to Dream. Even with their independence gained, there were still a lot of terms to negotiate. For the past week, the two had been doing nothing else.

Everyone in the nation had abandoned their uniforms and prioritized comfort over theatrics – With how much physical work they were doing, having matching clothes really wasn't their priority. She was glad, in a way. With everyone wearing those uniforms and her running around in those messy rags she definitely felt a little different from this whole group. She had also heard from Tubbo that those uniforms were created by someone they definitely did not want to associate their nation with any more – Whatever the story there was, it really made them despise those uniforms more than anything. Niki stretched again, wrapped her coat tightly around herself and yawned. Whatever the day would bring, with the lack of sleep she got the night previous, she was not ready. Still, she had to get to work. She was a part of L'Manberg now – It was best she contributed. And her first task of the day was to overlook the building of the wall.

'Hey. Any progress?', she asked Fundy as she approached him, her voice still raspy from having had just woken up and a little shaky from her reading of The Blade's letter. The man looked back at her, forced a smile and shrugged, holding onto a small pencil in his hand and with a complicated sketch in front of him far too advanced for her to understand.  
'It's coming along, I guess. But luckily there's no rush to design it this time.', the man looked down, his ears flopping down as he did. '...As much of an ass as Eret was, he was way better at this. I have no idea how to make this thing as strong without using twice the materials.'. Niki leaned forward, put her hand on his shoulder and smiled.

'Don't rush it. Any way I can help?'. The man scratched the back of his head with his pencil.  
'Actually, I have a list of materials for the foundations. If you could figure out how to-'.  
'Sure!', Niki snatched a list out of Fundy's hand, eager to get started. 'I can do that!'.  
'Alright. Thanks, Niki.'. She nodded, smiled once more and turned away, looking down at the list.

Getting materials in bulk like this had been one of the biggest challenges they faced preparing the nation for getting back on its feet. With nothing to their name, the best way to buy materials was to exchange them for work. Usually it wasn't so bad – The people in the city took pity on them, delivering anything they didn't need over. With the war over, even Dream seemed to relax with his usual demands slightly, leaving everyone with too much supplies to do anything useful with. I guess, you could say, with it all done, both the DreamSMP and L'Manberg were stuck in a strange limbo for over a week now. Too many tensions to act casual, but with the treaties signed, no war to fight to relieve them. Everyone was still unsure if things had truly calmed down, but at the same time, they didn't want to fight any longer. So here they were, waiting for something that would never arrive, and anticipating something that didn't exist. Niki decided her best place to start was most likely talking to Ponk and Alyssa.

Walking to the DreamSMP, although it was a short walk, always gave her time to think through things. And that day, of course, she had a lot to think about. The letter was still her main focus of the day – During the walk alone she took it out and read over it in full two separate times. As much as she knew there was no stopping her friend, it was still incredibly disheartening to see him go. She found some comfort in always knowing he was around, and now, that very comfort had faded. There was also the matter of Wilbur and Tommy – Tubbo had given her a very brief recollection of what Wilbur was like before Tommy arrived. Away, his mind always in another world no one else could possibly understand. And then, a sudden snap back into reality... And a whole nation to lead at his hands. She was torn in this argument – Wilbur had a lot on his mind, sure... But Tommy did not deserve that sort of blame to be put on him. She decided she wouldn't get involved – Yet – And let them figure it out. But if their little fight carried on at the pace it was at now, she would have no choice but to intervene.

Stubborn men like that, of course, would need some guidance from a woman.

'Goddammit! Again? Are you serious?', Alyssa's voice, usually very quiet and gentle, definitely caught Niki off-guard as she approached the Lemon Tree. More of a tower than a tree, sure, but it was what Ponk had grown to call his home, as well as the central base for all of his business practices. Alyssa, as a close business partner of his, could also usually be found around.  
'Hey! Alyssa! Did something happen?', Niki came closer, seeing the woman turn. A blonde woman with a loose black shirt and skirt, often with nothing but a sword tied to her hip for defence. She was standing in front of the Lemon Tree, her eyes set on the large pile of wood and stone her and Ponk kept around for building – Noticeably, she wasn't satisfied with the sight.

'Oh! Niki! Hey!', the woman turned and her anger faded, replaced by a sweet smile. The two had only gotten to know each other a week back when the war ended – Still, they always enjoyed spending time together. '...And... Yeah... Something sort of did.'.  
'What's up?', Niki looked around. Nothing seemed too bad, especially considering the Lemon Tree and its luck with getting burned down an average of twice a month. Alyssa flipped her hair back, sighed and crossed her arms. Her frustration was quite clear from her expression.  
'Someone stole from us again! I don't know who's doing all of this, but there's been someone taking our building supplies. I know I shouldn't leave them out like that, but Ponk insists. It saves resources that we would waste on building some sort of holding space.'.  
'And with how much Dream asks of you guys, that's not something you can afford...', Niki nodded. 'I get it. Well, I mainly came here to ask to buy some stuff, but I'm guessing you don't really have what I need right now.'. Alyssa's eyes widened for a moment.

'Actually... Let's strike a little deal here!', the woman snatched the other's list out of her hand, already knowing how the L'Manbergians handled their business. 'I could get you all of this... If you catch the thief that's been ruining my business.'.  
'Catch a thief for basically everything we need?', Niki shrugged and grinned. 'Sure! I can do that.'. She was glad to get a task like this – Just distracting enough to keep her mind off of the letter. 'Guess I gotta... Look for clues...'. She sighed. She wasn't even sure how to approach this.

As Alyssa returned to the Lemon Tree to handle something else she needed to take care of, Niki turned her attention to the pile of supplies. It was near impossible to move bulky things like these without leaving some sort of trail – She had given out enough to Tubbo for leaving little rock trails everywhere to know that for sure. And just as she predicted, barely visible in the edges of the grass, she could see dust from some of the rocks that must have been moved during the night, leading away into the forest. She checked her hip for her sword – Much like Alyssa, she may have picked the clothes she looked best in, but she still needed to be protected. And once more, the woman was forced into another silent walk with nothing but her thoughts with her. And this time, her attention focused on the DreamSMP and L'Manberg themselves.

It was strange, how quickly she adjusted to the city life after spending half a year living out in the woods. She thought it would be more difficult, but clearly, her old life in her previous city had not completely faded away during that time. She missed it, in a way. Getting to focus on things that weren't the basics, like food or water. She had everything on the lowest shelf of needs, which meant she finally had time for other things. Making friends, building things, creating others. She found it relaxing, but it also took her back... Took her back to her old life, back when everything seemed to simple and stable, and how it could never be uprooted. Her mind wandered to a memory...

_'Don't move! The stitches are gonna get loose if you do! Just give me a moment...', Niki speaks quietly under her breath, carefully working on a rather large cut on her friend's arm._  
_'Do you think I'll get a kick ass scar from this? Those sexist assholes at the guard are finally gonna see I can handle myself just as well as they can if I do...'. Niki sighs._  
_'Do they really give you such a hard time?', she asks, tilting her head. 'I mean, you can handle yourself just as good as them. Even better, I'd say!'._  
_'Yeah, but they don't give a shit about that just 'cuz I've got tits... A bunch of cunts is what they are.'. Niki laughs. Her friend is not one to hold back on her profanities._

_'Well, next time they give you a hard time, remind them that I've almost seen every single one of them cry when they came by here...', Niki says, causing her friend to laugh._  
_'You're taking the piss, right? You better get me some sort of fuckin' recording of it next time!', the woman laughs on, her stitches once more being disrupted because of it._

_Niki, still, smiles. She hopes they stay like this forever._

They did not.

It's funny, Niki thought, how quickly things could change. How quickly a life as peaceful as theirs could get uprooted and completely flipped on its head, with Niki now serving a growing nation and her friend... God knows where. She knew that she was okay – That woman never gave up, no matter how hopeless her situation was. That, and she was lucky to get away with lots of armour and weapons she was lucky to have on her on that fateful night. But still... She missed her. She missed her more than she did anyone else in that city. She missed talking to her during the evenings, she missed her training her in fighting, she missed fixing up her wounds and scolding her about how reckless she was... And it made her scared. Scared for this new home – And how quickly it could be pulled away from her, just as the old one had been.

She was soon distracted from her thoughts, however, by a strange sight.

Following the trail had finally lead her somewhere – A carefully stashed away pile of stolen supplies next to a rather small home, unsteady and built without much care. It was mostly made of a red brick, with a wooden sign up front with 'Cheap Potions Here!' hastily scratched into it. It didn't take long before someone emerged from the house, a rather short man with messy brown hair and a beanie with the letters 'LAFD' imprinted on it in white. He quickly rearranged his loose hoodie, leaned forward on a broken piece of an old fence and grinned;

'Well, hello there! Can I help you?'.

And at a complete loss for words, Niki just stared.

\---

_Niki?_

She held onto her head. It had been hurting so much lately.

_Niki, where are you?_

There was blood on her hands. Where did it come from?

_You're still looking for me, right?_

She could feel something on her back. She didn't want to look

_You didn't forget about me, did you?_

She was too tired to stand. She was in too much pain to fight.

_It's so hot here, I feel like I'm choking._

_I know you're looking for me, so I'll wait._

_I'll wait for you, Niki._

_I'll wait._

Her head started hurting again.

_But please hurry._

_It's so hot, I can't breathe any more._

_I miss you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a niki-focused chapter~!
> 
> this somehow turned into the feminism chapter  
> but thats fine because i love women
> 
> more niki and her friend content, because my lovely friend noodle asked for it, and i love them so they get it <3  
> hope the little bits were enough in exchange for my gay goatman scenes-
> 
> ALSO HEY ITS BIG Q  
> hes getting a whole chapter all to him next cuz  
> hes like important to the election and stuff  
> yee
> 
> hope yall enjoyed!!!


	24. The Businessman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quackity thinks about how the hell he got to where he is today.

What wasn't there to say about Quackity?

Ever since a young age, he knew he was made for business. Little deals between childhood friends, managing to cheat them out of whatever toys or food they had on them when he cornered them into striking some sort of deal. Then it got a bit more serious, starting to deal with adults in his teenage hood. Fair deals shifted to not-so-fair deals, and then what the locals begun calling “scams” (He would never use such a harsh word, however), and eventually, one too many of these very deals ended up getting him kicked out. No matter, though. He knew where the nearest city was, and he had enough (legally acquired) items to make himself a living somewhere else. Unless, of course, he got kicked out again. Which he did. And this continued, for about... Eh, five years or so? He had lost count. But the DreamSMP... Now that was a sight to behold!

When he saw it, he instantly knew it was where he'd finally feel at home.

The amount of things every person had in their possession and how much the leader was taking away from everyone – There was a gap in the market for someone who was willing to work off-the-books, was there not? He started out small, providing a very simple service where he would keep items in a safe storage for a small price, away from the prying eyes of Dream and his lackeys. Sure, some things from the storage would go missing every now and then, and he would actively deny taking anything. But he had to make a living for himself somehow, right? People in that city were all business and no heart – He barely had anything for himself, and Dream taxed him even more than he did anyone else after he found out how many things he was conducting behind his back.

Quackity was sure now – He did not feel at home here.

Was it his fault, really? Just wanting to get by in the only way he knew how? It wasn't his fault the world made it as difficult as it did. Whether it be the lack of food on his table as a kid or a shortage of wood to build with as he got his house prepared, he wasn't to blame for having to get creative. Dream and his taxes didn't make it easier, either. He was about ready to abandon everything and leave again – As gratuitous as it was, he'd be kicked out himself anyway. Maybe Dream was a little more stubborn than other rulers he had faced before, thinking he could break him down himself before he banned him personally, but Quackity was not one to challenge his abilities. He'd leave himself once he got ready – He was despised here, there was no business left for him, and he couldn't even make a home directly in the city. Truly, he had nothing to-

'So, I've heard you can get things done?'.

Now, Eret's proposal was what made him hesitate.

'...Maybe. Maybe not.', Quackity wasn't paying him much mind, initially. His focus was mainly on his house, and which parts of it might come in handy if he were to take them along to the next city. Eret was leaning on a nearby tree, watching him curiously. 'I'm not staying here, though. I don't belong here any more. This place can't handle a guy like me, I guess.'.  
'And what if I were to give you a place to belong?', Eret muttered, getting an instant response. Quackity hesitated, looking back and stopping his work. The man with the sunglasses chuckled, pulling out a small piece of paper. 'I need these uniforms made. Five of them, for me, Tubbo, Tommy, Fundy and Wilbur. I have all their measurements on there.'.

'Hold on, you never even said how you're gonna pay me.', Quackity crossed his arms. 'I don't do things for free or for made up favours. You need to be more concrete.'. Eret shrugged.  
'L'Manberg. That new nation, have you heard of it?'. Indeed he had. He hadn't been very interested in it, though. 'Once it all gets going... I could grant you citizenship.'.  
'Yeah, well, I don't trade with “maybes”.', the man, even though interested, did not show it. He couldn't risk loosing the few things he had for something like this.  
'...I know. But what other choice do you have? Run again? Find another place where you don't belong? Why not take a risk, so you can hope to stay?'.

Quackity hesitated. His first mistake was considering the deal, and his second, was accepting;

'Five uniforms for you, Wilbur, Fundy, Tubbo and Tommy. I'll even put your names on as a bonus. But I better be _guaranteed_ that citizenship, yeah?'. Eret laughed dryly under his breath and raised his hands, a strange gleam in his sunglasses.  
'Would I ever lie to anyone, Quackity?', the man spoke slowly, with a strange tone of voice. At the time, of course, he disregarded it. But soon everyone would hear the news of what Eret had done only a few months later, all in exchange for his crown.

And Quackity, knowing he had made a mistake, lost all hope in ever feeling at home.

Still, he wanted to get paid. That's how fair deals work. You give something, you get something. You might give a lot and get a little, you might give a little and get a lot. It all depended on how smart you were, how well you could talk someone into a deal, and how committed you were to your ideas. But to get something and give nothing in return? That was theft. So, just at the height of the war, after that gruesome duel he decided to skip out on, he marched right into Eret's 'Castle'. Now, with building only beginning, it was just a large throne in the middle of a construction site, with Eret sitting on it aimlessly while a few people rushed around beginning the build. Dream had made it a requirement for every citizen to work on the castle for a set period of time – Of course, he wouldn't do the work himself, when he had so many people under him.

'Hey! Eret! You asshole, we had a deal!', Quackity charged into the site, causing everyone there to give him a confused look. The King himself, sprawled out on his throne with a red cloak on his shoulders and a large, golden crown on his head, leaned forward with an angry grimace.  
'Have some respect!', he shouted out almost instantly. 'You wouldn't want to make Dream angry, would you?'. Quackity stammered – Without being prepared to leave yet, getting kicked out suddenly would be bad. He rolled his eyes and got down on his knee, lowering his head.

'King Eret... I apologize for my behaviour. May I speak?', although his phrasing was quite professional, his tone of voice was very much fed up. The King grinned as he spoke;  
'...You may. But watch your tongue.'. Quackity wanted to lunge forward and punch that douche bag in his face, right then and there, but he knew he had to keep his cool.  
'We made a deal, Er- King Eret.', the man narrowed his eyes. 'You promised me L'Manbergian citizenship. And how do you plan on granting me that after all the shit you've done?'.  
'Things change, Quackity.', the King responded, his smile growing wider. 'I made the deal that profited me more. I'm sure you'd understand. You always prioritize yourself too, don't you?'.  
'What the hell do I do now, then?! I barely have anything left because of you! I have nowhere to go!'. And in response, all Eret did was shrug. Frustrated more than anything, the man turned back.

Walking away from the King, he knew for sure he would never feel at home here.

Dream hated him. Eret lied to him. L'Manberg was gone. He barely got by any more, gathering scraps of anything he could. Even when the revolutionaries did come back, securing their independence through the single stupidest deal Quackity was ever witness to, he still could not hope to try and use Eret's promise to get citizenship. He tried other things – Selling potions with barely any potency on the side, which he got caught doing eventually. Gathering wood out in the forest and selling it was another idea, but with how much everyone had already, that barely ever paid off. As much as he gripped onto this place, he knew he was slowly but surely getting to a point where running away from it all again would be his only choice. Maybe the whole “businessman” thing wasn't exactly for him, with this many fails, but with how committed he was and how deeply he pushed himself in by that point, he couldn't really get out. So he made himself a promise – He would stay _one more day_ and _then_ would leave. It wasn't like anything could happen-

'Um... Yeah, hello. I'm Niki. Uh- Nihachu, that is.', the woman who arrived at his house only a minute prior reached out with her hand and smiled. He reached forward and shook it, noting how cold her hands were. She must have been out walking in the woods for a while...  
'Ms. Nihachu in the flesh! You're the newest addition to the city, right?'. The woman's face turned sour and she looked away, her eyes noticeably focused on his pile of _legally acquired building supplies_. At least, that was what he planned to say if anyone asked of their origin.  
'L'Manberg, actually. I'm a new citizen of L'Manberg.', she corrected him finally, her eyes giving him strange, shifty looks. 'I've never seen you before... Do you live in the city? I don't think I've seen you around there before.'. The man shifted where he stood slightly and laughed.  
'Ah, right! I just... Live out here! Part of the city but at a distance far enough to... Uh...'. The woman's calm look suddenly turned into an angry glare, silencing him instantly. She moved closer, crossed her arms and stared right through him as she spoke;

'Far enough to get away with theft?', the woman mused, her eyes gleaming as she watched him stammer and back away. He nervously fixed up his hoodie and grinned.  
'Now, uh- Theft is a very strong word- And uh- See ya!', Quackity did try to run, he really did, but how could he have expected the woman to put her foot in front of him so easily.  
'You stole from my friend! I'm not gonna let you get away like that!', Niki shouted as he hit the ground, now standing above him with her sword pointed. He quickly put up his hands.  
'Hey, hey, hey! Come on! Don't get violent with me here!', the man shifted away and sighed. 'I know you're from the woods but _geez_ , you are aggressive.'.

'Explain yourself! What's your name?', she came even closer, her sword now so close to his neck he couldn't even find strength in himself to continue joking around.  
'Quackity! My name is Quackity!', he backed away into a wall and rolled his eyes. 'And I stole for a good reason, alright?'. Niki didn't move her sword, but her shoulders relaxed.  
'A good reason? And what would that be?'. The man rearranged his beanie and slowly stood up as soon as the woman allowed him to. She didn't let him move away, however.  
'I don't really... Have anything else...', he said slowly. 'I had to steal some supplies because I'm about to move to a new city. Just... Forget I took anything, I'll be gone tomorrow.'.

'You're leaving?', the woman finally lowered her sword and sheathed it. 'Why? The forest is dangerous, and the city is still standing, why would you want to-'.  
'Because I don't belong here.', he snapped back quickly, looking aside. 'I never did. I'm gonna try to find an actual home... In another city... Somewhere far away.'.  
'Why not... Why not join L'Manberg?'. At the woman's words, the man recoiled, for just a moment. He scratched the back of his head, wondering if he should tell her about his and Eret's deal.  
'Why would I join your little country?'. _I want to, I really do, why can't I say it?_ Niki flipped her hair back and offered him an incredibly kind smile, a complete opposite to her anger earlier.

'L'Manberg is the home of people who are tired of running but don't want to stay with Dream, either. And right now, we need more citizens than we ever did before. You are the ideal person for a nation like ours... And hey, if it stops you from stealing from our main supplier, that's an added bonus.'. Quackity hesitated. _A home, finally a home, isn't that what I want?_  
'...You'd... Let me join L'Manberg?'. The woman giggled. There was this calming aura around her – Something with the way she smiled, the way she looked at him. Even though she was angry beyond belief just a second ago, she was now calm and collected, considering his view of everything. No further questions, just belief in him and how he saw the world around him.

'I'd have to ask Wilbur about it, but he usually listens to me!', the woman exclaimed. 'We've got to stick together if we want L'Manberg to be strong. So... Wanna come along? Give it a try?'.  
'I...'. He knew he wanted to. As much as his mind screamed at him to keep his old habits, his body moved forward on its own accord. 'I suppose... I could give it a try...'.

'Great! Come on!', she grabbed his hand, causing him to jump back.  
'What? Right now?', he asked, more confused than anything.  
'Yep! Let's go! Wilbur should be back from the talks by now...'.

L'Manberg definitely wasn't the lonely caravan by the lake Quackity always saw before the war - But it wasn't the large crater it became after, either. The city seemed to be in a middle ground between chaos and control, with most of the destruction cleaned out but nothing else left in its place. Niki lead him through the wooden poles that symbolized where the wall would be built and showed him the camp at the centre of the nation, with three tents standing around it. Fundy was drawing something, Tommy and Tubbo were training by a nearby lake, and Wilbur was nowhere to be found. And even as he entered, they paid him no mind. He even got a friendly wave from Fundy himself as he passed – Far from the treatment he got when he was seen around the DreamSMP. Already, he felt more comfortable standing tall here.

'I'd be nice if you helped out with something to start. It'll convince Wilbur to let you stay more.', Niki explained as she looked around, eventually passing him a list. 'These are some of the things we need to get done. We still don't really have stable water and food sources...'.  
'Whoa there, I never said I'd stay!', Quackity exclaimed, but he knew more than anyone he was already feeling far better here than he ever did in any other city. No business, no deals, just... Work. Trying to get by. Living a peaceful life with other people... It just seemed right.  
'...Well, still. Help out. You wouldn't want me to tell Alyssa who actually took those supplies from her, right?', Niki asked with a malicious smile and a wink. 'Treat it as a deal. You know a bit about those, don't you?'. The woman turned away and Quackity was left to think alone.

The man begun doing some of the tasks from the list, getting a few passing glances from Tommy and Tubbo as he did. He wasn't sure why, but it almost felt like they were both incredibly interested in whatever he was doing. The two boys, clearly bored out of their mind and without much to do, eventually started approaching him and excitedly asking him questions all about his “business”. It would seem, around here, the true nature of his work hadn't really reached them. Still, he talked on. He could see an opportunity in these two...

'Well, you see, the _true_ importance of a deal is to know _exactly_ how to spin it in your favour...', he talked on to the two as they helped him out with the tasks Niki had laid out for him, the two not even realizing he was distracting them from their work by speaking and made them do most of the harder tasks. Even with this, he still found it incredibly entertaining seeing how their eyes lit up as he revealed his trade secrets, and with how much enthusiasm they asked him questions. He didn't even realize when they got done and ended up just sitting around and chatting, having far too much fun to notice how quickly time was passing them by. Eventually, he was approached by the president himself, accompanied by Niki. He stood up, said goodbye to Tommy and Tubbo and put his full focus on whatever the two had to say to him.

'So... Niki told me you're considering staying.', Wilbur started when they were finally at a distance from the two boys, clearly wanting to avoid them hearing the conversation.  
'Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not.', Quackity cleared his throat and paused, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. 'Uh... Can I, though?'. Niki and the president looked between each other.  
'With how you've been handling everything? You've got a knack for business.', the woman said, her lips curving into a smile. 'Someone like that could be useful.'.  
'We need to get things. And we need to get them cheap. Alyssa and Ponk will only have as many favours before prices rise again. But you...', Wilbur paused. 'You know how to get things, right?'.  
'...What you're saying is... You need a skilled businessman to actually make this place work?', Quackity crossed his arms and grinned. 'I can do that. And this place ain't so bad.'.

'Great! Fundy should be about done planning the wall by now!', Niki grabbed the man by the arm and started pulling him along, barely giving him enough time to think through the choice he had just made. As he walked away, he could see Wilbur smile at him... With how he was normally treated in-between cities, it almost felt unnatural. He got a briefing of his tasks that evening, talked with Fundy about his plans, and was once more bombarded by questions from Tommy and Tubbo – Those two were looking for trouble, it was clear. In Tommy, he could almost see himself when he was younger. Ambitious, sure, but a bit too much at times. Still, he humoured them both, unable to hide that he himself enjoyed spending time with them. And as the day that was supposed to be his last anywhere near the DreamSMP came to an end, he didn't even consider leaving.

He looked around L'Manberg, his eyes gleaming with anticipation for the future.

He was sure now.

Quackity had finally found a place where he felt at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its da quackity episode  
> hes a businessman... just so he gets along better with ANOTHER businessman we're all waiting for :)  
> also hes already training the children in scams oh god oh frick
> 
> hope you enjoyed!


	25. The Apology (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy and Quackity search for The Blade. Tubbo is concerned for his friend. Niki gets angry.

'Remind me again why we're doing this?'.  
'Because Wil is an asshole and you're way cooler?'.  
'I know you two have issues, but that doesn't answer-'.  
'Shh! We're here! Now keep it down! I need to focus...'.

Quackity wasn't sure how he went from handling L'Manberg's business deals to sneaking through the forest with a very angry child – But there he was, and there was no changing it at that point. The past few weeks had been hectic, with the first month of L'Manbergian independence coming to an end far more quickly than they could even keep up with. Wilbur finally finished up the full terms of the L'Manberg-DreamSMP Treaty, officially declaring the borders of the two nations as well as rules relating to what would be ground for yet another war. Niki still continued overlooking most of the builds – The president seemed like he had too much on his mind to focus on overlooking things like that. Fundy, upon finishing planning the wall, focused his attention on planning out homes for everyone before Quackity could fully secure all building materials, at which point everyone would build the wall and do nothing else for a long while. Tubbo stepped back from training Fungi for a while and spent more time helping Fundy instead, contributing to the design of the homes. And then there was Tommy – And Tommy, indeed was a strange case.

Niki had caught Quackity up a bit about the events of the past few weeks in hiding. She, herself, didn't know the full story of Wilbur's and Tommy's big fight, mentioning something about dreams and disassociating... He had lost her half way through. What he did know is Tommy was a young kid in need of a mentor, turned away from the one man he looked up to and in need of guidance. And, with Quackity making quite the impression on him when he first arrived, he now had a kid latching onto him. Probably not the most reliable person around here to become a father figure, but he didn't have much of a choice once it came down to it. He was just glad he could provide Tommy with support when Wilbur refused to own upon to whatever it was he told the boy exactly (Niki herself missed out on most of the fight and could not recall it very well). And that's how he found himself here – Feeling too bad for Tommy to say no to his rather... Strange request, he was now sneaking through the woods at right around 10:23 AM

And the boy claimed they were on the hunt.

'...Right here. He was here.', Tommy stumbled into a small clearing in the forest, pointing out a small dark patch on the grass below him. 'He lit a fire... And it seems recent, too.'. He got down on his knees, touching the slightly scorched grass. It reminded him of the flower field...  
'Tommy, who the hell are we even looking for?'. The boy's eyes widened. Right, in all of his excitement, he had failed to even provide the other with an explanation. He turned back with his hands on his hips, grinning with pure malice.  
'It's obvious Big Q! We're hunting for The Blade!', Tommy exclaimed and returned to his search, assuming that such a simple explanation would be enough for the businessman. The other, instead, stood still for just ten seconds, stammering. Then, he spoke;  
'I- Why?', Quackity watched the boy in awe, seeing him scramble around the ground for clues. He knew he looked ridiculous, but with what he needed to do, he could not care less. 'Why do you want to find The Blade of all people?'. He looked back at the man, rolled his eyes and sighed.

'Too much explaining, big man. Let's focus on looking for him for now... I just... Need to talk to him.'. Tommy didn't even want to think of the reason he was out here looking for the Emperor, disregarding all of his fears and worries. He simply blamed it all on Wilbur – Because he knew, deep inside, he was to blame. And he would be to blame, for anything that happened to him. And even if the Emperor slit his throat open as he did the Captain's, he would die thinking about how it was all the fault of that asshole who couldn't keep a simple promise. The fault of an asshole who blamed him for things he had no control over, and the fault of an asshole who-

'Hey! Look here! This is something, right?'. Tommy turned back, joining Quackity where he stood. He, himself, was looking at a small piece of cloth in the bushes. The boy came closer and picked it up, feeling the soft, silky material with his fingers.  
'...Do you think it's his?', he asked as he continued looking. The cloth was ruby red, instantly reminding him of the cloak he saw the Emperor wear in his dreams. There was no doubting it now – Wilbur and Tommy weren't the only ones with the dreams any more.  
'Dunno. But it's a clue, right?', the man paused and shrugged. 'We should get going back to L'Manberg soon, though. I've still got some deals to figure out with-'. The man was cut off by a rustling noise in the nearby bushes.  
'That might be him!', Tommy whispered, getting his sword ready. 'Stay here! If he comes through make sure to stop him! If he doesn't listen...', the boy paused, his voice turning grave. 'Tell him you know about the Antarctic. He'll understand.'.

Quackity definitely called on Tommy as he walked away, but the boy knew he had no weapon on him and it would be stupid to follow him into the trees like this. The teenager missed that pristine diamond blade he got from Skeppy before everything went to hell because of Eret – But this newly-made iron sword definitely did the trick as far as self-defence went. He followed the rustling sounds with slow, careful steps, eventually letting Quackity out of his sight completely. The wind was blowing gently through the forest floor, moving the leaves that had fallen aside. With October finally here, most trees were either stripped of leaves completely or covered in orange, red and yellow ones. With all these sights, Tommy got so distracted he barely noticed what was making all the noise – And by the time he did, it was too late for him to react.

A large spider, one very much resembling the one from the cave half a year back, lunged on him the moment he turned his back. It pressed it's long, pitch black limbs into his arms, keeping him completely unable to move. He tried to fight it, pushing with all his strength against it and managing to move it just enough to get back up and grab onto his sword properly. He watched as the creature got back on its limbs properly and rearranged its large, heavy body, getting ready for another attack. This time Tommy managed to dodge it just in time, stabbing his sword into its back as it landed next to him. He watched as it bled out, a strange, dark liquid oozing out of its wound as it did. He watched it twitch and struggle to move for a moment, and finally, it relaxed and went limp. He would have calmed down and taken a deep breath if it weren't for the sudden, stringing pain beginning to grow stronger and stronger in his right arm.

Fearing what he could see, Tommy looked over reluctantly. There was a large rip in his jacket, and below it, he could see his own blood slowly pouring out. His whole forearm was covered in one large bite-mark, clearly something the spider must have left on him while it was on top. There was something else apart from his blood pouring out – A dark green liquid that could never bode well. He wasn't sure what to do – Did he need to take care of this, did he need to get help? He felt himself getting light-headed just looking at the wound, not to mention how little he could register because of the pain he felt. He supported himself on a nearby tree and quickly pulled down his sleeves, hiding the rip and the bloodstains in the lower half of it. Then, he stuffed his arm into his pocket and took a deep breath, trying to gather himself. He couldn't afford to be a burden right now. Not with all that Wilbur said about him – The last thing he'd want is to prove him right. He walked back to where he left Quackity, still swaying from how much his head was spinning.

'Tommy! Did you find him?', the man turned to look at the boy as he approached, instantly becoming concerned with how pale he looked. 'Are you alright? Did something happen?'.  
'I ran into a spider... No problem, though. They're not that dangerous. I'm fine.', the boy lied right through his teeth surprisingly well. 'Um... We should look towards the South now...'.  
'Sorry, Toms.', Quackity turned away, sighing. 'I really gotta go now. I've got lots of work to do and I've already been putting it off too much. You can come with me, if you want?'.  
'It's alright.', Tommy was shocked at how easy it was to rid himself of any suspicion. 'Let's go back to L'Manberg. I promised Tubbo we'd train a bit more today.'.

Tommy forced a pained smile – And it was enough to fool Quackity into leaving him alone.

\---

Tubbo knew something was wrong. Tommy was his best friend, and he knew him inside out, so when he returned to L'Manberg with his face twisted like that and his skin as pale as it was he was definitely not feeling as good as he insisted he was. He also knew things weren't okay when his friend said he didn't “feel up” to their training because he was “tired” - The universal word for “I'm dealing with something else right now and I need to be alone”. Tubbo wanted to give him space, initially. But as he grew more and more worried as the day continued, he finally decided to go and look for where he was and try and talk to him. That's when the problems started – When he couldn't track him down. He wasn't in their tent, he wasn't anywhere else on L'Manberg grounds. Tubbo looked in a few more places and finally decided he should probably do something – He looked for Quackity, knowing that him and Tommy had spend that morning together out in the woods.

'Quackity!', the boy exclaimed, rushing into the man's tent. He was hunched over his desk with a bunch of papers scattered about, jumping and throwing a few aside with how suddenly Tubbo entered. The boy quickly shouted; 'Quick! You have to come with me!'.  
'What's wrong? Did something happen?', noticing the other's worried expression, he shot up and grabbed his hat, slipping it on. Tubbo looked around and grabbed onto his shirt, feeling his stomach twist from nervousness. His mind was already convincing him the worst had happened.  
'Tommy's missing! He was acting all weird earlier and now I can't find him! And- I- You need to help me find him, please!', Tubbo felt his throat getting dry while he tried to talk – He knew Tommy well enough to know he could have gotten himself seriously hurt, whatever it was he was doing.  
'A-alright. Tubbo, relax. I might have an idea on where he could be.', the two walked out of the tent, rushing to the borders of the nation. 'He mentioned searching the South side of the forest earlier... He couldn't have gone far. Come on!'. Quackity sighed.

'If Wilbur finds out he slipped out on my watch, I'm screwed.'.

The woods were cold and dark at this time of the day – Even with most of the leaves on the ground and the sun still up and shining, the place was freezing because of the overly strong wind. Tubbo wrapped his coat around himself more tightly and hid his hands in his pockets, trying his best to not cave because of the temperatures. Quackity was doing mostly the exact same things, pulling his hat down so it covered the tips of his ears and nervously rubbing his hands together. The worry for Tommy definitely did not make this situation any better for them – they were both already feeling sick from the stress. Quackity was right about the short distance, however, as only a few minutes later they found the boy laying in the middle of a small opening, clutching onto his sword and a single piece of silky red cloth. Instantly, they rushed forward.

'Tommy! Tommy, what's wrong, are you okay?', Tubbo started shouting out, his breathing heavy as he tried to shake his friend awake. He soon noticed the large bite mark on his forearm, swollen and covered in blood. He gasped and jumped back, feeling himself getting sick from the sight. Even Quackity was taken back, but he tried to keep his head on his shoulders.  
'We have to get him back to Niki, she could help. Here, grab onto that arm, put it around your shoulder...'. As Quackity continued his explanations, Tubbo followed without question. He, himself, couldn't think clearly enough to figure out how to get his friend out of here, so he simply hoped the other could get him home safely.

When the two finally got back to the camp they were instantly spotted by Niki, who quickly rushed them over to her tent where she lay the boy out on her bedroll. Both Fundy and Wilbur eventually joined them, everyone standing over the boy as the woman worked. After some time she asked for some space, and only allowed Tubbo to stay, meanwhile everyone else was forced out. Fundy, under Niki's order, decided he would head to the DreamSMP and ask for medical supplies, hoping someone would take pity on them. And so, Quackity and Wilbur were left all alone. He could already feel himself getting nervous. He knew what the man would say. _You were taking care of Tommy while we were all working,_ he'd say, _and you failed._ He'd kick him out, just as others had done before, force him to run again and fall into that cycle of constant running, searching, settling down and running again. The president came closer, grabbed his arm, and-

'Thank you for saving him.', Wilbur said. 'I owe you one.'.

_Oh. Well. That was unexpected._

'...This is all my fault... This is all my fucking fault...', Wilbur suddenly turned away and started whispering under his breath. Quackity, more confused than anything, decided he might as well try and help him out here. That day had been stressful enough for everyone already.  
'What do you mean?'. The man came closer and put his hand on the other's shoulder, being instantly pushed away. Wilbur backed up, as if he regretted his sudden movement, his shoulders tensed up and he took a few deep breaths.  
'Tommy... Tommy went into the woods because of me. He wanted to look for The Blade, right?'. Quackity didn't have to respond. His expression alone said it all. 'I know why. I can't really tell you how, but... It's because of our fight. And he got hurt... And.... That's on me.'.

'Yes! Yes it is!'.

The two men turned, finding that Niki had left the tent.

'Guess what? He woke up!', Niki quickly wiped her hands in a towel she had with her, blood staining it as she did so. 'And you know what the first thing he did was? He asked where you were. He asked me where you were because he didn't want you to see him “being a nuisance”.'.  
'Niki, I-'. Wilbur tried to speak, but he knew better than to try and talk Niki down when she was mad. She was usually very gentle, but when it came to this particular feud between Tommy and Wilbur, she had a habit of getting incredibly frustrated with them.

'No, Wilbur! I've had enough of this! You and Tommy need to sort this out before he gets himself in some real danger! What if Quackity and Tubbo hadn't found him out in the woods? What if he lost his hand? Do you know how much he could have been hurt?'. Niki let out an angered sigh. 'He's resting right now. This evening, when he's better, you're going to talk to him. And you're going to apologize. And you're going to stop being an asshole and make sure this never happens again!', Niki, without another word, returned to the tent to continue her work.

Wilbur wanted to peek inside, initially, but eventually, he decided to simply back away and turn to go somewhere else. He knew that right now was not the best time to speak to her, and definitely not to Tommy. He walked past Quackity, ignoring his words and heading towards the lake they made their camp by – The lake that once had his caravan standing by it, but now only had old craters and burned down trees. For a moment he just stood still, letting the wind brush over his skin and move his clothes as he tried to keep his mind away from everything. He knew what would happen if he focused on it too much, wallowed too much in his own feelings. He knew that he had to keep his mind off everything, or something would happen and it would be-

_-too late. He's already somewhere else._

_'-And it's all your fault, Wilbur! You know it is! You're the reason we're here, and the reason we're- Fuck, fuck, fuck! We're gonna fucking die!'. He's shouting. Why is he shouting at him? What did he do? Wilbur looks around, seeing his partner in crime standing in front of him._  
_'You're gonna turn this shit on me?!', Wilbur speaks, his voice cracking. They're standing at the top of a large mountain, there's thunder raging around them and rain is pouring down. The water that'd been rising for a long while now is only inches away from reaching their feet._

_The man regrets his words._

_'No I- You know I don't fucking mean that.'. His hair is drenched in water. His clothes are dirty. But even with that, he's still holding onto a bag with four music discs. 'I just... What the hell do we do? What- How do we get out- How- This can't be it!'._  
_'I don't know I- I'm trying to...', Wilbur takes a deep breath. Somehow, deep inside, he knows his words are true. He knows this is all his fault. But how? How to stop it? 'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't- We should have gone with the others, we should have...'._

_'Wilbur, I don't... Do you think I actually blame you for this?', the man comes closer. 'Well I don't. I never did. So stop thinking I do, and just... Let's just let this happen, I guess.'._  
_'I'm sorry.', he whispers again, feeling tears build up in his eyes. The water is now up to his ankles... It's unusually warm. He wipes his eyes. 'I'm so sorry...'._  
_'Just stop apologizing... There's no point now.'. His friend, his partner in crime, the man he'd entrust with his life, comes closer. 'We always find our ways out of these things, right?'._  
_'...I don't think we're gonna be able to do that this time.', Wilbur whispers. The rest of the world seems to slip away as the water moves to his knees. 'I think this is when we lose.'._  
_'Well... It's a hell of a lot way to go out.'. Wilbur is suddenly pulled into a hug. 'And at least we're together. Like we promised. Till the end of time.'._

_'Till the end of time.', Wilbur returns the hug and says._

_The water... Moves down._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO EVERYONE!!! I HAVE A VERY BIG ANNOUNCMENT!!!
> 
> me and a couple of friends have started an smp! i just posted the first episode of it on my channel, so please, if you'd like to support me, come check it out!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWJQK8JKk9s
> 
> thank you in advance for your support <3


	26. The Apology (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy remembers a familiar man. Wilbur apologises. The two recall a cold day on the Antarctic.

_Bucket hat. Angel wings. Kind smile. It's good to see him again._

_'If you keep doing things like this, you'll seriously hurt yourself.', the man scolds him, although his tone is more gentle than anything. He has this way of getting angry at you without fully shouting, speaking in a calm tone but still being able to make you realize you did something wrong._  
_'Sorry, dad.', Tommy responds with a joking tone, receiving an angry glare. 'I was just trying to train, alright? I figured I could train on those monsters out in the woods... I didn't know this would happen...'. The man sighs, wrapping a bandage around his arm._  
_'You know what's been happening recently. It's risky to go out on your own like that.', the man hesitates before he says the next part, but he carries on. 'We don't know when they will get here. What if you're alone when they do? What if I'm not there?'._

_'I can handle myself.', Tommy claims, shifting in his seat. 'I'd be able to fight them off.'._  
_'Right then... What if they come to me, and you're not there to protect me?'._

_Tommy's eyes widen and he looks away._

_'Sorry... I won't leave the Palace by myself again...'. The man smiles, noting how he managed to find a way to get through the boy's arguments. He nods and chuckles._  
_'Good. I'll feel a lot safer with you around.'. He tightens the last bandage and sits back with a sigh. 'I think you've got your training coming up soon, right?'. The boy's smile fades._  
_'Yeah... But training with him is a lot less fun than training with you.', he hugs his knees. 'It's... It's hard, you know? Every time I look at him I see...', his voice trails off._  
_'I know. I know. But... There's a reason I care about him, Tommy. Just as much as I do about you and Wilbur. There's more to him than you might think.'. Tommy shrugs._

_'Yeah, well, I can't really see it.'. A bell rings out, and Tommy stands up, picking up a sword from the corner of the room the two are in. He looks back at the other man, receiving a reassuring smile. He sighs and leaves the room,wishing he didn't have to. He wants to stay with the man with the bucket hat, the angel wings, and the kind smile, but there's something else he has to do, and right now is not the time to protest. The man looks at him with a strange look of pity – But he also seems to understand something. Understand the need for this, whatever this is. Tommy just can't grasp onto the memory strongly enough to remember – He just remembers the man._

_He turns, readies his sword, and-_

-he woke up, his arm in more pain than ever before.

Tommy probably should have been surprised by waking up covered in bandages in a small, dirty tent, but it had happened so many times by now it was pretty much impossible to be shocked. He simply rubbed his arm, noticing the bandages on it, with some herbs put below it to try and ease the pain. He wasn't sure what exactly had happened for him to get here – He went out into the South of the forest hoping to track down The Blade, felt light-headed, and before he knew it, he was forced into another dream with that man – The man with the bucket hat, the angel wings and the kind smile. He wasn't sure why, but he always felt relaxed when he saw him.

That man – he had been seeing him in his dreams alongside Wilbur and The Blade for years now, but he was the one he knew the least about. Always in the back of his mind, only in rare memories, but always there to provide him with comfort. He did not remember his name, he barely remembered his face, but still, he knew he was someone important to him. But the memory with the Captain – It changed everything. Because that man, that source of comfort, that source of hope was standing alongside the man he was more afraid of than anyone else. Him, The Blade, and an older man he couldn't even recall the features of were the ones in charge of the Antarctic Empire, all three of them working together. All three of them brought along those slaughters, those murders, those deaths, those horrors in his nightmares. So was he to trust that man, or...

Tommy's thoughts trailed off completely as Wilbur entered the tent.

'Hey... Are you feeling okay?', his voice was low, raspy, quiet. Tommy wasn't sure if he had just woke up or if the exhaustion of that day was simply too much to handle for him – Either way, he didn't care. Why should he? Wilbur wasn't the man with the angel wings.  
'I guess.'. He shrugged. He didn't want to speak. He didn't want to explain himself. He didn't want to even look Wil in the eye because he knew the look he'd see. The look of apology, the look of regret, that look that could only come before a single phrase;

'I'm sorry.'.

And there it was. And did it mean anything? Was there a way to know for sure? From his experiences with this man, Tommy knew for sure he had an ability to lie without any issues. How casually he avoided the topic of The Captain, how he pretended to actually care about him until he finally snapped and showed his true feelings about everything. So was Tommy to blame for his “reckless behaviour”? He simply wanted to get away from Wilbur and give him that peace he oh so desired, instead talking to The Blade about his dreams and hoping he'd be able to figure something else out. He just wanted to get out of the way, he wanted to do exactly what the president wanted, so why was he still holding on as much as he was? Why did he still insist on an apology, and why was he standing here, trying to repair something so broken?

'I know that...', Wilbur carried on, pausing between almost every word. '...Saying sorry isn't enough to make up for what I've done. But... If I were to at least sit down here and explain myself, would you be willing to listen?'. The boy shifted in his seat and shrugged once more.  
'I dunno.', he looked down. 'Niki won't let me out of here until I'm better, anyway. So I have no choice. So... Yeah. Whatever.'. Tommy had never before struggled so much to sound apathetic – He wanted to scream at Wilbur, right then and there, but he had to hold back.  
'But do you want to listen?'. Wilbur paused. 'I won't stand here and force you to if you don't want to listen. I'd understand.'. The boy felt his hand twitch. _Stop making yourself out to be the victim. Stop making me feel bad. This is all your fault and you know it._  
'...Fine. Just make it quick.'. The boy shifted aside as Wilbur joined him, sitting down nearby. He moved away, hugged his knees and tried his best not to look the other in the eye. He knew what he would see. He knew how he would react. He had to keep his focus somewhere else.

'...I know you only see those dreams when you sleep. It's different for you. You wake up, you have time to unwind, you have time to rest. I never had that...', Wilbur looked aside. 'Remember, I told you about this. I don't even remember anything before Fundy was born... And after that everything is blurry. All I had was those dreams, so I started accepting them as a reality, finding comfort in the familiar faces and pushing away the unfamiliarity of real life.'.  
'And then you showed up... And suddenly, real life, as unfamiliar and confusing as it was, was my main focus. The dreams still showed up whenever my mind felt the need to take me away, but with each passing day they got weaker and weaker... And I was... So scared. I didn't want to let it show but I was afraid of these things I couldn't comprehend... New dreams would show up, confuse me even more, put me in an unfamiliar world.... And then... You told me something that made it better.'.  
'You told me I wasn't alone. You told me you saw them too. And I wasn't afraid any more. We would talk about the dreams, and we understood each other, and it was so much better. It finally made me feel like someone else truly comprehended what I was going through. But I failed to realize there was still a big difference between our situations.'.

'You dreamt at night. I dreamt... All the time. You would wake up every morning and think through what you saw, be able to figure it out. I... I just had to turn around, put on a smile and pretend I was okay. Pretend I didn't see anything. Pretend I hadn't just watched someone be murdered right in front of me, or recalled myself looking over a battlefield full of bloodied bodies...'.  
'And I... I was angry. Jealous. It wasn't right, I know, but I just... I wished I could have lucked out like you did, get the dreams and more time to think about them. But I was still... Okay. Because I always knew I could talk to you about those dreams, and you'd understand me more than anyone. And then... You woke up after the duel... And you didn't mention The Captain.'.  
'And I- I get it. I get it now, I was so... Sick, and angry, and confused, remembering what happened to him, remembering what The Blade did, but I still- I still snapped, because at the time I was angry at you for not telling me, meanwhile I... I didn't tell you either. But I was too blind to see that and- I don't want to sit here trying to excuse myself. I just... I guess I just wanted you to understand.'.

'Understand what?', Tommy muttered harshly under his breath.  
'That... I don't blame you. For anything.', Wilbur responded with an unusual tone of voice.  
'But you said... You said I took you away from the dreams.'.  
'...I thought that at first, too.', Wilbur paused and shut his eyes.

'When I first woke up, I was happy. I was happy to see Fundy all the time, I was happy to see the sky properly, I was happy to remember everything. But then it got painful. Exhausting. Everything was so loud, so clear, so bright and so alive I didn't understand it. And I still don't. The war, every second I was struggling to just... Stay... Not shut myself away.'.  
'That duel... Seeing you fall down like that... Thinking I had lost the only person who understood, thinking I'd be left all alone in this world I didn't understand... And I hated you for it. Hated you for first bringing me here and then just... abandoning me. Jumping head first into that duel and just- It wasn't your fault, but at the time I couldn't think clearly.'.  
'I just didn't wanna be alone. And I still don't, okay? I just... I don't want to have to deal with all of this by myself, and you're the only one who actually understands what those dreams are like, what it's like to wake up from one, how real they feel in the moment and- We still don't know what they are. And I don't want to be forced to have to figure it out by myself.'.

'So I'm sorry. I'm sorry for lashing out, and for leaving you exactly in the way I didn't want to be left. I'm sorry for forcing you to look for someone else you could talk with, I'm sorry for being a huge fucking asshole about all of this and I'm sorry for taking so long to apologize just because I was scared of losing someone who actually understood me.', Wilbur paused. 'I'm sorry.'.  
'...We can't do this, Wil.', Tommy spoke, genuinely, for the first time that evening. He looked up, met Wilbur's gaze, and noticed the pure look of regret and pain in his eyes. 'We can't argue, we can't push each other away, we can't keep sabotaging this whole... thing, because we only have each other!'. Tommy looked at the red piece of cloth in his hand. 'And... The Blade, I suppose.'.

'...So what do we do?', Wilbur asked after a moment of silence. 'How do we stop ourselves from being angry? Scared? Confused? We can't control our emotions... What if these dreams push us into another fight, I lash out again, and... I don't know...'.  
'Then we make a deal.', Tommy moved closer. 'We agree that we won't hide any more dreams. From now on, any time we do have a new dream, we're going to sit down and talk through it. Figure out how it all fits together. Maybe, eventually... We'll find an answer.'.  
'You think... You think we can?'. Wilbur's eyes, too, focused on the piece of cloth Tommy had with him. 'Find an answer? Somehow find some sense in all of these dreams?'. The boy waited a moment, shrugged, and then finally looked aside, crossing his arms.  
'Maybe not an answer, but at least it will make some sense. As soon as we can, we should sit down and try to figure out... Figure out...', Tommy suddenly grabbed onto his head and lay back. Wilbur came closer, helped him lay down and then got up, sighing.

'You need more rest, Tommy. I'll get Niki to give you some more medicine. We can talk in the morning, alright?', Wilbur got up, stopped at the entrance to the tent, and looked back. 'And I'm sorry. Really. I... I know you're still mad, but-'.  
'It's fine.', he said, trying to focus despite the headache that had hit him out of nowhere. 'I... I don't blame you, Wilbur. We're gonna figure this all out, eventually.'. Tommy sighed as his hand begun aching again. 'We're gonna... We're gonna figure it out...'.

Wilbur turned to leave – He really hoped the boy was right.

\---

_Wilbur fixes up his coat. Why is it always so cold out here?_

_He watches patiently at Tommy makes his move. Spinning around with his sword moving with unreal precision, his attacks being countered by someone equally fast on their feet. Every attack is dodged or reflected, neither of the fighters fall. They continue like this for a while, but eventually, one of them gains the upper hand. It's Tommy's opponent, suddenly removing a potion from his belt and quickly drinking it, rushing forward as he slams his sword down. The blonde tries to dodge, drops to the ground and slips on some ice, falling onto his back. His attacker stands above him, lifts his sword, and right before it falls, pushes it aside. He reaches out with his other hand and Tommy grabs it with an angry glare, standing up._

_'No fair! He cheated!', Tommy instantly starts shouting. Wilbur feels a strange chill overtake him as the man standing next to him (whom he had failed to notice until this point, like he does many things in these dreams), steps forward. The Emperor – The Blade – speaks;_  
_'He simply used his skills to his advantage. It's the sign of a good fighter.', the man gets closer, looks at Tommy's expression and sighs. 'A good fighter also doesn't let his emotions overtake him like this. You need to stop reacting emotionally and be calm.'._  
_'Says the guy who can't stop himself from slitting throats.', Tommy mutters under his breath, causing the Emperor to flinch. Wilbur knows he has to step forward – Things could get messy if he doesn't intervene now. He stands between the two._  
_'Tommy, you fought well, but you were outsmarted. Accept that. And have some respect for the Emperor.'. Tommy's eyes gleam with rage as he pushes Wilbur aside, the man barely finding his footing because of the slippery ground._

_'Since when do we respect this guy?!', Tommy screams, pointing to The Blade. 'Since when is any of this supposed to be filled with respect and proper etiquette?! None of this makes sense-'._  
_'I am the only thing keeping you from dying once The Hunters arrive!', the Emperor turns, his long hair flowing in the wind as he speaks. 'If you want to live, you will listen!'._  
_'No, that's not-', Tommy wants to speak, say another thing he will regret, scream another thing irrelevant to the whole matter. Wilbur doesn't want to hear it. He cuts him off;_  
_'He's right, Toms. And you know it. I know things are hard right now, but you need to stay strong and keep it together. We're running out of time.', the man looks right into the boy's eyes. 'Please.'._

_'Right...', Tommy nods. 'Right...'. He turns to the Emperor, waits a few seconds, and then with great strain and hesitation, gets down on one knee and bows. '...I apologize for my behaviour.'. The man stares him down, turns around and begins walking away without another word to him._  
_'Meet me in the gardens in ten minutes, Wilbur. We're gonna start your lesson early today.'. Wilbur, Tommy, and Tommy's opponent watch as the Emperor walks away, his long, red cloak flowing in the wind as he does so. They both turn back to the young fighter._

_'I... Sorry, dude. You fought well. I didn't... I just didn't expect that.'. The other boy smiles._  
_'Hey! It's cool! You did really well too! And... Don't worry about the Emperor... he's a jerk.'._  
_'Jerk is an understatement for a homicidal maniac, but-'. Wilbur cuts the other off;_  
_'Tommy. Stop it. You know we have to leave that behind if we want to survive this.'._

_'You know he's been trying for us, too.', Wilbur reminds him. 'He's been struggling. He's trying to put that past behind him. It's not fair for us to just... Keep blaming him.'._  
_'An apology won't bring back the thousands he killed!', Tommy exclaims. 'I will work with him, Wil, but don't expect me to treat him like he's a good guy!'._  
_'Well make sure to keep those opinions in your head and in your head alone.', Wilbur says with a cold tone of voice. 'I won't be nice next time. You've become a problem for us recently.'._  
_'I-', Tommy pauses and sighs. 'I know- I- I'll try. I promise. But can't you make sure I get more training with the others and not... Him, of all people?'._  
_'I'll see what I can do. I gotta go.', Wilbur turns away and rubs his temples. 'The Emperor won't wait for me forever... And days aren't going by any slower.'._

_Wilbur walks away, and the two young trainees are left alone._

_'Hey, how about I teach you how to make the potion I used?', the trainee suggests._  
_'Y-you'd do that?', Tommy asks, his eyes filling with glee. The other nods._  
_'Sure! It's pretty easy, actually.'. The two start heading back into the Palace._

_'What's your name, anyway?'._  
_'Oh! Right! I'm Tubbo!'._

\---

Wilbur and Tommy both woke up on the 23rd of December feeling like something had changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU FOR THE LOVELY REACTIONS TO MY SMP <3  
> more episodes are recorded and are gonna be edited soon, so look out for those!
> 
> as for the chapter... hope you enjoyed the philza minecraft  
> we need more of our survivor man


	27. The Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo celebrates his 15th birthday. Tommy and Wilbur put the pieces together.

For his birthday, Tubbo got five packets of flower seeds.

Of course, it was a very, very small thing. A couple of flower seeds as a collective gift from five people? It would seem ridiculous to any other teenager his age (which, finally, was fifteen rather than fourteen!), but to Tubbo, it had another meaning that was far better than getting something big and expensive. It was showing him that the people he had fought alongside of for so long knew what had been his biggest regret of this whole fight, and would do anything to try and make it better for him. They put aside the need for buying materials, clothes, food... And they gave him something he could use. So, the morning of his birthday, Tubbo spent all his time planting five types of flowers in a small area he intended to grow into a new, reinvented gorgeous flower field.

From Tommy, he got daffodils, a symbol of rebirth. To show the rebirth of the flower field.

From Wilbur, he got tulips, a symbol of love. To show the love and care Tubbo had for the field.

From Fundy, he got lavender, a symbol of peace. To show the newly-found peace of their nation.

From Niki, he got poppies, a symbol of death. To show what they would never be afraid of.

And from Quackity, he got gladiolus, a symbol of remembrance...

To never forget all they sacrificed to get here.

And of course, the day was a very good birthday in and of itself. Getting to spend it all doing what he had been wanting to do for a long time, together with all of his friends? What else could he ask for? Well, the small party at the end of the day definitely served as a cherry on top for everything. Sitting around a table Fundy had made, surrounded by the walls they had been working on for months now, slowly but surely growing stronger and stronger, they all enjoyed a small meal made up of whatever they could gather. A large cake, some drinks, some steak... It was definitely more than Tubbo expected for his birthday, with how things had been going, so to say he was happy was an understatement. And as a finale of the night, Wilbur brought out his guitar, something he hadn't had much time to play since independence was gained.

'...I made Tubbo a promise a month back.', Wilbur started, getting the instrument in tune. 'I told him that'd I get the anthem done by his birthday. And... I did. It took some work, but I figured it out. I think I've finally got the sound I've been looking for.'.  
'Well stop teasing us and let's hear it!', Quackity exclaimed, finishing up the last piece of the birthday cake he managed to steal away for himself. 'I keep hearing you humming it under your breath, but it's about time we make it official, right?'.  
'Yeah! I'm excited to hear it!', Niki jumped in. Ever since Wilbur and Tommy made up, it seemed like her main source of stress faded away and she was finally able to smile in peace. 'Come on! Don't keep us in suspense! Let's hear it!'.

'Alright, alright... Here goes nothing...'.

 _'Well I heard there was a special place...',_ Wilbur begun, strumming familiar notes on his guitar. He had changed the beat slightly, but it remained mostly unchanged from his first draft.  
_'Where men could go and emancipate...'_ , Niki hummed along with the melody, meanwhile Fundy sang some of the lyrics he knew under his breath. He didn't wish to outshine Wilbur, however.  
_'The brutality and the tyranny of their rulers...',_ with more practice, Wilbur's voice had gotten incredibly beautiful. He truly had a talent for singing, as little as he showed it.  
_'Well, this place is real, you needn't fret...'_ , finally, Wilbur had got that line he couldn't really figure out initially. He sounded quite proud when he sang it – Smiling as he did so.

_'With Wilbur, Tommy, Tubbo-'_ , as Wilbur tried to sing, Tommy cut in with his own line;  
'Fuck Eret!', he shouted over the man's singing, causing a laugh from everyone.  
_'It's a very big and not blown-up L'Manberg...'_ , Wilbur continued over the laughter.

For a moment, Wilbur chuckled, too. And finally, he moved on to the chorus;

 _'It's L'Manberg...',_ he begun, and after the first line, Tubbo, Tommy and Fundy joined in;  
_'Our L'Manberg...',_ they all sang along in unison, a bit more out of tune than the lead singer...  
_'It's L'Manberg...',_ Wilbur carried on, once more singing the line alone. And finally...  
_'Our L'Manberg...',_ this time, all six sang together in unison, finishing up the song.

'Well... It sounds better than I thought it would.', Wilbur admitted, putting aside his instrument.

Everyone gathered around the small table beginning to talk over one another, a mix of compliments, jokes and laughter... Even with everything that they had to give up to get here, in a way, there was a good conclusion to it all. And of course, there was also the start of something new – The start of their new nation, now growing far more than ever before. Wilbur's leadership returned with Tommy by his side, Quackity handled business better than before, and Fundy, Tubbo and Niki worked as hard as they could on improving all other parts of L'Manberg – Through their combined efforts, some homes were already getting erected around the area, and the place was truly starting to come to life. That was why Tommy found it strange how reserved Wilbur seemed to look throughout the whole party – So right after, as everything got cleaned up, he approached him.

'Is something wrong, Wil? You seem... Out of it.'. The president waited for a few seconds and then grabbed the boy's arm, turning away and pulling him towards the lake. He stopped right by its edge, looking around and making sure no one was listening.  
'The dreams, Tommy, I just... I can't rest until we figure something out here. There's been so many new things showing lately, we need to... We need to order everything. Today.'. Tommy, without hesitation, nodded. They had agreed to help each other.  
'Alright. Let's... Let's meet here at midnight tonight. Right now we have to help out everyone – So they don't get suspicious, you know?'. Wilbur agreed – he knew that rushing into all of this would be a mistake. And just as they planned, at midnight, they met in secret by the lake.

\---

'...I think a good place to start would be the people in the dreams.', Wilbur begun, opening up a small notebook he had brought with him. He got a quill ready and started writing. 'So, in the dreams, you see three people the most, right? Just like I do.'.  
'Yeah.', Tommy nodded. 'First, you, the man with the sweet singing voice, the round glasses and the yellow sweater.'. Wilbur nodded along, writing down everything Tommy had said. Above it all he scribbled his name, underlining it.  
'For me it was you. The annoying laugher, the light blonde tuft of curly hair, and the three music discs.'. Wilbur wrote as he spoke, noting his right hand man's name above his characteristics. 'So we saw each other, that's guaranteed. What about the other two?'.

'One of them is The Blade. A glimmering crown, blood stained hands and a sharp sword. The crown he got from The Captain...', Tommy kept talking under his breath as Wilbur continued his notes, writing about 'The Blade' and 'The Captain'. He then looked up.  
'Alright. And the third person. I'm guessing we see the same guy...'. Both the boy and the man took a deep breath, looked at each other and spoke in perfect unison, their voices trailing off as they realized the many differences between their responses;

'The man with the bucket hat, the angel wings and the kind smile.'.  
'The man with the convincing voice, the chilling laugh, and the cold, angry glare.'.

The two waited for a moment. Then, Wilbur spoke;

'...So the third person we recall is different. That's got to matter, somehow.'. Wilbur looked down, writing down 'The Scammer' and 'The Emperor's Friend'. He hesitated for a moment. 'And we've seen Tubbo in the dreams too, right?'.  
'...Yeah.', Tommy nodded. They had discussed that earlier that morning – The dream in which, for some reason, Tubbo had appeared. 'But I doubt he sees the dreams, too. He'd say something by now. I even talked to him about a few of them... He'd be here with us if he knew.'.  
'So Tubbo is in the dreams but not the same as us... Is it possible others are too, but we're yet to recognize their faces?', Wilbur suggested. 'Everything is really blurry in the dreams. But there's small features... But why are Tubbo and The Captain clear to us, then?'.  
'I guess it's something we should just keep in mind for now. We don't have to answer every question tonight. Now, as far as these people... What do we know about them?'. Tommy peeked over Wilbur's shoulder, looking at the notes.

'I have no clue who your guy is, but... The Emperor's Friend seems to like both of us.', Tommy pointed to the page that had the notes on the man. 'He mentioned caring about me, you and The Blade. Every time I'm around him I feel... Safe. I think he's someone important to us.'.  
'Alright... The Scammer... Now, this is weird.', Wilbur looked up. 'I gave you the discs, right? But I think... He had them before me. Except... he had four of them.'. Tommy's eyes widened for a moment, he scratched the back of his head and then moved closer.  
'Where's the fourth disc, then? You didn't have a fourth one when you gave them to me.'. Wilbur, for a moment, stared at the page, and then wrote a note about the fourth disc. Looking into the notes it were as if he could see his old friend's face – he shook his head.

'...I guess he still has it. Wherever he is right now.'.

'What do we know about The Captain?', Tommy moved along, clearly unsure where else to take the topic of the fourth disc – It didn't seem like something they wanted to bother themselves with at that very moment. Wilbur hesitated before his answer;  
'All I remember is the one dream we both had. He ruled the whole world before, but then he somehow lost it all, only ruling a small kingdom between Africa and Europe and Asia... Whatever those places are... And he called this place the Fallen Kingdom.'.  
'And the Blade stormed through it the day after killing him.', Tommy paused, his hands gripping his knees. '…That's where my desert nightmare is from... But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's focus on Tubbo for now. How does he fit into all this?'.  
'He was trained by The Blade... He trained all of us. From some of the stuff we said, I'm guessing this was after The Captain and most of his slaughters we see in our dreams. So why did we and Tubbo switch to his side? Was it because of... The Hunters?'.

Wilbur made a quick note about those.

'The Blade only mentioned them once. They were apparently someone we were supposed to fight. I think I remember the aftermath... We didn't win. Thousands died.', Wilbur paused, recalling the bloody battlefield. 'But we must have survived it. Somehow.'.  
'God... This is all so confusing... But... Everything makes sense here a little. Everyone has a role in this world. The Emperor, his friend, The Hunters, our training, the wars, The Captain and his crown... except him.'. Tommy pointed to 'The Scammer'. 'Where was he in all of this?'.  
'You're... Actually right about that.', Wilbur admitted. 'Every memory I have with him is separate from the ones with you and The Blade. The fourth disc, his scams, those coins... And the water...'. Tommy inched closer, tilting his head.  
'The water?'. His eyes filled with anger for a second. 'We were supposed to tell each other everything! What do you mean by “the water”?'. Wilbur hesitated. Every memory he recalled all he felt was panic, fear, helplessness... It hurt even thinking about it.

He quickly scribbled down 'The Water.'.

'...In some of the memories I have with him... We're running away. Going further and further up these mountains, trying to escape from water that never stops rising. Eventually, it caught us. We reached the top and there was nowhere to run, so we gave up... We said our goodbyes, and then... The water went down again.'. Tommy's mouth was open wide – He wasn't sure what to say.  
'...The water... I don't remember anything like that.', he admitted after a while, watching as Wilbur scribbled his notes down on the page. 'I don't remember any scammer guy, either. Or anyone resembling that. Wilbur... Are you sure these dreams tie into everything?'. The man second guessed himself – The Scammer memories had always felt out of place.

'It's... Weird, Tommy.', he paused, looking down. 'In the Scammer memories there's a city. I don't remember it well, but it's like... the DreamSMP. But bigger, greater. More buildings, more people. For The Emperor memories, it's all... Spread out. Great nations at great distances from one another... And we seem to be in charge of them, with “Villagers” living under our rule.'.  
'It sounds like you're remembering two completely different worlds.', Tommy said and shrugged rather nonchalantly, not realizing the idea he had just given the other man. He quickly opened a new page of the notebook and wrote down two things – 'The Scammer Timeline' and 'The Emperor Timeline'. He then turned to Tommy, who had been watching him in confusion up until this point. He put aside his quill and started explaining, his tone more serious than ever.  
'Tommy, that makes sense. I... I don't know how, but.. What if there's been two worlds, but you've only been part of one?', Wilbur suggestion made the other's eyes widen. 'Listen to this – What if there's been two worlds, and both of them somehow ended... Let me explain what I'm thinking here, and speak up if you disagree with me...'.

'First, there was The Scammer timeline. I worked closely with The Scammer here. From what I remember... I wrote music and made potions. Those were two things I remember doing... I hung out with this guy a lot, and from what I know... We worked and lived together. Our work being... Scamming. A lot of scamming, one of the biggest scams involving coins of some sort.'.  
'...So you were a scammer once?', Tommy laughed under his breath. 'That explains some things. You tend to get a little... Uh... Creative, with ways of getting money. Even more than Big Q sometimes.'. Wilbur ignored the other's comments and carried on, making notes in his journal as he did so. The boy watched in awe.

'Eventually, the floods started. We were forced to run. We had nothing with us, but he took his four discs. He claimed someone important gave them to him... We got to the top of the mountain, we thought we were dead, and then the water went down... I have no idea what happened after, but somehow, I got the discs and one of them was lost in the process. Then came the second world.'.  
'...So this world starts a while back, when The Captain ruled everything. Something happened and he lost his kingdom, forced to remain in the Fallen Kingdom with nothing but his crown left.', Tommy carried on. 'Then the Antarctic Empire rose to power. It was lead by The Blade, with The Emperor's Friend and the old man by his side. And before you ask... No clue about the old guy.'.

'The Empire begun taking over a majority of the world, and from what I gathered we were all something called “Leaders”. Something above the “Villagers” and able to rule them without any major resistance. The Emperor never killed Leaders – He went through Africa, killed everyone in his path, and then when he got to the Fallen Kingdom...'.  
'He killed The Captain and took his crown.', Tommy cut in, his eyes l osing their usual glimmer of hope. 'And then he stormed through the Kingdom, with me getting caught by him in the process... But he didn't kill me. I must have survived, since I remember things after. But here things get a bit vague... Don't they?'. Wilbur simply nodded, looking back on his notes.  
'We don't know how much further his conquest lasted after this point, but at some point, The Hunters showed themselves and... Forced us into cooperation? Whoever they were, they seemed powerful enough to make even The Emperor fear for his life. So he trained us hoping we could face the enemy... But we failed. I remember us all losing.'.

'And that's... Where it all cuts out, I think. But what about you giving me your discs?'. Wilbur hesitated – It was such an old memory, he barely even remembered it any more.  
'Right... It seemed I gave them to you right before you... Disappeared? I remember handing them over and then you just... Faded away... It's the last memory I have of you before you came here.'.  
'Shit... This is all such a mess...', Tommy looked down, his exhaustion showing in his eyes. He yawned, rubbed his eyes and looked aside, trying his best to stay awake.  
'Maybe we should just call it a night. You look about ready to drop dead.', Wilbur picked up the notebook and closed it. 'I'd say we put a lot together today. Come on...'.

'Wilbur?', the boy grabbed onto the man's arm, stopping him from walking away.  
'Yeah? What's wrong?'. Tommy bit his lip, sighed, and looked aside.  
'Do you think... All of this really happened? That these are real memories?'.  
'There's no way to know for sure.', Wilbur sighed. 'But... We'll find out some day, right?'.

Tommy didn't speak before he headed back to his home. He simply nodded and yawned again. Wilbur walked back to his home, Fundy giving him a confused, half-asleep look as he entered. He sat down at the edge of his bed, got ready to lay down, and then... He decided to give his notes one last look. Something about them just didn't feel right... Something was missing. He looked at the page titled 'The Scammer', and waited a few seconds. Then, quite hastily, he scribbled a note in the corner of the page, considering it to be important;

_'partners in crime, till the end of time'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how tf did i finish another chapter today  
> im loosing my minddd
> 
> anyway this chapter is mainly here to help yall put together all of the dreams ive been putting in... hopefully this will make things clear enough so that the appearance of a certain character very soon won't get super confusing


	28. The Portals (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream visits L’Manberg with an issue. Wilbur is forced to explore an unusual temple. Someone finally makes their comeback.

He watched the flames rise around him.

The portal glimmered with a purple glow.

It was finally time.

\---

The first portal came on a cold, February morning.

Work around L'Manberg had only gotten more intense after the start of the new year. The citizens may have taken it easy for a few days after Tubbo's birthday, but as winter started coming to a close they all knew it was about time to get to work and get things finished up. The wall was completed somewhere towards the end of January, and homes were completed a week after. With basic accommodations finally in place, Tubbo's flower field beginning to yield potions and even some farms providing them with food, the nation was finally able to stand on its own, and they could finally start looking into what to do next – And to say they had a few ideas would be an understatement. Things were better than ever, which is why a visitor in their nation was such a bad omen – And the visitor was none other than Dream.

'...President Soot. I realize I'm probably... Not the most welcome guest around here, am I?', the leader of the other nation was dressed in warm clothes, but his mask still did not fail to find itself firmly over his eyes. The whole nation stared him down while Wilbur stepped forward.  
'I believe the Treaty is signed and complete? What else is there to do?', the president replied, hiding his hands in his pockets to shield them from the cold. Dream waited for a moment, aimlessly kicked the ground with his foot and then finally looked up;

'I found something. I believe it to be an emergency. It can prove a danger to both of our nations. I'll need you to come with me... And since I'm taking George and Sapnap, it's only fair you bring two of your allies, too.'. Wilbur hesitated, shaking his head.  
'I don't even know where we're going! Do you really think I'll just blindly follow the guy who tried to kill me a few months ago?'. The man looked aside and sighed, his shoulders tensing up as he did. Clearly, something was on his mind.  
'Then I will go alone. No armour. No weapons. You can bring your whole nation and arm yourself, if you wish. I just need you to come. This is more dangerous than anything we've faced before.'. Wilbur, sensing the seriousness in the man's voice, spoke up;  
'...Just you and me. No armour, but we'll take weapons. And I get to bring one Strength Potion – You bring none. Does that sound fair?'. Dream hesitated for a moment. Wilbur was clearly testing the water here – How serous was this situation, exactly?

'Okay. I can do that. Now please, come with me.'.

Dream turned away without much further explaining, and Wilbur hesitated for a while before following. He wasn't sure what to do here – The other was willing to put himself at a disadvantage if it meant that the president would follow him wherever it was that they were going... But could it be a trap? He wasn't sure, but he was also afraid. He knew the Treaty and its many conditions, and could see no reason Dream would try to trick him, especially not when they were as strong as they were. So something must have happened – Something warranting a response as serious as this. He grabbed a potion from Tubbo, picked up his sword, strapped it to his back and followed Dream out the gates, being lead somewhere he did not recognize.

The two leaders walked for a long time – Out of the city, through some parts of the forest, and finally emerging at the foot of one of the distant mountains, with a large cave in front of them. Dream pulled out a torch and lit it, walking into the darkness. He urged the other to follow – He had no choice but to do so. The darkness didn't last for a long time, as eventually, the two stepped into a large, open valley on the other side. A valley filled with gorgeous, colourful flowers – Every single one he recognized as something he had seen in Tubbo's old flower field before the war destroyed it all. It was all basking in the light of the sun above, an unusually warm for the season breeze passing through. Wilbur hesitated before he stepped in – He looked around, letting himself take the sight in. Dream looked back, clearly noticing he was in need of explanations.

'This is our new flower field. The one we left for four and a half months for to grow. It's the single source of all our power – I hope the fact that I lead you here alone makes you trust me a bit more... But the flowers aren't what we're here to see. It's what we found when we made the field – Look over there, do you see it?'.

Wilbur looked to where Dream was pointing – And what he saw only confused him further. Across the flower field, built into the mountain, he could see some sort of temple. It was mostly made of stone brick, with strange symbols carved into it. All he could see right now was the large entrance, with what once must have been an incredibly strong doorway, having had long been moved aside, leaving the building open. It was pitch black inside, and without getting closer, Wilbur couldn't even begin to guess what exactly could be hidden inside. Dream walked across the filed and grew closer and closer as he explained the sight, with the president following right behind.

'When we made this place half a year ago we found this temple – It was closed when we first did, with huge, stone doors keeping it closed. We tried to open it, but no matter what we did, it wouldn't budge. So we just left it – We had other things to worry about at the time.'. The two finally reached the temple, standing at the open doors. Dream moved his torch forward, various spiders scattering away from the floor that he covered by the torch's warm light. Wilbur could see the cracked, stone floor below and dust floating about the place – The temple, whenever it was made, was ancient.

'This morning it opened – I don't know how... But I know that from what's I've seen, this place could hide things that could hurt both of our nations.'.  
'Let's explore it, then.', Wilbur agreed with a nod. 'Let's see how dangerous it really is.'. And so the two leaders, with great hesitance, entered the ancient temple.

They felt as though whatever they discovered here would bring about some changes.

\---

He coughed, covered his face, and coughed again.

He tried to run but he couldn't breathe.

It was so hot.

\---

As Wilbur walked, he couldn't help but feel a strange chill overtake him. The hallways they were wandering through were dark and lifeless, the stone in the walls cracking under the pressure of holding the temple stable for god knows how many years. Spiders, rats, and other small creatures scattered and rushed away from the light they brought with them, hiding into the cracks in the walls and retreating deep into them. Cobwebs littered every corner of the many corridors they passed, heading down deeper and deeper into the temple. This continued for far too long – The air got heavier and heavier with each step, dust floating about and causing them to cough. Covering their mouths they carried on, eventually reaching something somewhat conclusive – A place lit up by lanterns made of a material they had never witnessed before.

Wilbur came closer – The lanterns were glowing with a bright, strong light, emitting it from deep inside them as if an invisible flame were burning inside. To the right and left of the lantern there were two rooms – To the right what seemed to be a library, and to the left, a large room with a staircase. Dream took the lead and led the two to the left, slowly moving up the staircase. It was only a few steps, six to be exact, leading up to a large, floating frame. Two or three orbs, much resembling eyes, were stuffed into parts of the frame, filling only three out of a total of twelve spots. Below the frame, a large pool of lava could be found. The two looked at the contraption and inspected it, but ultimately gave up, realizing they had no idea what it was that they were looking at exactly. Wilbur did, however, notice an inscription at the side of the portal, carefully cut into the stone with expert precision;

_'Present The Eyes To Open The Passage'_

Returning to the other side of the corridor, this time, the two entered the Library. It was slightly lit up by old torches that must have been re-lit sometime recently, but the flames were already flickering and fading away. Despite the library's old age, most of the books were clean, in place, and well preserved. This room, compared to the rest of the temple, was incredibly well-kept, with fewer cobwebs and not as much dust in the air. It soon became clear why, however. Past a few bookshelves, in the centre of the room, the two men found an old camp. There was a fire with a small pot over it, long left abandoned and cold. There was a bedroll, torn and dirty, and a small bag filled with mostly useless items, like paper, clothing and empty water bottles. The most prominent feature of this “camp”, however, was the large frame standing next to it.

Made up of what Wilbur soon recognized to be obsidian, the large frame was about the size of an average doorway, if not slightly bigger. The edges of it were charred, with the strange smell of gunpowder surrounding it. A purple powder could be found at these very edges, and as Wilbur touched it, he felt as though it burned through his skin, forcing his hand away. It was unnaturally warm, as if having had been lit on fire recently. Unsure of what to do, the man stepped back, a strange, dark energy emitting from the frame, practically screaming at him to stay away. He looked back at Dream – The man had shifted his mask aside, and his expression told him he felt pretty much the same thing as him. The two leaders decided to turn their attention to other parts of the library, separating from one another to search.

While Dream begun looking through the camp and whatever the person who had once been there left behind, Wilbur instead decided to look through some of the books. Now, most of them seemed to be written in some sort of language he could never hope to understand, but there were a few sorted into a specific shelves with translations written above the text with pencil. He picked up one of these very books which caught his eye as he read over the translated title;

_'Advanced Potion Brewing'_

Wilbur first looked at the front page, which had all of the recipes listed with page numbers attached for easier navigation. After a moment of looking at the various potions, some being ones he recalled Tubbo making, while others being completely new to him, he finally decided to flip through the book. Most of the potions alongside their ingredients were carefully illustrated by a hand-drawn sketch with added notes from whoever translated the pages. He continued going, page by page, until he finally noticed something unusual – One of the pages had been ripped out. Flipping back to the first page, he managed to figure out which recipe had been torn out – Although it didn't answer as to why or by whom it had been taken, at least he knew what was taken;

_'Unstable Potion of Extreme Calming'_

_Strange_ , he thought. But he paid it no mind. He decided to go back to Dream and see what he had managed to recover – Instantly, he was stopped completely by the strangest sight. The man was standing still, holding a book and trembling. This book, it would seem, he had found alongside the camper's belongings, although Wilbur soon recognized it to be one of the translated texts from the bookshelf he inspected. The man backed away, dropped the book, and instantly sprinted back to the frame across the hallway they had seen earlier, pushing Wilbur away as he tried to stop him. The president briefly glanced at the book he had dropped and read its title;

_'The End'_

And in a rush, he followed Dream.

\---

He could hear the creatures walking around him.

He could see them staring at him.

He didn't belong there.

\---

'Dream! Dream, what the hell are you doing?'. The man, in an almost manic state was pushing a large bookshelf aside, slowly moving it in the direction of the frame across from the Library. He finally placed it in a spot so that it completely covered the entrance, leaving only the library accessible to anyone who may pass by.  
'Wilbur I... I know this is gonna sound insane, and I realize that. But you have to listen to me here, okay? I need you to listen to me or our nations- No, no, the whole god damn world might fall apart, do you understand that?'. Wilbur had never seen Dream so panicked before – And that alone made him listen. He stepped back and nodded.

'Alright, Dream. What the hell is going on?'.  
'Wilbur... Have you ever heard of the Ender Dragon?'.

'You mean that old legend about the dragon that could destroy worlds? That's the type of stuff I'd tell Fundy as a bedtime story...'. Dream shook his head.  
'As crazy as it may sound, I think... I think that behind that passage... That dragon might exist.'. Wilbur looked at the man and stifled a laugh.  
'Are you serious? Dream, the dragon is a fairy tale! Stuff like that isn't real!'. Dream narrowed his eyes, only one of which was visible with the way he had moved his mask.  
'You're one to talk, for a son with fox ears...', Dream muttered, rolling his eyes. 'Listen. Can't you just grant me this peace of mind? Make sure no one from L'Manberg opens that passage?'.  
'Well... I don't see a reason why not. I'll make sure my people stay out of here.'. Dream let out a sigh of relief, looked at the bookshelf he had moved, and nodded.  
'Right. I'll get Sapnap and George down here to build a proper wall. As for the camp in the library...'. Dream suddenly pulled out a journal he had found.

'This was in the person's bag... Now, don't freak out here, but... Just read the front page. I think you might find this important.', Wilbur slowly grabbed onto the journal, looking at the front cover. It seemed like there had been a name there, once, but it had long since faded away. The president hesitantly touched the edge of the cover and flipped it open, his eyes scanning the front page carefully. And with every word he read, it were as if another sword had been stabbed into him.

_Wilbur Soot, I hope you find this someday. I really do._

_Things have been so messy since I first woke up – I've begun understanding things more and more, and I'm finally starting to see the truth. I'm going to leave my journal, with all my notes, here, hoping that one day, you will find it. Because it's vital for you to understand._

_I know you'll find it. It's how fate has it. It's how we are destined to be. It's how things are supposed to work. It's the order of the universe, because even when we don't see it, it all comes down to us. You, me, and everyone else, we're at the centre of the universe._

_I just want you to know I don't blame you. For anything. None of this is your fault. And I know it makes no sense right now, and maybe it never will, but I'm hoping these notes will make it easier to understand. I have to go now. I don't have much time. There's someone else in here with me._

_It's not your fault, Wilbur. It really isn't._

_Don't let **it** define you._

_\- The Captain_

'Now I don't know much about your past, Wilbur. And in the DreamSMP we don't ask questions about what was. But if this here ever gets in my way... In between my friends... Threatens my city...', Dream got closer, his eye burning with rage. 'I am going to start asking. And by then, you better have answers. Have a good day, Wilbur. And don't return to this library ever again.'. The man passed him and headed for the exit, leaving him to stand alone with the journal in the dark. Wilbur looked at the page as Dream's words settled in with him.

Just when his dreams, his world, his memories made sense, it all fell apart again.

\---

He stopped as he finally saw it.

His eyes gleamed with anticipation.

'Guess who's back, loverboy?'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HE SAID IT HE SAID THE LINE
> 
> dream and wilbur in da stronghold... what they gon do?
> 
> ALSO GOD THE NEW SAD-IST ANIMATIC  
> BRO THE TECHNO PARTS AT THE END?  
> THE WAY SCHLATT WAS ANIMATED?  
> THE EXECUTION?  
> MUAH, MUAH, PERFECTION


	29. The Portals (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The highlights of the Captain’s unusual journal.

Introduction

I'm not sure if this will work as a journal, a diary, or just research notes, but it doesn't matter. I'm mainly writing it hoping that someone else like me finds it and that we can figure everything out. I've had enough of walking in a fog, enough of this ~~fucking~~

Right. I shouldn't write that. Kara never liked it when I swore.

My name is Jordan 'CaptainSparklez' Maron, and a week ago I woke up. Well, I guess that doesn't really put it into perspective. I had been awake for a long while, sure – Living a normal life and having a wonderful time, but always missing something. Always feeling like something was out of place. And a week ago I suffered a horrible nightmare, but it... It made sense. It explained things. I don't know how. All I knew is my throat hurt like hell after I woke up.

I started looking. I wanted to know what that dream was, why it felt so real, and how I could have possibly survived. Every night came another dream, and everything started falling into place. I'm not sure how, but eventually, the truth of the past worlds just... Revealed itself. I don't think it's the same for everyone else as it is for me, but I know why. I haven't been through this once, or twice like most. There's been many. So many, few of which I remember vividly...

I remember the three gods. I remember the city. And I remember the Fallen Kingdom.

Those three alone are different realities, and they are only few of many. I think I'm supposed to remember people, but I remember the entire worlds. I remember the three worlds, which means I remember the people in them, too. The people are vague, but still, I can see them and their names. In the last world, for example, there was Tommy, Wilbur, Nick, Beef, Tubbo, Phil, Pete, Techno, Ant, Eret, Kara... And hundreds more. The world before that, there were even more. Joko, Travis, Dinkster, Sneeg, Cooper, Mason, Ted, Junky, another hundred or so names and some repeats from the last one.... And Schlatt. I remember him, too. And I remember what we did to him. I don’t want to think about it.

And the most distant memory... there were fewer of us, but it felt... More special. I remember all of them. Tucker, Sonja, Tom, James, Declan, Ryley, Matt, Tony, Josh, and Connor.

God, I miss those guys.

And at the core of it all I remembered a realm – A world that somehow connected everything, somehow put all of this into some sort of neat timeline. That place was called the Nether. And I was determined to learn more about it, and figure out what got me and hundreds others with no memories to where we are today. Eventually, I tracked down the Stronghold... And here's the issue.

I'm stuck. The doors shut after I entered, and all I found is the End Portal Frame and a library of some sort... I knew these things would be here, but I expected... Well, a bit more. And now I need to figure a way out or a way to at least keep myself alive for as long as I need. It's not a big deal, though. I was planning on staying here for a while, anyway. The library looks like a good place to settle in. I moved some bookshelves aside and made space for a bedroll and a fire I could cook over – As far as food goes, that'd probably be the best thing to sort out right now.

There's another thing here – A large, obsidian frame. I've seen this in my dreams... If I set fire to it, a portal to the Nether should open. I don't know if it's a good idea to open one, or what may happen afterwards, but if I want to start researching the place, getting into it would be a good idea, wouldn't it? If I'm being honest, I don't remember anything about it. I feel this strange fear – Something telling me to stay away. I'm guessing this is completely normal, considering how vital that world happens to be to us and our unusual nature.

Time to get to work. This research won't get done itself.

Now I just hope someone finds me here before I run out of food.

The Basics of The Nether

The books here are written in some strange language – But I managed to somewhat figure it out. I also figured out a food source of sorts... A mix of whatever can grow down here, dead rats and strange weeds is definitely not the fine dining I was used to as a King, but at least I won't die down here. Now I can focus on my research for a while – Which is what I've been doing. I am yet to open the portal... I'll look more into that realm before I do.

Only one of the books in this Library actually refers to the Nether, and it speaks about it in incredibly confusing terms, so I decided it’s better if I were to compile my notes based on what I understand myself. Let me begin with the nature of the Nether.

From what I can tell, the Nether is an unstable dimension that connects all worlds through a series of old, ruined Nether Portals. These can be lit from the inside or outside, opening the passage on both ends. As far as appearances goes, there are some sketches here that represent the dimension pretty well... And it’s hell. No, literally, this place is a dictionary definition of every depiction of hell ever put together. The stone is red and infused with blood, waterfalls and seas of lava are found everywhere, and creatures unlike those of our world wander the plains. It’s also supposedly unimaginably warm, with the air reaching temperatures at which one could burn alive in a matter of seconds. There are, however, areas of the Nether that are simply warm and still survivable, and they make up a majority of the land further in from the lava seas. In conclusion - It’s a ~~fucking~~ hellhole, but it’s survivable.

Sorry about that one, Kara.

The Nether has a lot of... Magical, (I guess?) properties, that are difficult to explain. The best way to put it into perspective, probably, is to look at what the Nether is, exactly. A small world stuffed in-between a million others with pieces of the worlds falling into one another - It creates anomalies, in a way. Residue of the physical rules of every world combining into what I have begun calling ‘Nether Magic’. A strange, unstable form of energy that transforms anything in its grasp into something unlike what it was before. There are many ways this energy affects the realm itself, but for the sake of research and brevity, I decided to focus in on its effects on people. How it changes those who step into the realm, if it does at all, and how dangerous it would be to go in there myself. Apart from the, you know... Pools of lava, risk of burning alive and the demons. Those are definitely a danger, too.

It will take a while to translate these pages, but from the sketches the author left here, I’m not so sure I even want to know what they relate to.

Hybrids and Ancestors

From what I have gathered in my research, the Nether and its properties affect different people in different ways, but this difference can be narrowed down to two main groups, with a different percentage of possibility for one specific result to take place upon entering the Nether. I call these two groups ‘Hybrids’ and ‘Ancestors’. When one enters the realm, they have a 75% chance of becoming a Hybrid, and a 25% of becoming an Ancestor. This cannot be avoided - However, I’m unsure if this decision is made by the Energy when one enters the Nether, or if it’s something that’s genetic and somewhat decided at birth, and only begins taking place once one enters the realm. Either way, here is how it works;

Depending on one's Nether Tolerance (something the book keeps referring to but something it is yet to explain, so I’m as confused as you), within 10 minutes to a 1 hour in the Nether the body of anyone entering will begin undergoing changes. For an Ancestor, the changes are entirely genetic and unseen initially, but for a Hybrid, these changes will become visible almost instantly. The Hybrid will begin growing out animalistic features, such as ears, tails or fur. Eye and hair colour changes may also appear, alongside a change in body build, physical strength, eating habits, brain capacity, and other things. With enough time in the Nether, measured to be between 1 month to 2 years, the Hybrid will turn into a full, bipedal animal with sparse amounts of sentience. Ancestors undergo identical changes to their genetic make up, essentially taking on the very same traits but instead passing them down to their children, who are born with the features of animals.

Now, the type of animal that a Hybrid or Ancestor will display the traits of is somewhat based in rules, too. From what I can tell, the various animals individuals in the Nether attach themselves to and eventually become depend on their worse qualities. I don’t have a full explanation of every animal, but here are some notes I’ve gathered;

  1. **Rams and Goats** \- Hybrids displaying the features of a ram or a goat often show the signs of overwhelming jealousy and a wish for something they lack that a close friend or family member may be in possession of. Those passing these features down as Ancestors are more likely to feel this jealousy towards people they don’t know, or towards other people in general.
  2. **Pigs** \- Hybrids displaying the features of pigs are often greedy and constantly look for more possessions. Whether it be control, followers, or power these people often have an uncontrollable need to be in charge. Ancestors passing these traits down often have a want for physical possessions, like money, above those Hybrids may want.
  3. **Foxes** \- Hybrids displaying the features of foxes often show signs of a lack of regret for actions they may have taken in the past, usually excusing their actions or putting themselves above others. Ancestors passing down a fox trait, however, feel regret for an action they could have prevented and knowingly knew the results of, however decided to step aside to make life easier for themselves.



It’s also important to note, it’s possible to be an Ancestor and a Hybrid at the same time. Every human will be at least one, but can be both in rare situations. I’ll try to figure out more, but this is all that I have so far.

Nether Tolerance

Wouldn’t you know it, the one thing I was confused about just got explained.

Nether Tolerance, as far as I can see, is the measurement of how well one can withstand the Nether and all things related to it. This also seems to include one’s handling of high temperatures, fire, ash, and other things often associated with the Nether. Every human has an average tolerance of 10, and can usually go up to 30 or 40, meaning their Hybrid/Ancestor transformations take far longer than the average time. There’s a condition, however, not named in the book, but one I’ll refer to as ‘Nether Intolerance’ from now on, which makes one’s Tolerance drop to levels as low as 1. Some side-effects of this condition include;

  1. **An intolerance of high temperatures** \- Individuals with Nether Intolerance will experience various side effects around high temperatures, and especially around fire. These include violent coughing fits, nose bleeds, headaches, cuts and bruises forming on various parts of the body, stomach pains, feelings of nausea and frequent vomiting, unusual dryness in the mouth and throat and excessive thirst.
  2. **An inability to run for long periods of time** \- Individuals with Nether Intolerance will get hot after excessive movement and experience the above side effects, so they will consciously or subconsciously avoid any form of exercise, even going out of their way to avoid running completely. These individuals will also often be drawn to water subconsciously and feel the need to stay close to it.
  3. **Upon entering the Nether** , an individual with Nether Intolerance will die within five minutes.



I knew one guy who had this... We called it something else back then. He ran into a house fire to save his friend, and the stuff he went through for the next week... It was horrible.

Travelling Through the Nether

Finally, the stuff I’m interested in. These notes got complicated, but I’ll try to summarise it as best as I can. We did this ourselves a few times, so I have experience... But we always did it wrong. And now I get why. Everyone has to know about this - Next time we go, we’ll be safe. Next time we’ll know what we’re doing and we won’t be lost. Here are the basics of what I’ve gathered;

  1. Nether Portals can be found or made - I found the one I’ve been keeping closed all this time, but if I had obsidian, I could replicate the same exact frame and it would still work.
  2. The moment you enter the Nether, your memories and personality are surrendered to it. If you return to the portal you yourself made, they will be returned and you will come back unscathed.
  3. If you leave your portal and go to another portal that is still within your realm’s section of the Nether, the same thing will happen. You will return to your world with your memories intact.
  4. If you leave your portal and your realm’s section of the Nether and create/open another, you will step into a foreign realm with your memories intact.
  5. If you leave your portal and enter one belonging to another realm that is already open, you will die. But... not exactly. Here’s where we went wrong - We took other people’s portals.



A portal that is already lit is tethered to another world and it cannot allow outsiders in - That is why it kills anyone foreign who steps through. However, it kills in an interesting way. It still has a grasp on your memories, and it returns them to you over time. When you die entering a foreign world, you become tied to it. You are reborn with the same looks and personality, and your memories are slowly given back to you overtime. For some, they seem like dreams. For some, they are clear memories. For others, they are something in between. Some are born remembering, some are triggered by a familiar scent or food.

Some never forget in the first place.

That was our mistake. We didn’t light our second portals, and we were taken to worlds that weren’t ours. We thought this just was how it always was - But there’s way. A way to step through alive. We just didn’t know. But we know now. I just need to make sure everyone else learns about this.

I was wrong

I was so so wrong and I’m sorry I mislead you, but I remembered. I had a dream last night about them and I remembered what we did wrong, I remembered why we’ve been forced to run, I remembered why we didn’t just stay. Hybrids and Ancestors exist, but there’s something else. There’s something worse, and I saw them in my dreams.

Upon entering the Nether, humans have a 75% chance of becoming a Hybrid, a 20% chance of becoming an Ancestor and a 5% chance of becoming a Dreamon.

Dreamons

Dreamons are twisted creatures that reside in the Nether and use its unstable energy to make themselves as powerful as possible, until eventually attaching themselves to a human that may stumble into the realm. Dreamons, while being created over the course of up to five years, will undergo three stages. These are as follows;

  1. **Anomaly** \- An Anomaly is a human with the first inklings of a Dreamon being created inside of them. This will often mean the human may experience small, supernatural abilities that may be strong in the Nether but non-existent or weak in the Overworld. These can be telekinetic abilities, mind reading, animal control, basically anything the person may like the idea of or somewhat relate to. If anyone ever displays these traits KEEP THEM OUT OF THE NETHER.
  2. **Source** \- Once a human gets past the Anomaly stage, they will often become a Source. A Source allows the Energy of the Nether to seep through them and enter normal worlds, often causing anomalies in laws of physics, such as a lack of gravity around them, unusual temperatures, and many others. In this stage the person may or may not be aware of their power, subconsciously hiding its effects from themselves or others. If someone enters this stage, for the safety of everyone, I’d suggest putting them out of their misery as quickly and as painlessly as possible.
  3. **Dreamon** – Once a human enters this stage, it's too late. They have full control of their power and are slowly being corrupted by it – Megalomania is inevitable. Your best bet is to run. Run as fast as you can before things get out of hand.



Run like all of us did.

Leaving

I have to go. Someone is here. They opened the door above, but if they managed that, I'm not so sure they'll just let me pass them and head out. I'm leaving everything here, including my notes and translations, hoping someone, someday, might use them. Now that I understand the Nether... I'm going to light the portal. And hopefully, on the other side, I'll find a way out.

I'll leave a note to Wilbur at the front – He'll understand. He'll find them. He'll show them. He'll bring us somewhere where we won't forget. He'll find this and we can go back home. And he'll realize exactly what has to be done.

I hope I'm not too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so many hints and twists in this chapter...  
> bonus points for everyone who can list every massive reveal in this chapter, lmao-  
> basically, this is just my lore reveal chapter, explaining A LOT of stuff
> 
> hope yall enjoyed a bit of good ol cap'n!
> 
> originally, this chapter was supposed to show how he survived, but that will be something that is explained next chapter, so uh... i guess just theorize abt it for now?
> 
> WARNING: AS OF CHAPTER 118, THIS CHAPTER IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO THE LORE AND READERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT AGAIN. BECAUSE OF THIS, THE COMMENT SECTION IS FILLED WITH SPOILERS FOR ALMOST 80 CHAPTERS FORWARD. READ THEM AT YOUR OWN RISK.


	30. The Portals (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Captain thinks about his past. L’Manberg celebrates six months of independence. A portal appears, together with an unusually familiar stranger.

_'Captain... Captain, please...', Tommy's hands are trembling as he presses the Captain's cloak into his throat, panicked and trying to stop the blood pouring out faster and faster with each second. Wilbur is standing next to him, trying to help, but they both know there isn't much that can be done._  
_'Tommy! Tommy, stop, you might hurt him more!', Wilbur tries to step in, seeing the life fade from the other man's eyes. The Emperor and his two friends are walking away, at a distance too far to even call out to them now. Suddenly, a female voice interrupts._

_'No, no! He's doing the right thing! Keep pressure on the wound!'._

_'Who- Who said-', Wilbur is thrown aside while a woman rushes in, getting closer to the Captain. She pours some potions over his wound as Tommy holds on, eventually moving him away and reassuring him it's safe to stop. The cut isn't bleeding any more._  
_'No time to explain. My name is Kara Corvus, I'm a friend of the Captain's. And I can help him. But we need to get him out of here – I set up a camp just past those sand dunes there, let's go!'. Without any further questions, the two help the woman get the Captain to safety._

_Kara’s camp is nothing more than an unlit campfire, a tent and a large backpack filled with various supplies, which she rushes to instantly. Wilbur and Tommy lay the Captain down on the bedroll inside the tent as the woman gets more medical supplies and begins fixing up his wound. As she works, she talks and answers some of the questions the two have rolling around their minds, but are too afraid to ask directly;_

_‘The Captain and I go way back. Back to the Original Kingdom, that is.’, Kara explains, looking down at her friend. ‘I was supposed to come by and give him something today. I guess it’s good that I arrived when I did. Now this wound is bad, but... I’ll try what I can. I just need some space, alright? So... Step outside for now, please.’._

_The two listen. They exit the tent and sit down around the campfire, looking into the scorched wood laid out in it. They want to talk, they want to discuss what had happened, but they can’t find the right words. Tommy’s hands are still stained with the Captain’s blood, but with nowhere to wash it off, he’s forced to deal with it. Wilbur wants to get closer to him, tell him everything is gonna be okay, but he can’t bring himself to. Not only is the Fallen King barely alive, the Antarctic Empire will storm through his kingdom tomorrow and take control of everything beyond it - Everything beyond it being a majority of the world as they know it. They wait, they wonder, and they try to keep their focus on the present, but everything falls apart as Kara exits the tent with a look of horror in her eyes. She looks up, her eyes void of life, and speaks with a fearful tone;_

_‘I’m sorry.’, she says. ‘He didn’t make it.’._

\---

Kara Corvus lied.

It was obvious, in retrospect. Refusing to show the other two the body, sending them away and crying about wanting to be alone with her friend. Kara wasn’t like that - She wasn’t so emotional, but she wasn’t so distant and cold either. But in that moment, the man and the boy in front of her had been through far too much to ask logical questions. And of course, they also had their own nations to be worrying about. They had to set up defences, get ready for war. Kara did, too. But she had someone else to take care of. Someone, who, if he were to be alive, would be tracked down and finished off by the Emperor personally. Or, Phil and Pete would be sent after him. Either way, Jordan would be guaranteed to die. That’s why she had to make everyone think he was dead - She was sure that telling Wilbur and Tommy those lies would he enough to spread the fake news.

In a way, Jordan was grateful.

He was grateful that when he woke up, with nothing but revenge rushing through his mind, his friend kept him in her tent and didn’t let him run out there and get himself killed. He was grateful that she kept him hidden in her own home, convincing everyone that the Fallen King, indeed, had fallen. He was grateful, because thanks to it, he made it through the Emperor’s slaughter and lived to see The Hunters - From there it was just a matter of making it to the portal when it was finally opened. There, he could reveal himself once more. The Emperor would have far too much on his mind by then to deal with someone as insignificant as him. And now, here he was again... Walking through the Nether, running from an unknown enemy, and looking for a new portal that could find him a home. But still, Jordan was grateful.

As the Captain arrived at an old obsidian frame and lit it, he touched the old scar on his throat.

Wherever he’d end up now, he just hoped he could return home one day.

\---

The second portal came on a warmer day about half way through March.

Wilbur, of course, as per their agreement, told Tommy about the journal and everything in it as soon as he returned from the Stronghold. The two discussed the notes, going one by one through every single entry the Captain had made. Alongside his Nether notes, he also kept track of what he was doing each day and what dreams he was having. Some of them seemed like ones the two shared with him - Others were deeply personal. A combination of all these entries, Wilbur’s and Tommy’s own notes, and their own theories, a few truths begun showing themselves. Truths that, in a way, created more questions than were necessary. These truths went something like this;

Wilbur, the Scammer and the Captain had all been a part of one world a long time ago. This world was overtaken by the floods, brought upon by something unknown, but most likely Dreamons. After this, the group decided to escape through the Nether and find a new world to settle in, and by mistake, everyone entered an already existing portal and all of their memories were erased as they were reborn in a new world.

In the second world, the Captain ruled the Fallen Kingdom, Wilbur ruled Newfoundland, and Tommy ruled Business Bay. Those names the Captain noted from his dreams - Alongside some members of it. The Emperor’s name never got matched to the long list of people present, however they did manage to figure out that the Emperor’s Friend, with the bucket hat, angel wings and kind smile was named Phil, meanwhile the third of the Antarctic rulers often went by Pete. Tubbo and Eret had been a part of that world, alongside what Tommy and Wilbur only guessed to be another good percentage of the DreamSMP and L’Manberg citizens. Sometime after “The Emperor’s Slaughter”, creatures known as The Hunters arrived. Initially there was a resistance, however many fell, forcing the group to enter a Nether portal and find yet another world.

However, many were missing. Many never made it to the second world in the first place. So where did they go? Were they here, but scattered throughout other cities? Were they anywhere at all, or were they lost in the Nether? There was barely any memories of most of them, and even if there were any, there was no way to recognise them through that strange fog that seemed to hang over every memory that showed itself. More questions only ended up coming up because of their new realisations - But at least there was some peace of mind regarding bigger mysteries of their lives. Fundy, to name one.

Now, the whole “fox ears and tail” thing was very much something noticed by everyone, but something no one really wanted to discuss. It seemed to be a very delicate topic, like pointing out that someone has a scar or a strange nervous habit. You don’t know the origin of those things, but they’re not getting in your way, so why ask and dig up memories? Wilbur himself assumed it all had something to do with the boy’s mother, who he admittedly did not remember, and never questioned it. Fundy himself would spend hours at a time as a child looking into his reflection, trying to figure out what could possibly be the origin of his unusual features. And now, he had the answer. Wilbur was an Ancestor, and he was an Ancestor with deep regret for “something he could have prevented”.

And the Captain’s cryptic comments definitely didn’t ease his anxiety over what that was, exactly.

Wilbur, however, would have his dreaded answer sooner than he thought.

\---

‘First and foremost I’d like to raise a glass for L’Manberg!’.

The president of the nation stood tall at the top of a large dining table holding a glass of a drink he received as a gift from Quackity earlier that day, with every L’Manbergian sitting on either sides with drinks of their own. Tommy and Tubbo, of course, were instead given some water, as with their age and usual behaviour sober, there was no way Wilbur would trust those two around alcohol. It was quite late at night at the point they all met, stars glimmering in the sky and large lanterns lighting up most of their surroundings. The food they had prepared had been more lavish than any meal before - Tubbo and Tommy had made a mess when cooking, but Niki was pretty good at keeping them in line. She, herself, shared some recipes from her old city. Fundy proved to be a better cook than would be expected, also catching some fish for the meal. Wilbur, of course, had to learn things like this from scratch, never really having the chance to properly learn, but learning alongside the two teenagers from Niki and Fundy was definitely the most fun he had in a while... The two of them seemed to have a unique talent for baking. And Quackity, of course, ensured there was enough drinks to go around.

And what was the occasion?

Well, it was quite simple.

‘For our nation, for our home, for the land we fought for. I raise a glass to L’Manberg’s first six months of independence!’. A cheer went through the group, everyone taking a swig of their drink. Six L’Manbergians... and someone. A new, unknown, individual sitting at the table with everyone else.  
‘And of course...’, the president carried on, turning his attention to the new person. One with glasses with red and blue lenses and a headset on his head, with a microphone attached to it. ‘We raise a glass to Jack Manifold - The newest citizen of our nation! With you L’Manberg grows ever stronger... So thank you.’.

‘It’s a pleasure to be here!’, Jack replied, raising his glass up higher in response to the president, receiving instant responses from everyone around him;  
‘Good to finally have someone with an eye for business around...’, Quackity noted, taking a quick sip of his drink.  
‘And someone who can actually hold their own with a sword!’, Niki cut in, giving Tommy a side glance. The boy jumped forward;  
‘Hey! No fair! You trained with The Blade, it's not my fault you're better than me!’, he claimed, his shoulders tensing up as he shouted.

 _So did you and I,_ Wilbur thought, but he left his thoughts unsaid.

‘I have one more surprise for all of you tonight. I wanted this day to be special. So, on the side, I had something remade... Something we decided to leave behind a while a ago, but it’s finally time to bring them back. Brand new L’Manbergian uniforms!’.

When Wilbur brought out the uniforms, it was quite clear to everyone that he had prioritized looks over functionality as war uniforms this time around. And, of course, last time, Eret was in charge of designs. This time Wilbur took it upon himself to design something unique to everyone, something that could work practically but also show the DreamSMP exactly who they were. Tubbo and Tommy's uniforms very much resembled the old ones, with slight changes in a few patterns and colours. Their names were sewn into them with a silver thread, the title of 'Vice-President' sewn in above Tommy's. Jack Manifold received a similar uniform, with a bit less colour and extravagancy. Fundy and Niki's uniforms were both the same but with altered colours, both being brighter and more pastel in their shade. Quackity, instead of an average uniform like everyone else, received a suit with the L'Manbergian colours and his name displayed on it. Finally, there was Wilbur – A uniform with a custom jacket, giving him exactly the look a president would want.

And with this, finally, after six months of hard work... Things were back to normal.

'To finish off the night, I'd like to read the Decree of Independence we all signed six months ago – The document that put us on this path.', Wilbur cleared his throat and picked up the document, his hands gripping the edges of it tightly. With a wide smile, he begun reading;

'As we gaze upon the swaths of redwood trees, the great hills to our south and the walls that have protected us, I, as the now President of L'Manberg herby state...', Wilbur begun slowly, with a clear, and focused voice. Of course, Tommy wouldn't let something so serious happen with him in a mood as good as he was in. He put his hands together and screamed;  
'Yooooo! Suck it, green boyyyyy!'. The moment Tommy exclaimed, Tubbo, Jack and Quackity all begun laughing uncontrollably, soon followed by Fundy and Niki. Wilbur, although he tried to keep a straight face, was soon also overwhelmed with all the noise begun giggling under his breath. Well, a fancy reading would have been proper. Whatever this disaster was was far more L'Manbergian.

'Classy.', came a comment from nearby. All the L'Manbergians turned, their laughter ceasing.

'Dream... Even when we celebrate our independence from you, you insist on coming here and ruining our fun.', the president, although he spoke properly, could not hide an undertone of venom in his voice. The other clearly didn't miss it, but kept speaking anyway;  
'I'm sorry for interrupting. Truly, I am. But something happened, and I believe it to be an emergency. I need all of you to come with me. _Right now._ '. This time, Dream didn't even let Wilbur argue. He simply turned away, expecting to be followed.

The L'Manbergians got up from their seats, got their uniforms and headed out, soon being brought out of the darkness of the night and and entering the bright Prime Path of the DreamSMP. Wilbur walked up front with Tommy – Everyone following behind them with more hesitation. Wilbur lead the whole group up a familiar hill – Tubbo stopped dead in his tracks as he realized where they were heading. With some convincing the boy agreed to come along but kept his focus on the distant trees... They were standing in the scorched, slowly re-growing remains of the flower field that had been destroyed almost a year ago now. Except something was wrong – Everyone, and this time, everyone, from the DreamSMP was gathered around something, creating a large wall of chattering bodies, shifting around and trying to get a better look. A strange, purple glow was emitting from the middle of the circle – Wilbur couldn't see what it was, however.

Sapnap and George were struggling to keep people away from whatever it was that had appeared, but everyone clearly straightened up and listened more carefully as Dream arrived. A small path between the many people was made for them to come through – However, only Tommy and Wilbur were allowed to get closer than the average person. King Eret was there, too, standing aside and carefully watching the whole ordeal with his crown, as always, firmly on his head, and a long, red cloak hanging off his back. The L'Manbergian president and vice-president finally arrived in the centre of attention, whispers arising around them as they did. And at the centre of the flower field, once where Tubbo's house had been what seemed to be an eternity ago, there stood a portal.

Obsidian frame. Purple light. There was no doubting it. A Nether Portal had appeared.

The portal itself was strange enough, sure. Its origin was unknown, the noises it was making were unnatural, and it struck terror into the hearts of any who gazed at it. But it was what was in front of it that truly got the whole city talking, with the L'Manbergians mixing in with the crowd and joining into the conversations soon enough. On the burned grass below the portal lay a man – A man stranger than any Wilbur had ever seen before. He was dressed in a suit, although it had mostly been destroyed by the realm he had come from. Torn, burned, covered in dry blood. His skin was slightly tan, and his hair was jet black and messy. Now, here, around his face, was when things got truly confusing – Hidden slightly beneath his hair and largely coated in blood, the man had a pair of goat horns, seemingly growing out of his very head. He was completely out cold, blood under his nose and ash and bruises covering most of his face. This man, no doubt, had been through hell.

Wilbur looked briefly at the portal. _“Through hell” indeed._

The man himself was a mystery, but what he held onto was what truly left Wilbur completely stunned. On his back there was a backpack, torn open and with only two things inside – A single music disc, with a dark grey outer-rim and a black inside, and a bag of coins. The coins, as far as Wilbur could see, were round, made of gold, and had the letter S inscribed into them. Finally, there was his right hand – And the photograph he grasped with it. Wilbur got closer, picked it up, and looked at it for a few moments with his eyes wide.

It was a photograph of this stranger, although lacking his horns, and a man he barely recognized as himself, but far younger than he was now. Wilbur had his arm around the other, and both were smiling widely, clearly caught on-camera in the middle of laughing about god knows what. And under the photograph, with a black pen, a single phrase was written in with perfect handwriting;

_'partners in crime, till the end of time'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> he's here :)
> 
> i know people were sad i left out "suck it green boi" from the original decree, so... i hope this small homage works
> 
> thanks for reading <3


	31. The Scammer (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A scammer and a Dreamon strike a deal. Wilbur meets an old friend. Niki sees something unusual.

_'I've seen this before.'._

_He's shaking. Shaking from the pain overtaking his body and making it pulsate with so much agony he can barely stay awake. There is blood running down from his nose, cuts are opening all over his body, and it's so unbelievably hot he can't even breathe any more. He keeps coughing, wheezing, gasping for air. He wants to stand but can't bring himself to._

_'Bold of you to come here, with your condition.'._

_Someone comes closer, leans down next to him, a smile pricks the edge of their expression. Even with this, they seem to feel some pity. They lay their hand down on his shoulder, and for a second, the pain ceases. It's like a wave of relief is passing through his body, finally letting him lay in peace. He is still hot. Blood is still pouring out. He still can't breathe._

_'You're so angry... So hurt... Betrayed.... Lustful for revenge...'._

_She grabs his chin and he is forced to look up. She looks into his eyes and suddenly, he can breathe again. He can see fire burning in them – He can hear screams. Yet still, he tries to stand tall. Stay strong. He came here for a reason, he's doing this because he has a task ahead of him. He is not afraid of her – He simply wants to know her name._

_'How about you and me strike a deal?'._

_And so, a ~~scammer~~ businessman and a Dreamon walk out of hell._

\---

Wilbur's hands brushed over the disc, tracing its edges. It reminded him a lot of the discs Tommy always had with him, before the trade – But this one seemed to be in better shape. It was cleaner, more defined, and of course, its original name was still written on it, rather than having the blonde boy's name lazily painted over it. It was slightly faded and blurred, but still, Wilbur could read it. The name was only four letters in large print – 'STAL'.

_Huh_ , Wilbur thought, _what a weird name._

The stranger had been something Wilbur didn't want to think about until now – But being put on “Goat Dude Duty” (A name given to it by Tommy, of course), was making it difficult. Ever since the man arrived, which had been almost three hours ago now, people would switch out and stand guard to make sure he didn't wake up alone. It would seem like a nice thing to do at the surface, of course. But it all boiled down to the fact that Dream wanted to ask him questions as soon as he opened his eyes, and he didn't care for how disoriented the stranger might be, or what he had been put through. As well as usual watch, Niki, George and Bad had all volunteered to take care of the stranger's wounds, and figured out their own rotation with the task. As far as the supplies went-

Right. It's pretty clear he was trying to avoid the topic, is it not?

He knew him. He had told everyone he had no idea who he was, but deep inside, it was obvious. The fourth disc, the coins, the photograph. This man, whatever his name was, was Wilbur's “partner in crime” from the dreams. Now, what did this mean for Wilbur? He wasn't sure. When Tommy arrived, his whole world was flipped upside down. When The Blade showed himself, he begun piecing together more and more of the mystery. When The Captain passed by he got answers to questions he never even thought he had. But The Scammer? What sort of secrets could he possibly hold? What sort of wisdom? What sort of questions-

‘Ah, shit! Who the fuck put this here?'.

_...A classy one, isn't he?_

Wilbur's head snapped back towards the small bed Dream had provided for the stranger in his house – It wasn't much, but it was the closest place they could get him to with how much Niki was rushing them to get the man to a safe place. There was, however, one problem. The bedroom was a guest bedroom, and to utilize space, the only beds were bunk beds. This meant that as the stranger suddenly shot up from what looked to be a horrible nightmare he instantly hit his head into the bed above, recoiling in pain and falling back down. He held onto his forehead for a moment, shouted out right about ten more profanities, and finally turned his head and noticed he was indeed, not alone, in this room. His eyes widened, he shot up from the bed and rushed over to Wilbur, snatching 'Stal' out of his hand accompanied by that cold, angry glare. It was strange seeing it here, in front of him, instead of only getting a passing glance in his dreams.

'Hey, that's private property, buddy. Back off!', the man pushed him aside, inspected his disc for any issues, and then put it into his torn bag, which had been left on a drawer nearby. Before he could do much more, however, he suddenly grabbed onto his side and dropped to the floor, grunting in pain as he did so. Wilbur, as unsure of himself as he was, came closer and helped the man back to the bed. He didn't seem to appreciate it – He slapped his hand away as soon as he sat down.  
'Um... Right... My name is Wilbur Soot.', as the president spoke, he could see an impossible mixture of emotions flash through the other's face. Anger? Jealousy? Relief? Sadness? It all mixed together into a pure look of shock and disbelief as he slowly raised his head, listening to his words. 'And uh- Don't worry! You're safe right now! My friend, she's- She's bringing some bandages, and she needs to fix you up a bit more, so if you could just-'.

‘Wilbur?'.

The man slowly stood up, his voice losing all of its confidence and spiralling down to something more mixing disbelief and anger. He watched him, for a moment, without a word. It was strange to describe how this man was acting – Almost like an animal lost in a place where it did not belong, struggling to string together an appropriate reaction to the situation. He backed away for a second, his eyes filled with glee and he raised his voice again;

'Holy shit, Wilbur! It's actually you!', the man shouted out, but from all his excitement, he had only caused himself more pain, being forced to sit back down. 'Let me tell you, I'm still pissed over that shit you pulled!', the man shouted, crossing his arms. 'But you know what? I get it! From one businessman to another, I'd do the same thing. You gotta do what you gotta to get by! And hey, new world, new us! Forgive and forget! Ain't that right, my friend?'. The man reached out with his hand, still trembling from his pain. Wilbur looked at his hand and backed away slightly. The man sighed.

‘You don't remember me, do you?'.

Wilbur couldn't bring himself to respond.

'That's uh... Hey, that's fine!', the man turned away, chuckling to himself. Clearly, he was hiding his disappointment. 'This should bring it back for you! Hold on, let me get the... Shit, where is it?'. The man, to Wilbur's dismay, once more stood up and begun searching through his bag.

'Is... This what you're looking for?', Wilbur asked, lifting the photograph he had taken from the man after he first came to the portal. He snatched it out of the other's hand, looking into it for a moment. His eyes lit up as he turned it to the other, so he could see it clearly.  
'Yes! Look- Uh- Okay, so, this was like right after we started Schlatt & Co. Connor took the picture, we uh- We took another with the three of us, but I couldn't find it before I left... Shit, where's Connor? Have you seen him? Wait, no, you don't remember him-'.

'Schlatt?', Wilbur repeated, causing the other to hesitate.

 _And Schlatt. I remember him, too. And I remember what we did to him,_ the Captain had written.

'You're... Schlatt?'. The man laughed, almost manically, and then turned.

‘So you do remember! Fucking hell, I thought you were a goner. Alright, Wilbur, drop the act now. I know, I know, you think I'm mad at you, but I've had enough time to move on, alright? Now, come on, let's get everyone else, get in the portal and go back home.', Schlatt turned away, grabbed onto the president's arm and tried to pull him away. This time, it was Wilbur pushing the other aside.  
'N-no, stop, wait-', Wilbur stammered, staring the other in the eyes. He wasn't sure where this sudden rage came from – This man, his words, the way he was acting, something about it felt so off, something was screaming at him to stay away. Schlatt himself seemed shocked by the reaction – For once, he didn't talk. 'Stop talking! Just... For a moment, be quiet!'.

‘Just... Please, sit down. Niki said it’s better if you don’t walk around right now.’.

Wilbur carried on, seeing Schlatt’s lack of reaction to his sudden outburst. He watched as the man walked back to the bed, sat down and looked at him in silence. That look of utter disbelief and anger was still there - He clearly wasn’t sure himself what to say. There was a moment of silence between them that seemed to stretch into forever, with nothing said but so much thought that it was impossible to keep up. Wilbur tried to avoid the stranger’s gaze - That cold, angry glare - Instead keeping his focus on something in the corner of the room. Eventually, Niki arrived with some bandages, and without another word, the president instantly rushed out of the room and made his way to the hall outside.

For a good few minutes, Wilbur did nothing but stand there, supporting himself on a nearby wall in silence. Trying to keep his breathing steady he eventually collapsed to the ground, sitting down on the floor and trying to keep his thoughts stable. Tommy answered questions, The Blade never even showed himself in person - That made them easy to handle. Schlatt seemed different. He didn’t seem like him, he didn’t seem like anyone else. The way he spoke, acted, the way he looked at him... It was clear. While everyone else from the first world forgot it all, while everyone else had dreams or no recollection of the old worlds at all, he was completely different.

Schlatt remembered.

‘...Wil, you okay?’. The man looked up, finding a familiar face above him. Tommy, having had just gotten there, stopped next to him, knelt down and forced a smile. ‘Is it another dream?’.  
‘No, no, it’s...’, Wilbur paused. He promised this kid there’d be no more unknowns between them. Nothing hidden, everything said. Those were the rules. So, although reluctant, he spoke;

‘...That man... I know him. He’s The Scammer.’. Tommy came closer, his eyes lighting up. Before Wilbur could even carry on, he cut in with his own comment, far too excited to be silenced;  
‘Well that’s good, right? We can talk to him about the dreams, maybe he knows where Phil is! Once all of us are back together, then-‘. Wilbur looked up, narrowing his eyes;

‘He remembers, Tommy.’.  
‘What?’.  
‘He was never reborn, I don’t think.’.  
‘...But... How?’.

Before they could carry on, sounds of arguing emerged from the other room.

‘Stop moving so much! I’m just trying to-‘.  
‘Don’t fucking touch me, you-‘.

Tommy and Wilbur both looked at one another, nodded, and ran inside.

\---

There was no doubt of it. “Goat Dude” was the single worst patient Niki ever had.

‘I am going to fucking punt you into the wall if you come any closer with that shit-‘, the man threatened her as she tried to get closer. She was holding a very small needle filled with a liquid that clearly made the stranger nervous. She sighed and rolled her eyes.  
‘Come on, stay still! This is jus a calming brew, it will make you feel better!’, Niki moved forward again, watched as the stranger dodged out of her way and nearly collapsed to the ground trying to get away to the other side of the room. The woman turned to chase him - And then she froze.

They weren’t alone.

In the left corner of the room, hidden away behind a large closet, a woman was standing alone. She was leaning on the window, looking outside and paying no attention to the happenings in the room. It almost looked like she wasn’t there, her mind wandering to another world as she took in the views outside. Niki had never seen her before - With a tight, black dress, long, flowing purple hair and... horns? Much like the ones of the man, horns could be found on her head, as well as a pair of black wings on her back and a long, thin tail. She was about to call out, but before she could, the doors opened, and Wilbur barged in.

‘Niki! Are you alright? Did he hurt you?’, the president rushed to the woman, meanwhile the stranger tried to head for the door. Instantly, he was stopped by Tommy, who had no issue pushing someone as weakened and as disoriented as him back inside. Niki’s eyes travelled to the woman, back to Wilbur, and then to the needle in her hand. She shook her head.  
‘No, no, Mr President, I’m fine, just- He won’t cooperate! He doesn’t understand I’m just trying to help him!’, Niki practically growled in frustration, stuffing a large bag of supplies into the other’s arms. ‘Here, you take care of him now. Dream will get here eventually, then he can be his problem. Just... Fix him up, alright? You know when he gets here he’ll want to talk. Let’s at least make this guy look somewhat well.’.

Niki looked at the woman in the corner, sighed, and left the room with Tommy. Wilbur, himself seeing Niki’s strange behaviour, looked at the window in the corner, too.

He saw nothing but a lonely window and a closet.

\---

_'Now light it. You have to be the one who does it.'._

_His trembling hands move forward as he strikes the flint and steel against one another._

_‘And you're sure people won't be able to see you?'._

_The woman smirks as she plays with her purple hair.  
_

_‘Only possessed people can see their Dreamons.'._

_'Right... And that's supposed to be obvious?'.  
'I dunno. Depends how much you know.'.  
'And you know everything about what you are?'._

_The woman hesitates._

_'...Just light the portal, Schlatt.'.  
'Ah. So you're not so experienced?'.  
'I've only been one for six months. My transformation took another six.'.  
'And... You somehow ended up in the Nether. How was that?'._

_The woman looks down._

_‘My city was attacked last year. I tried to run. And then... I found a portal.'.  
'And you went in? Just like that?'.  
'It were as if... Something invited me in. And once I was on the other side, it closed.'.  
'...Right. Sounds rough.'._

_'And you? Why are you here?'.  
‘None of your fucking business.'.  
‘Ooh... Did I strike a nerve?'.  
‘Can we go? I hate it here.'._

_The portal flashes with a purple glow._

_'Let's go. Ladies first.'. The woman passes him with a cheeky grin.  
'Well, aren't you a gentlemanly cunt?', she enters the portal._

_Schlatt removes a familiar photograph from his pocket._

_He looks at it, sighs and glares into the portal._

_‘Guess who's back, loverboy?'._

_And so, he steps through._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the first official schlatt chapter... and ain’t he acting weird?
> 
> And who is this dreamon lady? I wonder...
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


	32. The Scammer (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt and Wilbur attempt to piece together their pasts. Quackity makes a new friend.

_‘I think we need to reconsider our career...’._  
_‘Oh, come on, what’s good business without a bit of danger?’._  
_‘You were literally shot, Schlatt.’._  
_‘Oops?’._

_Wilbur is sitting on a bed, with his partner in crime sitting across from him. There’s a large bandage over most of his right shoulder, and Wilbur is trying to completely finish it off with some final wrappings. The man himself doesn’t seem to mind the whole ordeal, instead inspecting the bloodied arrow that had been pulled out of his shoulder. There’s someone else in the room, another man in a suit, with dark skin and hair coloured a mix of black and blonde. He shifts in his seat, clears his throat and finally decides to speak up, trying to ease the tensions in the room;_

_‘There was no way to know that Pete was as trigger happy as he is.’, the man claims, looking aside. ‘And what’s the big deal? Schlatt is alive and we got our money. Win-win.’._  
_‘Pete wants us dead, Connor! He might not be dangerous on his own, but you know who he has ties with!’, Wilbur sighs, turning away._  
_‘Wilbur, I-‘, Schlatt sighs, and looks aside. ‘I’m sorry, alright? I got a bit carried away. I didn’t realise Pete had a crossbow, and it all just spiralled from there. I’ll talk it out with him, alright? You can trust me.’._

_Wilbur rolls his eyes, looking aside._

_‘I know you will. I trust you.’._

_The man gets closer and wraps more bandages-_

-around a large cut on the man's arm, without saying a word to Schlatt as he worked. There was this tense silence hanging over both of them as they refused to speak about anything at all. The man allowed the president to inject whatever it was Niki brought into his arm - It seemed to ease his pain slightly, as well as that anger he had been taking out on pretty much everything around him since he first arrived. Wilbur had been working on cleaning up his wounds, and eventually, this lead him to the goat horns - Something he tried to avoid mentioning until now. Large stains of dry blood were sprawled across them, their origin a complete mystery to Wilbur. He got a cloth, some water, and tried to clean it away.

‘Where... uh... where did these come from?’, he asked hesitantly, remembering exactly how Fundy used to react to people asking him about his ears when he was younger. Schlatt seemed more shocked that Wilbur had to ask the question in the first place.  
‘Damn, that portal wiped you good, didn’t it?’, the man sighed. ‘I’m a Hybrid. That’s why. They grew out while I was in the Nether. Hurt like hell, but at least they stopped now. That’s where the blood is from, too.’. Wilbur took in a sharp breath - God, that sounded painful.

‘I’m... I’m sorry.’, Wilbur muttered, unsure what else to say. He could see the blood slowly washing off as he worked, revealing the dark brown colour of the horns. There was even more blood in the man’s hair and around his scalp, but he couldn’t do much about it with all the bandages Niki had put in the way.  
‘Since when did you get so apologetic?’, Schlatt kept his focus on something else in the room - Something in the left corner, near a window and a closet. His eyes wandered back to Wilbur after some time, narrowing as they did so. ‘...You were never one to be sorry for the bullshit you pulled, you know.’.

‘...I’m also sorry I don’t remember.’, Wilbur carried on, causing the man to flinch. ‘But I remember flashes... I know you and I were good friends. So I’m sorry I can’t fully remember that...’.  
‘Friends...’, Schlatt scoffed. 'That's a strong word, isn't it?'. The president hesitated. He sat back for a moment, put down the cloth and tilted his head.  
'...We weren't friends, then?', Wilbur guessed, getting another mixed response. Suddenly, Schlatt pushed him away, grabbed the cloth and turned away, cleaning the blood himself.  
'Who the fuck cares? You can't remember shit. Let's just move on. Now, tell me a bit about yourself. That girl called you president? How'd that happen?'.

'President... Right.', Wilbur hesitated for a moment. How much exactly could he tell this man? 'Of L'Manberg to be exact. It's an independent nation we-'. Schlatt stifled a laugh.  
'L'Manberg? Holy shit, that is the dumbest name I've ever heard. Who came up with it?'. The president frowned as the other's eyes widened. 'No way! You? Bullshit!'.  
'Hey, it's the best I could come up with at the time! Not like you're any better... I mean, Schlatt & Co? Were you even in charge?'. The other man, this time, laughed out loud.  
'You were the one who thought up that name!'. Schlatt's laugh very slowly faded and turned more sombre. His shoulders dropped as he sighed. 'So you really don't remember?'.

'Why do you keep doubting me?'.  
'Well... Let's just say you were always good at pretending.'.

Wilbur stopped his questioning about doubt and trust there.

'I was wondering... Those discs you gave me. I mean, I assume you did. Since I had them in the second world... What even are they?'. For a moment, Schlatt seemed to consider his answer. As if, whatever he was about to say, had enough significance for him to think about lying.  
'...They're just music discs. They play music if you stuff them in a jukebox. Is that so hard to comprehend?'. The president briefly looked to the other side of the room, where the man's bag was still laying aimlessly on a cupboard. 'Stal' was peeking out of it, about to fall out.  
'And that one, specifically? Is it... Significant? Why did you keep it?'. This time, Wilbur knew he had struck something. The way Schlatt's eyes widened, the way he went silent, the way his expression went from whatever it was he was feigning to shock. He snapped back;  
'Why the fuck do you care? You don't remember me anyway, so what's the big deal? Here, how about you just get out and get me some new clothes? Actually make yourself useful?'. Schlatt stared him down, his glare alone nearly forcing him to stand. He did, however, have one final question.

'Why do you remember, Schlatt?'.

And there it was – The complete combination of all the emotions that had peeked through the man's expression initially, coming together and presenting Wilbur with a face of rage, betrayal and complete and utter despair. For a moment he didn't speak – He just waited. Waited to see if Wilbur would piece the answer together himself, waiting to see if he truly had forgotten all that he had done. But of course, nothing. Of course, _of fucking course it's this asshole that gets to walk away without any memories while I have to sit here and remember._

'I lit a portal on my side, and then I lit one in the Nether. That's how you go through remembering. Basic Nether stuff. We all know this. Well, you guys didn't.', Schlatt laughed under his breath. 'You all ran through into a lit portal and ended up getting reborn. Oops.'.  
'...So you didn't come with us to the second world?'. Wilbur could see those usual changes in the man's expression – As much as he tried to hide it, it was clear the man was slowly starting to grow closer to the truth. Schlatt stood up, crossed his arms and shrugged.  
'Yeah, so what? After that shit you pulled I just didn't feel like coming along. I was fine and dandy where I was, as were a good hundred others. But you over-dramatic fucks just had to go somewhere new. SMPLive wasn't enough.'. Wilbur's eyes widened.

'That's the name of the first world?'.  
'Yeah? What's the big deal?'.  
'It's just... I don't know. It's good to know.'.  
'God, you really are far gone.'.

'Listen, this is all great, really, but sitting around in a bloody, torn suit is starting to get a little annoying. Can you guys even afford nice clothes around here, or...?', as Schlatt spoke, he looked at Wilbur's outfit. The other shot up from the bed and exclaimed;  
'What's that supposed to mean?', he asked, getting a laugh in response. The man in front of him took off his tie and coat, fixed up the white shirt underneath (although white was a very generous word, with all the ash and bloodstains on it), and he finally sat back down.  
'I admit, it's better than those ugly yellow sweaters you used to wear all the time, but god, who told you wearing that would be a good idea?'. Wilbur rolled his eyes. He fixed up his tie for a moment and headed for the door, checking if Dream was anywhere nearby.  
'Quackity should have a couple spare suits if that's your thing.', he carried on. 'I'd go get you one, but I can't leave you alone here. So I guess we're stuck with each other for now.'. Schlatt leaned forward for just a moment, put his hands in his pockets and sighed.

'Do you really distrust me that much? I can stay in a room for a while unsupervised. I'm not a god damn seven year old... _Also why was there a seven year old here earlier_?', at this point, Schlatt had more begun to talk to himself than Wilbur, some side-effects of whatever Niki gave him clearly starting to show themselves. The president, although hesitant, nodded.  
'Fine. I'll go get you fresh clothes. But you stay laying in that bed until I do, okay? Your wounds are still fresh, if you keep walking around you'll-', while Wilbur carried on, Schlatt passed him, sat down on the bed, and made some sort of gesture with his hands that was probably supposed to signify his annoyance with the whole ordeal. _Yes, a grown man. Totally not a seven year old._

Wilbur left the room, closed the door behind him, and took a deep breath.

God, this would be a long day.

\---

All things considered, Quackity's life was pretty damn good.

Ever since he joined L'Manberg, things actually seemed to somewhat calm down. He had a stable job that didn't require him to be... Well... As “flexible” as he used to be, and he had people who actually cared about him and what he did for once. If someone were to ask him right now, with confidence, he would tell you he was indeed, happy. Sure, the “Goat Dude” kind of ruined his and his friends' celebration of Six Months of Independence, but he didn't mind. Even with the small interruption towards the end, they had a good day. And sure, the lack of sleep because of everyone rotating on guarding the portal as well as watching the stranger tired him out a bit, but he didn't care. He was about half an hour away from his next portal-guarding shift – So he decided to take a walk down the Prime Path. A simple way to pass the time, really, with the sun rising as morning finally graced the DreamSMP. That was, until he saw something peculiar.

The “Goat Dude” was stumbling down the Prime Path.

'Um... Excuse me? Hello? Hey, dude!', Quackity had to call out to the man as he passed him to actually get his attention. The man glanced back, staring at him in confusion for a moment. His shirt was torn, bloodied and coated in ash, and his whole face seemed bruised.  
‘Oh! Hey! Um... If anyone asks, you did not see me here, alright?’, the man got closer and patted the businessman on his back. ‘Good man, alright, see ya later!’. Before he could walk away, Quackity quickly grabbed onto his arm.  
‘Hey, wait, hold on! You’re the guy from the portal, you’re supposed to be resting at Dream’s house!’. The stranger turned back, hesitated before he spoke, and then simply sighed and begun walking away again. Unsure what else to do, Quackity followed.

‘Where are you going?’.  
‘I need a jukebox.’.  
‘....Why?’.  
‘To bring back some memories.’.

‘I have one in my house, you know.’.

The stranger stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around.

‘You... do?’, for once, the man seemed interested. Quackity fixed up his tie and crossed his arms, nodding in response.  
‘Yeah. There’s one in my house in L’Manberg.’. The “Goat Dude” slapped him on the back, and with a wide smile, exclaimed;  
‘Well take me there then! Finally, someone willing to help me out! Let’s go already, come on!’.

Hesitantly, Quackity lead the man on. He knew that he had most likely somehow managed to slip out of where he was supposed to be, so distracting him and keeping him in his house might have been enough to help once people started searching for him. The two walked through the city, into the walls and eventually arrived at his own home, one that had only been completed recently. The stranger rushed in almost instantly, frantically looking around for a jukebox. When he finally spotted it, he moved his bag down and removed a single disc. He looked at it for a second, hesitated, and then put it down. For some reason, it were as if he didn’t want to play it, no matter what. Quackity, knowing it was best for everyone if he kept the guy here and distracted, decided to start asking questions;

‘So... What’s your title?’.  
‘Jschlatt. And you?’.  
‘Quackity.’.

The man scoffed.

‘That’s a stupid title.’.  
‘Hey!’.  
‘What’s your name?’.  
‘My... Name?’.  
‘Yeah, what is it?’.

Quackity hesitated.

‘...Alexis.’.  
‘Alex, then. I’m Schlatt.’.

Quacki- Alex reached forward and shook the stranger’s hand.

‘Pleased to meet you.’.

Turning away, Schlatt finally decided to put the music disc into the jukebox. For a moment he stood still, waiting for the song to begin playing. As it finally did, his face seemed to drop, his eyes filling with rage as he listened to the music playing. Admittedly, yes, the song wasn’t the best, but Alex didn’t think it to be as terrible as the stranger made it out to be. His eyes narrowed, his hands clenched into fists, and as the song played on, he only seemed to get angrier and angrier. But there was something else there – Some other emotion that was hard to describe. Was it regret? Was it jealousy? Was it heartbreak? Clearly, there was more to this disc than just the music.

Schlatt suddenly threw himself forward and begun kicking the jukebox down. Alex tried to stop him, but the sheer energy the man had summoned seemingly out of nowhere was too much. The jukebox, eventually broken down and unable to play, finally went silent. Schlatt looked at it for a moment, removed his disc, and looked back at the other, his rage fading and a feigned smile replacing it. That feigned smile he had been wearing ever since the two first met, and that smile that seemed so genuine until it slipped back onto his face with so much ease and so little care. He was breathing heavily, clearly strained from all his sudden movement, but still, he spoke;

‘Sorry.’, the man chuckled in between deep breaths. ‘I never liked Stal.’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, im boutta give schlatt's hatred of stal an angsty reason  
> what about it? :)


	33. The Scammer (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream gets mad. Wilbur tries to talk with his friend. Schlatt tries to hide his true intentions. Minx keeps asking questions.

‘What do you mean “you lost him”?’.

Dream was... Well, he was pissed. That much was clear. He had all the guards who were on rotation, that being Wilbur, Tommy, Sapnap and Skeppy lined up, together with all of the medical caretakers, that being Niki, George and Bad, and had been shouting about irresponsibility and disappointment for a good ten minutes now. Quackity, who was also one of the guards, had disappeared somewhere completely, and no one was able to find him for this little meeting. Dream continued shouting about something while everyone else stared, unable to speak. The L’Manbergian president stepped forward, hoping to clear some of this up and take the blame off everyone else;

‘He slipped out on my watch. I’m to blame... he asked me for fresh clothes and I left to get them. I didn’t think he’d run away.’.  
‘Are you a complete idiot?’, Dream hissed. ‘You fell for something that simple? What the hell even made you-‘.  
‘Come on, Dream. Don’t be so tough on him!’, Bad stepped forward. ‘He wanted to do something nice, it’s not his fault!’.  
‘Besides, what’s the worst some guy can do with a disc and a bag of coins?’, Tommy cut in, trying to defend Wilbur.

‘He came out of the Nether.’, Skeppy spoke up. ‘He may be unarmed but he is also unpredictable. We don’t know what he’s capable of. Keeping an eye on him is the best thing we can do.’.  
‘Then let’s find him.’, Niki suggested. ‘Since Quackity isn’t here it’s most likely they’re together somewhere. Let’s search. The L’Manbergians can search our place, and you guys cover the DreamSMP.’.  
‘Finally, someone who knows what they’re doing.’, Sapnap stepped forward and lit a torch, smiling widely. ‘Let’s find our guy, bring him back, and finally figure out who the hell he is.’.

Tommy and Wilbur gave each other nervous glances.

‘Right. Me, Sapnap and George will check the Northern parts. Skeppy, Bad, check around King Eret’s castle. The L’Manbergians can cover their own land. As soon as we have this guy, I want him back to my house and ready for questioning. Is that clear?’.

There was no questions to be asked from there. Everyone went their own ways, and Wilbur quickly gave out orders to everyone with him. L’Manberg had grown over the past six months, with the nation gaining more land from talks and allowing them to expand. They didn’t expand their walls, instead proclaiming the land inside the walls as their “Capital” and building more homes and farms beyond them. Niki had set up her own home a slight distance away on the coast, creating a pleasant little house over the water. Tommy and Tubbo shared a house inside the walls, as well as Wilbur and Fundy. Quackity and Jack both had their homes on the outer rims. The nation was getting stronger with each day, but now there was a scammer from the Nether possibly loose inside - That couldn’t bode well.

Wilbur ordered Niki and Tommy to check the inside, meanwhile he took a quick look on the outer rims of the walls. Niki’s house and everything around it seemed clear of any strangers, so he headed to Quackity’s place. To his surprise, the man himself left his house in a rush and looked around, his eyes widening as he noticed the president. He ran forward, grabbed onto his arm and exclaimed;

‘Wilbur! About time! Let me tell you, that goat guy is nuts!’, Quackity pointed into his house. ‘He’s in there. He’s your problem now. I’m done. I’m fucking done. This is too much...’.  
‘Wait, Quackity-‘. But it was too late. The man was already well on his way to the other side of the nation, probably planning to find the other L’Manbergians. Wilbur turned to the house.

With a deep breath, he stepped inside.

\---

_‘Is he gonna be okay?’, Wilbur asks, his voice panicked and shaky. He’s standing over a bed, where about three other people are crowded. One is by his side, another two working around the bed. In the bed, he can see someone laying down, but can barely recognise their features._  
_‘I’ve never seen anyone have this bad of a reaction to fire.’, one of the people by the bed states, a male voice. ‘Are you sure he didn’t get directly burned? Did you two pass through any fire? How much smoke do you think he inhaled before you got out?’._

_‘We both had Fire Resistance Potions. He was only in there for a few minutes! How is he worse off than me? What happened to him?’._  
_‘I don’t know, Wilbur. You need to give us time to figure it out.’, the second voice, a male one as well, responds._  
_‘Wilbur, let’s go outside, okay? You need some fresh clothes, we need to take care of your burns...’, the man standing by him says._

_He recognises him. It’s Connor._

_‘I’m not gonna just leave him here like this!’._  
_‘There’s nothing you can do right now. Come on.’._

_Wilbur, hesitantly, follows. He’s had a long day._

_He needs rest._

\---

When Wilbur entered Quackity’s bedroom, he wasn’t sure how to react. Most everything had been the way it always was - A small bed crammed in the corner, stone walls, a desk with most of his business work scattered about... But his jukebox, now that was out of place. Moved to the centre of the room, most of it had been completely smashed, with large pieces of it scattered around the place. Schlatt was standing over it, barely moving it all. He was grasping his single music disc in his hands, looking at it with that usual expression of mixed anger and sadness. Wilbur stepped forward, trying to catch his attention before he spoke. Schlatt, hearing his footsteps, whipped around and stared him down - The cold, angry glare from the dreams had shown itself once more.

‘So... What happened here?’, Wilbur asked slowly, glancing around. He noticed how tight Schlatt’s grip on the disc was - It almost seemed unnatural. He looked over the broken pieces of the jukebox.  
‘I never liked Stal.’, Schlatt muttered, looking at the disc in his hands. ‘I hated it. I still do. It’s shit. But it’s also... Do you remember? Why I hate it as much as I do?’.  
‘...You know I don’t.’, Wilbur responded, seeing his old friend’s face drop. The man looked at the disc, lowered his head and feigned a smile, a story coming to him.

'...Every evening after work, we'd... We'd go up to the roof of our office. The view was amazing from there, you know? The whole city was visible, all the lights everywhere. And with the stars, there was no better view. So we agreed to go up there every evening.'.  
'No matter how we were feeling, no matter if we were angry at each other, or right out of some burning house or some shit... We'd go up there and let everything reset for the next day. That's how we stayed business partners for as long as we did... We didn't let anything get in our way.'.  
'And every night we listened to my four discs. Cat, Mellohi, Blocks and Stal. In that order. Every night. Every time. Blocks always played during the sunset. Stal always played while the stars glimmered. That's how it was. Every night.'.  
'And that's why I... Always hated Stal. Because when it started playing, I knew the evening was coming to an end. And I remember, the night before you left... I... I tried to loop it. I replayed it like, three times before you noticed... Or maybe you did... Maybe you didn't want it to stop, either.'.

Wilbur, unsure why, felt his heart fill with something pleasant and distant. He smiled.

'Why did... Why did I leave you, Schlatt?'.

The man's expression was enough to make Wilbur's smile fade.

'The floods.', the man responded almost instantly. 'There was the one with the water. We survived it, barely. Another would come, they said. There was a huge meeting held over what to do – And you all decided to leave. It was the safe thing to do. You'd live on. It was better than staying.'.  
'But... Why didn't you come with us? I still don't-'. Schlatt snapped back;  
'Because I couldn't! I wanted to, I really did, but- I had to be born with this bullshit intolerance! I mean, what the fuck kind of allergy is that? To fucking fire? Magical hell dimensions? Why me of all people? Why me and not anyone else at all?'.  
'You were left behind... Because you couldn't handle the Nether.', Wilbur concluded.

'...Some of you stayed at first.', Schlatt turned away, now keeping his focus on one of the windows in the room. 'You felt bad. You didn't want me to be all alone. But more floods just kept coming. Worse and worse each time. Higher and higher... You had to go.'.  
'...And I left you? Just like that?'.  
'...When I was completely alone...', Schlatt carried on, clearly avoiding the question. 'Time just... Stopped. I don't know why. Some physics bullshit, probably. No more floods. No more ageing. Night and day still happened, though. And every evening, I listened to this disc... Hoping that wherever you were, you were listening to the other three each evening, too.'.  
'I... I'm sorry... I'm sorry you were left behind.'.

Suddenly, something in Wilbur's mind seemed to click.

'But how... how did you make it here, then? How did you survive the walk through the Nether?'.

Schlatt didn't respond. He didn't have time to. Someone entered the house, pushed Wilbur aside, and the man was suddenly apprehended by two figures. A third helped the president stand back up after he was knocked over by the men barging in. Once he recognized their faces, he wasn't completely shocked over their behaviour. Sapnap, George, and of course, Dream. The most loved trio around the DreamSMP – and the most hated around L'Manberg. Wilbur watched in silence as George and Sapnap held onto Schlatt and left him unable to move in any way, meanwhile Dream got closer and leaned forward.

'Let's go back to my house, stranger. We're gonna have a little talk.'.

And Wilbur could only stand and watch as his old friend was dragged away.

\---

'How the hell did we get here?'.  
'Hell? Was that intentional?'.  
'Maybe a little. Was it funny?'.  
'Minx, I am literally a prisoner stuffed into a fucking broom closet.'.  
'Well, a bit of humour goes a long way.'.

A scammer and a Dreamon were silently sitting in a small, cramped room with two guards right outside. The man was sitting on a chair they had oh so graciously provided, meanwhile Minx, the Dreamon, was instead forced to sit on the floor, forcefully pushing the other's chair away to fit into the small space. Her black wings were wrapped around her, her tail was curled up and her horns were digging into Schlatt's arm – There was no doubt about it, having a Dreamon following you around definitely made a few things difficult. Such as, fitting into a tiny cell designed for holding one person. That was definitely a bit of an issue... Minx shifted again, accidentally digging her elbow into his chest. The man, in return, smacked his forearm into her head.

'Asshole.'.  
'Bitch.'.

'...So... How are we getting out of this one?', Minx eventually asked, tilting her head in a way where she wasn't a constant bother to the man sitting next to her. He, in turn, shifted to the very edge of his seat, in pursuit of their common goal of having some god damned personal space.  
'I guess I'll talk. I don't have much of a choice, do I?', Schlatt looked around the room, looking for anything that could help him. His voice was noticeably a quiet whisper, trying not to get the attention of the guards outside. Minx didn't care much, speaking aloud;

'I could set this dump on fire.'.  
'Minx, I will literally die.'.  
'You win some, you lose some.'.  
'Why, out of all Dreamons in the Nether, did I get stuck with you?'.

‘...So what will you tell them? If you do talk, how much are you actually gonna reveal?’, Minx carried on with her questions. Schlatt, clearly, started getting annoyed with having to respond to her in a way where he wouldn’t be heard by the two men outside.  
‘I haven’t said a single truthful thing since I got here - I intend to keep that up.’, the man responded. The Dreamon, this time, actually appeared interested in what the other was saying. She turned her head and spoke;  
‘Even what you told Wilbur just now? That was all lies, too?’. Schlatt hesitated. A lot. He didn’t speak for a good few seconds, thinking through his next words very, very carefully. In the end, he decided to be honest - What’s the worse a Dreamon only he could see could do?

‘...The Wilbur here and the Wilbur who left me behind are different - He doesn’t understand the full extent of the situation. The things that contributed, how I was actually treated, and why they actually left. And I don’t intend on telling him that.’.  
‘Why not? How are you supposed to make him feel guilty if you won’t tell him the truth?’.  
‘I’ll wait. I know how these memories work - Now that I’m here, they’ll start rushing back to him. He’ll remember what he did. He’ll remember what he truly is. And once he does, and looks me in the eyes with that guilt, that’s when I can take my revenge with satisfaction. That’s when I know he truly understands what I went through.’.  
‘Schlatt... What the hell did he do to you?’.

The man stayed silent.

‘...And what about my end of the deal?’.

And so, he spoke once more;

‘For a Dreamon possessing me, you’re a lot more cooperative than one would think, aren’t you?’. Minx shrugged.  
‘I’m just fair, I guess. I want both of us to get what we want.’. She sighed. ‘As much of a cunt as you are, you’re actually not half bad.’.  
‘Wow, I’m flattered.’.  
‘Don’t get used to it.’.

Schlatt sighed.

'...As I promised, as soon as Wilbur is taken care of, we will find your friend. We’ll make sure she’s okay, and leave. No interaction, no intervening. We just make sure, change things if she’s not, and leave. That was the deal, yes?’. Minx’s looked up.  
‘Why can’t we go right now? Your Wilbur guy will take a bit, right? So why not go now?’.  
‘...Because we’re doing something else. Can’t you be patient?’.  
‘I could just posses you fully and take your body there. I don’t need your permission for anything. I might be playing nice, but I’m still a Dre-‘.

‘Then why haven’t you done it yet?’.

This time, it was Minx that remained silent.

\---

_‘Just listen to it once. That’s it.’._  
_‘Just once?’._  
_‘Mhm. And then you can look.’._  
_‘You know I hate surprises.’._  
_‘Well, this won’t work any other way.’._

_‘Alright... Why this one, though?’._  
_‘Because I know it’s your favourite.’._  
_‘Hah... Okay, okay. One listen. Then look.’._  
_‘Exactly. Listen once, then you can look.’._  
_‘...Great... You know what, Wilbur?’._  
_'Yeah, Schlatt? What's up?'._

_‘I always liked Stal.’._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everyone!! remember my smp? episode 2 just came out!!! please, check it out if you'd like to support me outside of my fanfics!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-MUQUJByKA
> 
> hope you enjoyed this chapter <3  
> i decided to put in more minx and schlatt, they're really fun to write-  
> oh, and i guess, i confirmed minx's identity...  
> yep yep-


	34. The Scammer (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt talks with Dream. Wilbur has a strange dream. Fundy has finally had enough.

Dream’s office was what one would describe as contained chaos - A complete mess, but in a way where it still managed to somehow have some order. A desk covered in papers, but all containing important information, a rack of swords and bows, all disorderly and without much of an arrangement to them, clothes scattered about, windows open wide around the whole place... it was clear this man wasn’t one to sit and work in his office, and only passed through here on occasion. When Schlatt was finally brought in, Dream was sitting in his chair, his legs propped up on his desk and aimlessly playing with something in his hands. When the businessman entered, he turned around, placed his elbow on the table and propped his head up on his palms - His face was unseen under his mask.

‘Take a seat. I wouldn’t want you to stand, with all you’ve been dealing with.’. Schlatt, although sensing the clear condescending tone of voice coming from the masked man, still came forward and took his seat, slouching and crossing his arms.  
‘If you really wanted me to be comfortable, you’d get me some fresh clothes. I’m pretty sure there’s not a single bit of white left on this shirt.’. Schlatt looked down at his clothes and sighed. ‘This suit costed a shit ton... And now it’s a mess...’.

‘Let’s just drop the formalities and get to the point.’, Dream leaned forward as he spoke. ‘Who are you, where did you come from and why are you here?’. Schlatt scoffed.  
‘Name’s Schlatt, none of your business, and because I wanna.’. The man’s small smirk definitely didn’t help with Dream’s rage, which, even with his mask, was not difficult to see.  
‘We can do this all day, stranger. I’m gonna keep you here until I get my answers. I’m very committed when I put my mind to it.’. Schlatt rolled his eyes. _Committed? Try being me a few weeks ago, then let’s see how committed you really are._

Briefly, Schlatt looked to the right of Dream, where Minx was sitting on a small chest, twirling her hair between her fingertips.

‘Just bullshit your way out of this.’, she suggested, shrugging. ‘Tell him what you told Wilbur. If you want to stay here long enough for him to remember, at least have a consistent cover story.’.

Schlatt turned back to Dream and sighed.

‘I came from another dimension. From a city called SMPLive. I was looking for a new place to stay - And ended up here.’, he paused. ‘I just want somewhere to stay. To stop running. Is that too much to ask?’. The artificial voice crack he forced in there definitely got his act across - He could already see the leader’s shoulders lowering.  
‘I didn’t know you were such a good actor!’, Minx commented under her breath. ‘You’ve got this guy by the ropes! And I’m guessing you’re gonna conveniently avoid mentioning all of the memories you happen to share with some of the locals?’. Of course, Schlatt couldn’t really answer her... Which gave her free reign to just commentate. Never a good thing with Minx.

‘So you’re a runaway? Like the rest of us?’, Dream leaned back, crossed his arms and looked down, thinking deeply through the whole situation. ‘...You’re trying to forget a past you ran from?’.  
‘Something like that.’. _I’ll never forget. As long as Wilbur Soot lives, I will remember._ ‘I realise I’m not a beacon of trust with how I arrived and what I’ve been doing, but...’. Schlatt forced a smile. ‘Give me a chance. Come on. What’s the worse I could do?’.

‘Three... Two... One...’, Minx counted under her breath as she watched Dream consider. And on her final count, he spoke;  
‘...The DreamSMP is a home to runaways. Anyone like us is welcome here.’.  
‘There it is.’, the Dreamon concluded.

‘Today, let’s call it a test day. You’ll spend it with at least one person with you at all times. We’ll make sure you’re trustworthy. If you pass this little test, you can stay.’, Dream stood up, headed for the door, and turned back right before opening it. ‘Stay here for a moment. George and Sapnap are right outside, so don’t try anything.’. And so, just as he had been before, Schlatt was left all alone. Minx smirked at him from the corner of the room, clearly already getting an idea.

‘You’d think they’d learn by now...’.  
‘They never do.’.

The businessman stood up.

The office itself didn’t have what one would consider the perfect “running away” tools, but it did have something that caught his attention. Just above Dream’s desk, where the young leader had been sitting earlier, he could see something hanged - Three music discs, to be exact. He got closer, looked at them, and almost instantly, seemed to be hit with realisation. Someone’s name had been painted over the titles that were supposed to be there, but he’d recognise those discs anywhere. Cat, Mellohi and Blocks. His other three musics discs, the ones that Wilbur took with him when he left. Why, of all places, where they here? How did this guy get his hands on them?

And who the hell was ‘Tommy’?

He didn’t care much. Whatever the story was, he stuffed them into his bag alongside Stal. They were his, after all. It wasn’t theft when he was taking back what belonged to him, right? Minx, with her lack of comments, only enabled him to carry on without thinking it through whatsoever. It was good to have one of the things he came here for back - But now came the hard part. The part where he made Wilbur remember, looked him in the eyes, and then.... Right. He wasn’t quite sure what “revenge” entailed right now. But he was sure he would figure it out along the way - It's how he got most of his work done back in SMPLive. That’s how him and Wilbur used to roll. Partners in crime, till the end of time... Things change so suddenly, don’t they? It was almost funny looking back, thinking about how committed those two used to be to staying by each other’s side until the world came crashing down around them.

It was naive.

‘Schlatt, right?’. The man turned. Someone had entered the room, someone young with messy brown hair and a uniform similar to whatever Wilbur and his new friends were wearing. The boy looked at him for a moment, awaiting an answer.  
‘That’s right. Who are you?’. The boy giggled.  
‘I’m Tubbo! I’m from L’Manberg. We’re supposed to take you for the first half of the day, I think Wilbur might wanna chat with you a bit. Um... We'll also get you some clean clothes!', the boy hesitated for a moment, and then reached out with his hand. Schlatt, with some hesitation, shook it.  
'Right... Nice to meet you... Tubbo.', the man patted the boy on the back and passed him, leaving the office and heading down the corridor. The boy eventually caught up, nearly tripping over his own feet as he tried to keep up with the quick stride of the other.

'So um... Where are you from, Mr. Schlatt?', the boy looked at the other's bloodied and ash-covered shirt, his gaze going further up and eventually setting on the man's horns. The man, although distracted with other thoughts, still decided to humour the boy.  
'...From a land, far, far away from here. I had to walk through the Nether to get here. That's how I got these horns.', the man pointed to his head. 'Pretty painful stuff, growing that out. But they give me a pretty menacing look, don't you think?'.  
'Fundy has something like that!', the boy suddenly exclaimed. Then, he hesitated. 'Um, animal things, that is. But he has fox ears. And a tail!'. Schlatt became interested – So someone else around here had been travelling through the Nether?  
'Is that so?', the man looked at the boy. He had never seen anyone so... Optimistic, was that the right word? The way the boy talked, smiled... It was intriguing. Schlatt looked forward and laughed. 'Well, I'd love to get to know him.'.

'So uh... What was your dimension like?'.

Schlatt sighed. No doubt, walking to L'Manberg with this boy would be more than tiring.

\---

_'Shit, shit, shit...'._  
_'We've really fucked it now, gents.'._  
_'How is he so fast?! How does he run like that?!'._

_Three men, all dressed in suits, are hiding right at the end of a large street. They have just turned the corner and are now breathing heavily, all exhausted from the run. One of the men in particular seems to be barely able to breathe any more, going aside and coughing violently as he tries to gather himself. Wilbur Soot is one of these men – He's looking around the corner and searching for someone. Schlatt is the one struggling to gather himself – He's being assisted by the third, the one named Connor. There is no doubt about it, these three are absolutely, positively screwed._

_Wilbur's eyes widen as two familiar men turn the corner._

_'Shit! How the hell did they find us?', Wilbur turns to the other two, his voice growing panicked. 'Connor, can Schlatt keep running?'._  
_'No way in hell! We need to hide somewhere before-'._  
_'I'm fine!', Schlatt interrupts._  
_'Bullshit!', the other snaps._

_'I'll... I'll talk to them.'._  
_'Wilbur, don't-'. Schlatt coughs again before he can finish his sentence._  
_'Are you sure?', Connor asks. The man simply nods._  
_'It's all we can do...', Wilbur fixes up his tie and takes a deep breath. 'Wish me luck.'._

_Hesitantly, he turns the corner._

_'Wilbur Soot!', the older man of the two comes forward, his arms outstretched. He's wearing a neat suit, but a diamond sword is still strapped to his back. The way he speaks, it's incredibly strange – He annunciates every sentence as if it were an advertisement, or some sort of announcement for something. Wilbur steps forward and looks him in the eyes._  
_'...VoiceoverPete. And I see you brought a friend.'. Wilbur looks to the man's side – There, stands a man with long, flowing hair. His hands are stained with blood and a single, sharp blade is being gripped by his right hand. He stares Wilbur down with great rage – He doesn't speak. He isn't sure why, but he feels as though there's something missing from his head..._

_'My friend is of course only here to ensure any of our feuds are handled swiftly and with no hesitation... What you and your friends did to me, Wilbur, needs to be handled with such precision.'. Wilbur swallows, seeing as the armed man readies his weapon._  
_'We deeply regret our acts... Really.', Wilbur raises his hands, showing he is unarmed. 'Schlatt got carried away, sure. But he doesn't speak to us. We can still make it up to you. We can give you back your money and pretend this never happened.'._  
_'Schlatt doesn't speak for you?', Pete looks behind Wilbur, where Schlatt and Connor are keeping a safe distance from everything. 'Strange, considering your company name. Why not Connor & Co? Wilbur & Co? Those have a nice ring to them, you know.'._  
_'...Again, we apologize. It's the least we can do. But there doesn't have to be blood spilled over a little business feud. So please. Let's try to settle this in a civil way.'. Pete hesitates. His friend has his sword ready to strike at a moment's notice._

_'...I'd be willing to cut you a deal to make sure my dear friend keeps a distance.'._  
_'Then let's talk. I'm sure we can figure out something here.'._

_Wilbur steps forward, Pete turns, and he follows him. The whole time, he is carefully watched by-_

-The Blade?

With how much Wilbur was shocked by his realization, he nearly fell over, trying to snap himself out of his dream. He wasn't sure why it overtook him like it did – The lack of sleep that night and the stress about Schlatt coming back must have put him in that strange position where his dreams got more invasive than ever. He rubbed his eyes for a moment, trying to ground himself in reality once more. Clearly someone must have noticed how he was acting – He soon felt someone grabbing his arm, and as he looked up, he found Tommy standing by him, his eyes filled with concern. The boy waited for him to gather himself, and once he did, he spoke;

'Everything alright, Wil?'. Wilbur hesitated. They made a deal. He wouldn't break it.  
'There's something important I just saw. The Blade, he was in-'. The man was suddenly interrupted.

'Hey! Mr. President! I brought Mr. Schlatt!', Tubbo, who had just arrived inside the walls, was practically dragging the other with him. The man looked exhausted – Leave it to Tubbo to tire someone out completely just by being... Tubbo.  
'I- Listen uh...'. Wilbur was torn – He wanted to talk to Schlatt, ask him more questions. But right now he had to discuss his dream and everything Schlatt had told him earlier with Tommy more than anything. Tubbo was supposed to be doing something else, so...

'Fundy!', the president exclaimed as he saw his son passing by. The other turned, a bow strapped to his back and a bag across his shoulder. Clearly, he was getting ready to go somewhere. 'Can you mind our guest for a bit? There's something I've got to do.'.  
'Oh, so I need a babysitter now?', Schlatt commented, but was mostly ignored.  
'Dad, I'm going out hunting, I can't-', Fundy tried to retaliate, but his father was far too distracted to be able to actually listen to him. He quickly responded;  
'Make sure to get him some clothes! I gotta go right now, I'll talk to you later.'. Wilbur pushed his son aside as he tried to stop him from walking away and rushed towards the exit from L'Manberg, ignoring his further pleas about being busy and having something else to do.

'Dad!'.

Wilbur kept walking.

'DAD!'.

Wilbur didn't stop.

_'DAD!'._

For a moment, Fundy's face seemed to fill with some sort of unnatural rage. Something Schlatt soon recognized as not just frustration with this particular event – It was the collective anger from having to deal with something similar day to day. He rearranged his bow on his back, turned back and sighed in frustration, and raised his shoulders. He looked at his father one last time, screaming;

'Fuck you!'.

And of course, Wilbur didn't even hear a word.

\---

_'...Dad! Dad, did you see? I did it! I got the shot!'._  
_'Hmm? Oh, sorry, I... I must have missed it.'._  
_'You always miss everything I do!'._  
_'I'm... I'm sorry, Fundy. I'm trying my best-'._  
_'Whatever! I- I don't care anyway!'._  
_'Fundy, please, don't be mad, I...'._

_'That's not my name! Why don't you ever use my name?'._  
_'Dad, are you? Are you gone again?'._  
_'Why do you always do this?!'._  
_'I hate you! Can you hear me!? I hate you!'._

_…_

_'...Dad?'._

_…_

_'I didn't- I didn't mean that- I...'._  
_'Come back soon, please.'._  
_'I'll make the shot again, okay? Just for you.'._  
_'I'm sorry for shouting.'._

_'Please, dad, come back soon...'._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let the daddy issues begin
> 
> ALSO VOICEOVERPETE  
> i know someone in the comments has been wanting more of him so  
> here ya go...
> 
> and yes im making trans fundy canon in this, it's gonna be talked about more in the next chapter :)))


	35. The Scammer (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fundy talks about his feelings. Tubbo shares some thoughts. Schlatt and Minx talk about their pasts.

'So... You're the president's son? That must be fun...'.  
'Tch. As if. It's about the worse thing that can happen to you.'.

Fundy was an interesting character – Of that, Schlatt was sure. The way he spoke about his father, for one, was something he found incredibly intriguing. Back in SMPLive, there were methods to get into people heads. The best way to get someone to give you what you wanted was to exploit a small weakness, press at it until it got so incredibly vital to the other person they couldn't think of anything else. And finally... Offer a solution. Offer a magical pill that could make the pain go away, offer a gift that could flip their world upside down. Schlatt, out of habit more than meaning, noticed this very weakness in the man, and decided to push on it more.

'What's the big deal between you and your dad, then?', Schlatt asked as he watched Fundy carefully raise his bow, aiming it at a distant animal that both of them were observing. He still couldn't quite wrap his head around Wilbur being a father – He was always rather vocal about his hatred for children. As far as Fundy's features went, Schlatt was rather surprised... Fox Ancestors were supposed to be filled with regret, were they not?

As far as Schlatt was aware, Wilbur Soot never regretted a single thing he did.

'...Do you really care?', Fundy asked, and upon seeing Schlatt's nod in the corner of his eye, explained; 'It's just... Since we started L'Manberg, he's been more and more distant. He has work to do, he's always distracted. I can't remember the last time I actually spoke to him like a son talks to his father. It's just been orders, work and more orders.'.  
'That doesn't seem right.', Schlatt commented, tilting his head. 'For a father to just treat his son like another average citizen... He's your father, after all. He should care about you. He should definitely pay more attention to you. I mean, he just completely avoided you earlier...'. Should be better, could be better... These specific phrases were second nature at this point.

'Yeah, I know, right?', Fundy turned away from his prey and put his bow down. 'And I know he's trying his best, but it's just... It's not fair, you know? That my father is right here and he's acting like... Like a stranger. And then, there's also...'. Fundy hesitated. Schlatt instantly perked up.  
'Yes? What is it?'. Fundy bit his lip, clearly considering whether or not he actually wanted to say.  
'...He never uses my name.', Fundy muttered. 'I don't know why, but he only uses my title. Every day. Around others, in private. Just my title.'. Schlatt seemed intrigued – He could see no reason why Wilbur would do something like that. He decided to try and uncover the answer – Maybe, just maybe he could use it as... Something. He wasn't quite sure what his plan with Fundy was just yet.

'...Do you have an idea as to why?'. Fundy took a deep breath.  
'I... Well, there's one. But I doubt that's it. My dad isn't like that.'. Schlatt leaned forward.  
'Well, tell me then.', he crossed his arms. 'It's always nice to vent to a stranger.'.  
'I... It would take too much explaining.', Fundy shrugged, getting another arrow ready.  
'Try me.', Schlatt practically hissed at the other.  
'I... Well...', Fundy wasn't sure why he wanted to speak – It were as if for the first time in months, there was finally someone open to listening. So as ridiculous as it was, as unusual as it seemed, the young archer decided to tell this stranger everything he had been wanting to shout at his father's face ever since Tommy first showed up.

'...I wasn't born male.', Fundy started, once again aiming his bow at a distant woodland creature. From his stance, however, it felt as if he wasn't planning to fire upon it any time soon. 'That's why I had a different name – The name Wilbur gave me when he thought I was a girl. And it didn't feel right. Ever. And I eventually built up the courage to tell him that – And he seemed to take it well.'.  
'He used my new pronouns. He called me his son. He did everything you'd want from a supportive father, right? Except for one thing – He stopped using my name.'. Fundy paused. 'I don't... I don't know why. He used it before I changed it. And after that point, my title became all he used. Ever. And I kept reminding him, but every time I did, he would... Slip away.'.

'Slip away?', Schlatt repeated. He had stayed silent, trying to let the man speak by himself. Fundy seemed startled by this – He cleared his throat.  
'Wilbur will tell you himself about that when he's ready. Just... He's not always there. That's all you need to know.'. Fundy paused and looked away. Once more, he lowered his bow.

'Well... What is your name?'. As the businessman asked this, Fundy's eyes widened.  
'It's... Floris. My name is Floris.'. Schlatt smiled to himself – This was more than ideal.  
'Floris, then... I don't know why he'd never use it. It's a lovely name.'.  
'I...', Floris stifled a laugh and smiled. 'Well... Thank you. And your name?'.

'...Just Schlatt is fine. Don't look too deeply into it.'.

\---

An hour after his meeting with Floris, Schlatt had been assigned to spend time with Tubbo Now, as far as the boy went, he had already gotten a bit sick of him after how many questions he asked him, but he had to admit, when the boy went off talking about his own interests and excitedly showed him every flower in his flower field, he wasn't half bad. He was pretty sure he learned more about the many uses of daffodils that day than he had in his lifetime – But it was later on in their meeting that things really got interesting. Tubbo had decided to sit down and just tell Schlatt various stories from their nation's rather recent history – And one in particular got his attention.

'...And then he chose... Tommy... As his Vice-President. I still don't really know why, but...', the boy carried on with his stories, looking at a small poppy in front of him. Schlatt was listening in carefully, looking for anything to latch onto. And finally, he did. Finally he got his chance.  
'Why do you think Tommy wasn't deserving of the title?'. Tubbo flinched.  
'I mean, o-of course he was deserving of it! He's so motivated, and passionate, you know, but...', Tubbo paused and sighed. 'I dunno, it didn't seem super fair of Wilbur to just put himself in charge and then just... Pick Tommy. We could have at least held a little vote, you know?'. Tubbo shrugged. 'But I'm probably just being dramatic, I guess. Wilbur and Tommy are good leaders-'.  
'Not at all Tubbo!', Schlatt interjected. 'You're completely right!'.

'I am?'.  
'You are!'.

'What kind of democracy is it if the guy in charge just puts himself there, and then assigns the Vice-President? It seems incredibly unfair, don't you think?'. As Schlatt spoke, Tubbo seemed to consider his words with great thought.  
'...Yeah... Yeah, I guess you're right.', the boy nodded. 'I might speak to Wilbur about setting up and election or something! I hope he says yes...'.  
'If he does, you should run.', Schlatt forced a smile. 'Someone like you would make for a great President, I'd say. Or... A Vice-President, at least. And you'd show Tommy you're far more capable than him, would you not?'. Tubbo turned back with his eyes narrowed.  
'T-that's not it! Tommy is perfectly fine as a Vice-President! And I don't need to show him anything! We're both just as good... We...', Tubbo's words trailed off as he tried to find something to say – Clearly he could not. Clearly, he was conflicted. Clearly, he was considering it.

Clearly, Schlatt's words had gotten under his skin more than he'd like to show.

Schlatt smiled – Nothing better than a seed of chaos in Wilbur's little “nation”.

\---

'You're doing pretty good so far, all things considered.', Minx muttered under her breath as she watched Schlatt in the corner of her eye. He was washing his hands in the rather rackety sink Wilbur had in his home's bathroom, where Tubbo had brought him. He was waiting right outside, so there was no chance at really getting away. But with how things were going, Schlatt wasn't so sure he really wanted to run. Talking with all of Wilbur's new friends was far too enjoyable.  
'Really?', Schlatt whispered back, trying not to arouse suspicion in the boy standing right outside. 'I'm definitely having a shit ton of fun. These dumbasses are so wrecked, even a little push in the right direction is making them about ready to snap at each other. I've never seen a group of people more at each other's throats than these people.'. As Schlatt spoke, Minx passed him and made her way across the room. She stopped by the door and leaned on it.

'So this is what you're doing as your “revenge”? Tearing Wilbur's friendships and family apart?', Minx scoffed. 'Kind of cliché, don't you think?'. Schlatt shrugged.  
'Nah, this is just for the heck of it. I haven't really planned what exactly I'm gonna do to Wilbur yet.', Schlatt looked into the mirror in front of him and fixed up his tie. The suit he was given by the L'Manbergians definitely didn't compare to what he wore once, but it worked. It was basically identical, except far more cheaply made. He fixed up his hair as Minx talked on;

'And what kind of punishment does the Soot guy deserve? Death? Something worse?'.  
'If you're trying to trick me into telling you what he did, it won't work.'. Minx narrowed her eyes.  
'Why are you so hesitant on telling me?'. Schlatt turned to her with an angry glare.  
'Well, you won't even tell me who your friend is or how you lost her.', Schlatt was about to leave the room, his hand touching the handle as he did. Suddenly, the Dreamon's hand was placed over his, stopping him completely. For a Dreamon from the Nether, her hands were incredibly cold.

'And if I were to tell you about my friend, would you tell me about what Wilbur did?'.

Schlatt wasn't sure why he even hesitated – Logically, he didn't owe Minx anything. He didn't owe her the answers, he didn't owe her his story. But on the other hand, a man like him could barely ever resit those two magical things – A deal, and information. If doing this exchange were to tell him more about the Dreamon he was forced to deal with for the next few weeks at the least, wouldn't it be a smart thing to do it? And once more – No one but him could see Minx.

What's the worse she could do with his shitty sob story?

'Hey, Tubbo.', Schlatt turned to the door and knocked on it. 'I'm gonna be a while longer. How about you go and get the next guy up? You can lock up the door if you don't trust me to stay.'. As Schlatt spoke, Minx moved her hand away, her smile fading.

As Tubbo walked away on the other side, the two looked at each other for a moment. They both knew they were about to dig up memories they had tried to hide deep in their minds. But they also knew telling these stories may be exactly what they need to pursue further trust in one another – And so, they sat down on the floor across from one another, Minx cleared her throat, and thus begun their most honest conversation since they had first met in the Nether weeks ago.

'So... This all starts a year ago...'.

\---

I used to live in a rather large city in this very dimension, most likely miles away from the one we ended up in when we came through the portal. Now, in that city, I happened to be an incredibly good warrior. So I was a part of the guard – I patrolled the forest every day and tried to keep monsters at bay. Obviously, it was a dangerous job. Which is why I ended up in the local hospital a lot, having to get checked for wounds and what not... And that's when I met her. A nurse who worked there, always happy to help me out and talk about my day. We would joke about my job, or the guys I worked with... And she'd always make those few hours of pain a lot better as I recovered from the worst of it. She was my best friend...

And her name was Niki.

Me and Niki would do everything together – We lived together, spent most of our evenings with each other, we were inseparable. And then... That night came. The night monsters managed to slip past our watch and entered the city, wrecking everything. Homes were burning, people were dying, most of our weapons were stolen or lost and we couldn't even fight. So I picked up the armour and sword I had with me, grabbed Niki and we ran. We ran into the forest, hoping we could find somewhere where we would be safe. But... A monster attacked us. I was knocked aside... Niki was dragged away... I called out to her, ran around, screamed out her name. But nothing. Eventually, I accepted that I was alone and had to fend for myself. And then I heard it.

It was like a thousand whispers calling out my name, beckoning for me to come closer. I couldn't resist. With how much they were saying, with how convincing they were, with how much I desperately needed a reason to feel safe, I followed. I kept following until I was lead to a clearing, where a single, obsidian frame with a glimmering purple light in the middle of it was standing, lighting up everything around it. I rushed forward, and I... I don't know why, but I just... Ran in. It felt so warm, so safe, compared to the biting cold wind of the night, and all the monsters walking around. Thinking about Niki for a moment made me hesitate – But it wasn't much. There was too much pushing me forward for anything to pull me back.

And here came my mistake – I got stuck. The portal closed behind me.

The rest is... History, I suppose. For half a year, six months straight, I was in more and more pain each day. I couldn't breathe from the heat, something was growing out on my back and head, I was slowly becoming something that wasn't me. At one point, the pain just... Faded. It was just me. And I met other Dreamons – They taught me about what we were, and how I could use my powers. And the moment I gained control, I vowed to get back to Niki and use my powers to make sure she was safe. If she managed to make it out of the forest that night, I would make sure she lived comfortably until the day she died. The other Dreamons told me that to get to the Overworld I would need to attach myself to a human – And here you come into the story.

A poor little fucker with Nether Intolerance who ran into a portal first thing after lighting it without thinking through the consequences. I knew you'd be desperate just to survive, so I made a simple deal. I get to find Niki, and you get to walk through the Nether and live....

\---

'And here we are. Now, your turn. What the fuck did Wilbur do to you, and why are we here?'.

About a million things flashed through Schlatt's expression.

'Alright. A deal's a deal.', the man nodded. 'Here goes nothing. Let's go back a good few decades.'.  
'Decades?', Minx laughed. 'You don't seem like an old man to me.'.  
'A lack of ageing tends to keep you like that. Now, you want the story or not?'.  
'You can just tell me to shut my gob and I'll take the hint, Schlatt.'.

And so the man said everything – Everything he had dealt with.

\---

_'Schlatt... No matter what happens... You have to promise this stays between us.'._  
_'Wilbur, this is- This is fucking insane!- I- I can't fucking do this- I-'._  
_'Schlatt! Please! If our friendship still means anything to you, you have to keep quiet.'._

_…_

_'Okay... Okay. I won't say a thing to anyone.'._  
_'Thank you... I promise... I won't let this get worse.'._  
_'…I know you won't. I trust you.'._

\---

Silence. Just silence. Nothing else.

Schlatt had found himself standing up while he talked – He was now leaning on a nearby wall as he waited for Minx to react. She stammered, at first – No matter how hard she tried, not a single word would come out. She didn't get up off the floor... And she didn't feel she'd be able to. She looked up at the man, watching him as he avoided any eye contact with her.

'Schlatt...', she whispered, looking up. 'You have to-'.  
'No. Wilbur has to remember himself.'. The woman shot up.  
'You have to tell someone! Don't you understand what-'.  
'I won't say anything until Wilbur himself does.'.

'Schlatt, he could hurt someone! Do you want someone to end up like you?'.  
'Then good!', Schlatt snapped back. 'If he does it again, then he'll finally-'.  
'You want him to? You want people to be in pain? Is that it?'.

'If it means Wilbur finally feels guilt? Regret? If it means he suffers just as much as I did, I don't give a shit who gets in the way and gets hurt, too!', Schlatt turned to the door. 'That's all I had to say. We're done with this. I'll never ask about Niki again, and you'll never ask about him. Let's get out of here. I've got another person to talk with.'. Minx didn't follow him out. She stayed still, silent. But as a familiar headache begun coming back to her, she knew she had to follow.

And knowing what she knew now, she hoped to god Wilbur would get his memories back soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trans fundy canon and if you have a problem with that eat my toe  
> also schlatt is manipulating :)))
> 
> and yes im gonna tease schlatt's backstory as much as i can before it's finally revealed


	36. The Scammer (Part 6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt realises there’s more to his feelings than a want for revenge.

_I despise Wilbur Soot._

That was what Schlatt had been believing, all this time. That was the idea, the thoughts that brought him here. That was what pushed him to make his deal with Minx, and what ended up making him go into the Nether in the first place, even though he knew he would most likely die. It was the single thought that circled his mind every single waking moment, the thought that pushed him forward. It was what he thought when Dream came and interrupted his second meeting with Quackity. It was what he thought when he was told to hand the discs he had stolen over. And it was what he thought as he escalated the situation far more than he probably should have by insulting the man a good few times before he snapped and rushed forward at him.

He thought about it quite a bit as he and Dream got in a fist-fight, and he luckily managed to knock the other's weapon as far away from him as he could. He thought about it a lot as the other punched him in the face, causing him to fall back. He kept thinking about his hate for Wilbur Soot more and more as he wiped the blood from his mouth away with his sleeve and lunged forward once more, this time managing to get a punch in himself. The man recoiled in pain, covered his face, and in his moment of confusion, Schlatt kicked him in the shins and managed to knock him down to the ground for a moment. This wasn't something that would go a long way, as Dream used his other leg, one not in excruciating pain, to knock his attacker off his feet. And just as he was about to grab his sword and put an end to the fight once and for all, he was interrupted.

'Dream! Dream, what the hell are you doing?!', and so, none other than the despised Wilbur Soot ended the fight by running up and pushing his fellow leader away. Tommy, on the other hand, came to Schlatt's side asking something about him being okay or... To be fair, he didn't even listen.  
'That bastard took my discs!', Dream screamed, fixing up his mask.  
'They're my discs, you delusional green bitch!', Schlatt shouted back almost instantly.

'Dream, please!', Wilbur looked at the other. 'Schlatt is... He's had a long day, he just came out of the Nether, he's sill... Tired, and confused, and he's barely standing as is. And you want to beat him down more over something small he did?'.  
'I'm not gonna tolerate another thief in my city!', Dream pointed to Schlatt. 'I know what the hell happened when I let Tommy stay. I'm not having that this time. That guy is getting kicked out first thing tomorrow! Do I make myself clear?'.  
'Dream, wait. Let's settle this logically.', Wilbur raised his hands and came closer. 'If Schlatt is a danger to both of our nations, then let our nations decide. Let's take a vote. This evening.', Wilbur came closer. 'Whether Schlatt goes or stays – How does that sound?'.

Dream, for just a moment, hesitated.

'...We'll take a vote this evening. DreamSMP and L'Manberg.'.

_I hate Wilbur Soot._

Alright, so maybe despise was a strong word. That's fine. Opinions always change. Deep inside, even as he spoke, he knew he was being a little harsh on Wilbur. Sure, he did some fucked up shit. But he didn't remember any of it, so was he truly to blame? No, no. Of course he was. Or at least, he would be, once he remembered. But right now he was just a president with a flimsy relationship with his son and some questionable ethics as far as power came. Still, not an ideal person. One deserving hatred, definitely. Right? Right. Okay, so what? Schlatt was conflicted. And was that a big deal? He wouldn't be caught dead showing it, so whatever the hell was happening internally for him was his business and his business alone. And of course, now, he also had a vote to deal with on top of everything else. A vote he had to win, for his sake.

Wilbur, as annoying as it was, insisted on helping out personally. He took Schlatt from person to person, trying his best to convince everyone of how he was actually just a really confused guy who would get better if he had time to recover – The other definitely didn't make this easier by butting in with jokes and insults that people didn't seem to appreciate very much. Wilbur stopped at some point and tried to tell him off – And it was here that Schlatt truly became confused about what exactly he wanted to do next.

'Would you stop for at least a bit? I get it, you're pissed at me for leaving you, but you don't have to sabotage yourself to show off how angry you are!'. Schlatt stared at Wilbur for a moment, his eyes gleaming with unimaginable rage.  
'Oh, finally, the good old Wilbur is showing himself.', he muttered under his breath. 'About time. I missed when you used to actually tell people how you felt about them, instead of pretending to be some... Loving, caring leader or whatever it is you're trying to put on-'.

'I'm not pretending!'.

Now, a sentence like that being shouted at him was not something Schlatt was expecting.

'God, why do you keep insisting on that?! Schlatt, I- I'm sorry for who I was, okay? I'm sorry I left you behind, I'm sorry for whatever person I used to be. But I know we were friends once, so clearly I wasn't always like that, right? I wasn't always... As you said... Unapologetic? Angry? A liar? I had to have been someone else once, right?'.  
'Then why can't you believe I'm that someone else now? Why can't you believe that I'm not the man that left you behind, but believe I'm your friend? Your partner in crime? Do you remember that? Because I do. It may be blurry, and distant, but I remember that once, somewhere in the past... We were with each other through thick and thin.'.  
'We'd scam the shit out of people. We'd make potions or try to sell those coins of yours to anyone we could. We almost got killed by Pete once, remember? And... You saved me from a burning house, too. We escaped the flood together. And most importantly... We'd go up to the roof of our office every evening and listen to your four music discs.'.

'... _Our_ music discs.', Schlatt corrected him. 'We agreed we shared them.'.  
'...And why can't we try to go back to that? It will be hard, but-'.  
'Let's secure some votes in my favour, alright?', Schlatt ignored the other, pushing past him. For a moment he looked back. 'We can't do that... If I get kicked out... Right?'.  
'Right!', Wilbur exclaimed with a smile. 'Let's get going.'.

_I'm impartial about Wilbur Soot._

Different person. A 100% different, changed man that would never go back to what he once was. That was Schlatt's final conclusion on Wilbur as they went from person to person begging for Schlatt to stay. This time, he even bothered apologizing and trying to make himself look better in front of the people they spoke to. Wilbur was a new person here, he would never be the monster he had become and he would never be the friend Schlatt once had. He was simply a completely new man, the father of Floris, the president of L'Manberg, and someone he had such complicated feelings directed at it was now getting impossible to tell the difference between his “hate” and his “impartiality”. He started wondering, how much of the small comments and side-way glances were actually genuine, and how much he was acting up for some invisible fucking camera. Because at the core of it all, it all boiled down to how it was everywhere he went.

Schlatt was a show-man, and he was constantly putting on an act.

What's the definition of hate any more when lines get so blurred? With so many years to think, so many years to wonder, so many years of waiting, was the feeling even there, or was he just putting on more fucking masks to cover up whatever was really underneath? And with this many layers of lies and jokes was there even an underneath any more? Wilbur was a good man here. He cared about the people around him, as difficult as it was for him to show it sometimes. Wilbur saw the way him and Floris talked when the latter asked him to discuss something right after their dinner, he saw the way Wilbur smiled and laughed while talking to that annoying seven year old or however the fuck old he was. He saw that Wilbur was someone who had started to try and- Started? No, no, he's always been like this, he's always been good, and he knew it.

Wilbur acted out of desperation almost two lifetimes ago. What was the point in being angry any more? Sure, he hated how he was the one who made it out with all the memories, all the grief, all the frustration. But god, it had been so long since he had seen Wilbur, that rage and hate he displayed around everyone else for him just broke down any time the two got a chance to talk. During the day as he spent time around the city with him, during the evening as they sat in silence as votes slowly came in regarding his fate. He knew, he fucking knew he'd never be able to look his old friend in the eyes and be able to tell him with full honesty that he despised him... Because that was a lie. Schlatt knew for sure now – He knew for sure how he truly felt. He knew what this mixed feeling had been, because while he tried to force himself to hate Wilbur for what he had done, he had failed to notice another feeling arising within him under it all.

_I missed Wilbur Soot. Every day. Every single day._

_Every single fucking day after that bastard turned around and decided to abandon me I just wanted him to show up but I won't say it because it's not part of the act, it's not part of the show, it's not part of the script. I don't care what he did to me, I don't care what he did before that, I don't care what he is and what he's trying to stop. He can't remember – He'll change again if he does. But what if I just stay? What if we become what we were once again and forget about what came after? What if we just forget the floods, forget the vote, and what about we just forget that fucking music disc he left me with like some sort of sick joke on his part_

_Do I hate him or do I want to stay do I want to have revenge or do I_

_I wanna hear it again_

He knew that for sure. As Wilbur invited him to spend the evening on the roof of his house while the votes were being counted by the others down below, he knew he wanted to hear it again. He wanted to see if it felt the same, then he would know if he truly wanted to do what he came here to do. He wanted to know if anything was left of the world before Wilbur told him the truth that ended up making everything go to shit. He knew, sitting next to him on the roof top, that he just wanted to be back on top of the Schlatt & Co. Office, with Stal just finishing up playing, and with Wilbur knowing damn well Schlatt would try to replay it at least one more time. That was when things were good, whatever came after didn't matter, whatever Wilbur did and whatever Minx insisted he had to tell everyone else about didn't fucking matter any more. Right now all that mattered was hearing it again, if it was even possible. They sat on the roof, and he started thinking.

'You used to write songs, remember?', Schlatt started, looking in the distance. The sky was so beautiful with all those stars – And the lights of the DreamSMP reflecting on it far away. Wilbur looked aside and smiled.  
'Yeah. It actually came back to me recently. I think some of the songs might be from the dreams...', Wilbur looked at Schlatt. He had explained the dreams and how they worked – And god, the whole problem with Floris and him had gotten incredibly more complicated now...  
'Do you remember “Saline Solution?”', Schlatt asked, looking away. 'I liked that one the most.'.  
'Saline Solution?', Wilbur repeated. 'Right! Yeah. I know that one. It went... Like this, right?'.

_'Wanna hear a song?', Wilbur asks as the two men sit alone at the edge of a cliff, an all-too-familiar rain pouring down from above and the water below rising more and more with each second. Schlatt shrugs, too tired to react in any other way._  
_'Sure, I guess. As long as it's not as depressing as that Jubilee one.'. Wilbur chuckles under his breath and moves some of his damp hair out of his eyes._  
_'Alright... I wrote this one right before everything went to shit. It's called 'Saline Solution'.'. Wilbur clears his throat, and over the thundering sound of the rain, begins to sing._

'I think this time I'm dying...', Wilbur started singing, and instantly, Schlatt recognized the familiar tune. He remembered the first time he heard it, he remembered what Wilbur told him about right after, and he remembered that that was the last time things were truly okay as much as he'd try to convince himself of the contrary.

_'I'm not melodramatic, I'm just pragmatic beyond any reasoning for thinking I've got fucking rabies or something...', Wilbur carries on as the wind seems to calm down for just a moment. It's still raining, but the water is not being thrashed around and cutting through them like it had been most of that day... It was one of the worst since everything started._

'I think this time I'm dying... I think this time I'm dying...', Wilbur carried on, closing his eyes and focusing completely on his song. Luckily, he couldn't see the internal struggle showing right through Schlatt's expression. Minx seemed to notice, but she herself turned away and listened into the signing, her mind seeming to focus on problems of her own.

_'I think I've lost my mind...'. As Wilbur sings. Schlatt looks at him. Does he blame him for this? For convincing him to go to the mountains instead of looking for solutions? Maybe. Maybe in a way. But he's also happy that if the world is to end, he's here by his side. Because things are okay. Things are fine as they are, even if the whole fucking world is drowning._

'Blurring the fact and the fiction, whilst simultaneously fixing myself up with a girl named panadol...'. But things changed. Things always changed, that's how the world is. The world wasn't actually ending. They weren't going to die together. They were going to live on together, and they were going to eventually wish they had died up on the mountain before everything went wrong.

_'Bite the tablet, elixir, disintegrate, mouth's a mixer...'. He doesn't want this all to end here. He doesn't want it all to come to a close right now, no matter how good it would be to just cut this short here, he wants more of it, he wants more of just being alive and enjoying it. Is that too much to ask? Is that too fucking much too ask?_

'I think I've lost my mind...', Wilbur sang on. _No shit._  
'I think I've lost my mind...', _Schlatt can hear. **That makes two of us.**_

'If I could just break one more night...', here, the song slowed down, and it was just enough to make him think – If he got the chance to say it , right here, right now, would he talk about the past? Did he want to keep dwelling on it? Did he want to keep suffering?  
_'Maybe I could wake up and feel alright...'. If only. If only they could just wake up and pretend this wasn't happening, pretend everything wasn't going to come to an end in just a few days and they'd have to finally look at each other and say it's over._  
'My optimistically set alarm clock time...'. And now he was realizing – The end of the world hadn't come with the floods. It hadn't come that night. It hadn't come all that time ago. The end of times would be here and now. The end of the world, the end of their world. But did it really have to end?  
_'Serves only to mock me with flashing lights...', Wilbur, clearly, is struggling to sing through everything rushing through his mind, trying to keep himself together to just enjoy this moment. With all his might he goes into the loudest part of the song – He knows he has to_.

'I think I've made my choice!', Wilbur practically shouted as he sang.

Indeed, Schlatt had made his choice. He had made his choice long ago. When deep inside he forgave Wilbur for everything years ago, when he stepped through the portal not to take revenge, but simply to find out if his suffering had been worth it for everyone's sakes, he made his choice. And with what Wilbur had become? With who he had grown to be? What kind of person would he be to bring back the Wilbur he had been forced to know once, and strip that away from everyone? Indeed, Schlatt had made his choice.

He had made his choice to forgive Wilbur and try and start again, but he'd never let it show.

 _'I'm a disease playing victim, slip the fate, slip the victory, I think I've made my choice!'._  
'Sink secluded in hatred, void the pans friends are making, I think I've found my voice!'.  
_'I'm a leech sucking blood bags, taste defeat, it's a sandbag!'._

He'd try. He'd try to forget.

'Saline solution...'.  
_'Saline solution to all your-'._

He'd try. He'd try to move on.

'Saline solution to all your-.'.  
_'Saline solution to all your...'._

He'd try. He'd try to bring back his friend, not his enemy.

'Problems...'.

After all, they had sworn to be partners in crime, till the end of time.

And time was yet to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i listened to your city gave me asthma while writing this chapter and nearly cried  
> help me
> 
> also uhhh THREE CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY  
> NO IM NOT OKAY WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS FIC DOING TO ME


	37. The Banishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The city takes a vote. Wilbur recalls a similar situation. Dream gets rid of a bothersome newcomer.

'Okay... So... The best way to secure your sales is to create demand.', Tommy repeated as a plate of food was placed in front of him. Wilbur and Fundy were both walking around and handing out breakfast, meanwhile everyone else from L'Manberg had sat down around the large, wooden table set up outside the president's house.  
'Exactly! And get creative with it!', Schlatt exclaimed as he leaned back. Teaching Tommy about “business” was the most fun he had in a while, if he were to be honest. He could see Minx giving him disapproving looks from the corner of his eye, but he mostly ignored her. 'Wanna sell potatoes? Infect the other guy's field with a blight! Always works!'.

'How about don't do that!', Wilbur came closer, cutting the two's conversation short. Him and his son had just finished handing out the plates, and he was now sitting down in his seat next to Schlatt. Minx looked at the two from the corner of her eye.  
'So you and loverboy are friends now?', she sighed. 'We made a deal, Schlatt. I don't care if you forgave him or not. You're going to help me find Niki and that's final.'. And Schlatt, as he had been for a long while now, simply ignored her.

'I'd say you're just scared.', the businessman turned his attention to his old friend. 'If Tommy here gets the grasp of basic business he's gonna outdo you in everything!'. Wilbur crossed his arms.  
'What's with children in this country and being taught questionable business practices by shady businessmen?', the president muttered as shot Quackity a glance.  
'Hey!', the man exclaimed. 'I've been doing everything clean and proper for like a month now! Give me a break!'. The few L'Manbergians laughed, getting started with their food. The only ones missing, as far as Wilbur knew, were Niki and Jack, both of whom Schlatt was yet to meet. The two were chosen to perform the final count of the votes, together with two representatives from the DreamSMP to make sure there was no bias.

'Hey, Mr. Schlatt! After the vote's done, do you wanna come help me out with some work Quackity gave me? It feels like you'd know how to do some of that stuff...', Tubbo asked with his mouth full.  
'No way! He's coming with me!', Tommy cut in, not even bothering to chew through his food. 'I've still got a lot to learn! And I'm the VP, so I need it a lot more, you know...'.  
'I could teach you to hunt, if you want to.', Fundy spoke up, giving Schlatt a glance in-between his bites. Wilbur couldn't help but notice the strange anger that his son has had at him since the day previous, but he was yet to figure out what it was, exactly.  
'Maybe you guys should give our guest some room to breathe?', Wilbur suggested. 'I'm pretty sure he can find something to do without all of you pushing yourself on him.'.

'I might lose.'.

Everyone suddenly went silent, looking at Schlatt. He carried on;

'There's nothing saying I'm gonna stay.', he said with a shrug. 'I could get voted to be kicked out.'.  
'The votes are in your favour.', Quackity chimed in. 'People around here don't like Dream. And Dream wants you gone. Conclusion – People do what Dream doesn't want.'.  
'And even if.', Wilbur continued. 'You'll get kicked from the DreamSMP. We could still take you in, we couldn't care less what Dream wants.'. Schlatt shrugged.  
'I guess. Just don't get your hopes up.'. The group carried on eating in silence, this time unable to comment any further on everything. Minx, in this moment of nothing, decided to speak up.

'Maybe it'd be better if you got kicked out.', she muttered, playing with her hair. 'At least you'd be away from him.'. She gave Wilbur a glance. 'And then we'd actually go out and find Niki, like we were supposed to from the start.'.  
'Do you ever fucking shut up about Niki?', Schlatt hissed under his breath in a whisper, just loud enough for Minx to hear but quiet enough as to avoid everyone else hearing. 'She's probably dead in a ditch somewhere. You said yourself, the forest is dangerous-'.  
'You cunt! You better fuckin' take that back!'. She got closer, just close enough to do him harm if he said a single thing she didn't like. He didn't even flinch. He had his suspicions about something.  
'Go on then.', Schlatt looked up and grinned. The rest of the table were far too distracted with each other to notice anything. 'What are you gonna do? Hit me? Possess me? Maybe set something on fire?'. Minx's eyes filled with rage.

'You bet your ass I will! Just say one more bad thing about-'.  
'Niki's dead. Accept it.'.  
'You're tempting fate here, you little prick-'.  
'A girl like her would never be able to fend for herself out in the woods.'.  
'Last chance!'.  
'I wonder if she thought about you abandoning her when she bled out like a fucking pig-'.  
'Shut up! Just shut your fucking mouth already!'.

Minx didn't hit him. She didn't posses him. And she sure as hell didn't set fire to anything.

'Just as I thought.', Schlatt still kept his voice low to not alert the L'Manbergians, but he couldn't stop himself from laughing under his breath. 'You can't do shit. It's all bark and no bite. I guess they don't exactly give you classes on being a Dreamon, do they? You would have done something by now if you could. Set a little fire next to me and I'd be on the floor struggling for air. But you're not doing it – Not because you don't want to. Not because of self control. Nah, you have the temper alright. It's because you can't.'. Schlatt paused, closed his eyes, and smiled.

'You failed Niki once, and now you failed her again. Good fucking job, Minx.'.

And that was all it took to silence a Dreamon.

\---

_'Are the votes finalized yet?', Wilbur asks. His leg is bouncing up and down, he keeps biting his nails and he can't stop himself from rearranging his beanie right around every five seconds. He's sitting on a small chair next to a doorway, meanwhile Connor stands next to him, leaning on the wall. The man peeks inside the door for a moment._  
_'...That's weird ...Look.'. Wilbur stands up and heads to the door, peeking in himself. There are six people in the room, all sitting around a round meeting table. One of them is holding his head in his hands, looking down at six pieces of paper. They are separated into two piles of three, and clearly, this result is less than satisfactory. Both Connor and Wilbur jump away as they are spotted._

_While the two try to act natural, the doors open and one of the six people from the meeting table emerges. He looks between the two for a moment, eventually sighing and looking at Wilbur. He seems disappointed, but also somewhat relieved._

_'You two shouldn't be here.... But it's good you are.', the man hesitates. 'We're at an impasse. Someone else has to take the final vote – We're completely split. I know you two are close to him, which I why I think it should be one of you. It's up to you who does it.'._

_Wilbur and Connor look between one another. They nod._

_'I'll go.', Wilbur says, sighing. 'Let's finish this, once and for all.'._  
_'Alright. Come in, then.'. The man looks back at Connor, takes a deep breath, and enters._

_Wilbur looks around the room – Six people, and a single vacant chair. He knows who this chair belongs to. He knows why he can't be here. He knows he has to take his place. But he isn't sure if he can – He isn't sure if he can, with full conscience, sit here and do something like this to someone he cares so much about. But then again, there's another issue... He has to save himself. Somehow, he has to get out of this whole thing alive. So even though he knows what vote he will make, even though he knows what will follow, and even though he knows how much someone will be hurt..._

_He sits in Schlatt's chair, ready to make his choice._

\---

That day was a warm one – Wilbur remembered that about it pretty well. He remembered how the sun was shining, how little clouds there were... It seemed like it would be the perfect day to officially welcome his old friend into his nation, and to get started on something new between the two of them, maybe bring back that friendship they once had. Maybe, just maybe, Wilbur would remember more, and finally, they could continue from where they left off when things went wrong. But then again... There was another layer to all of this. Another level of problems he hadn't really considered. Something that made him fear the worst.

What if Schlatt lied?

Schlatt told him he was angry that Wilbur had left him in their old world – But could it really be that simple with how angry he had seemed to be when first talking to him? That spite couldn't have come from something as small as this – There had to be more to it than that. What if there was something so much worse that he had done, something so much more dangerous and something much more deserving of revenge? What was he to do then? Let him stay? Let him enact whatever it was he wanted to punish him with? He couldn't let that happen. Not with how much he had here, not with how many people were depending on him.

But he had already made his choice. He had already voted the night previous.

He just hoped to god he made the right call.

\---

'...Last night everyone here got to take a vote.'.

Dream, Wilbur and King Eret were all addressing a large crowd of people below them as they stood on a raised hill near the Prime Path, the very hill Wilbur had stood upon more than half a year ago, counting down the ten paces during the duel. Every citizen of the DreamSMP and L'Manberg had gathered together to hear the vote being announced, standing below and listening in.

'A vote regarding the fate of a problematic new arrival to our nations.', Dream carried on, giving Schlatt an angry glance. He was standing at the front of the crowd, most people keeping their distance from him, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders relaxed. Whatever his fate might be, he didn't seem to care either way. Or at least, he wouldn't let it show.  
'The votes were counted by representatives from both nations three different times to ensure it was fair and no mistakes were made.', Wilbur carried on, looking at King Eret. The King himself removed a small envelope from somewhere inside his long cloak, opening it up slowly. He looked down at it, cleared his throat and looked at the crowd once more.  
'The final votes on whether or not Jschlatt is to be kicked out from the DreamSMP and L'Manberg alike and banished from both nations without ever being allowed to return are as follows...', Eret paused, his grip on the results growing stronger. '...In the final vote... Ten voted for Jschlatt to stay.'. The King looked at the man in the crowd, staring him in the eyes as he announced;

'And eleven voted for Jschlatt to be banished.'.

Schlatt had nothing to say. Minx, however, for the first time since their argument, did;

'Good riddance, asshole.'.

\---

They walked him to the edge of the forest – Well, they were supposed to. That was the plan. Dream, Sapnap and George leading, Wilbur unable to walk side by side with his friend knowing where he was going. Niki and Jack had joined the large crowd sometime after the votes were announced, blending in with everyone else and mostly staying silent. Wilbur was ready to keep walking, but found himself going forward alone as everyone else came to a stop. The president stopped, realization hitting him as he watched the scene around him. Dream hadn't brought Schlatt to the edge of the forest – Not at all.

Dream had brought him back to the Nether Portal.

'Dream? Why are we here?', the president was soon joined by his VP, meanwhile the rest of L'Manberg remained with the rest of the now chattering crowd, speaking between one another about the possible reason of them being here. Dream's grip on Schlatt's shoulder was tight and he refused to let go of him, clearly seeing the man grow nervous around the portal.  
'We're here to get rid of this guy for good.', the leader spoke, his grin revealing itself with his mask only covering his eyes as it often did. 'If I send him into the woods you'll just bring him back to your little country. No, no... That won't do. Schlatt is getting banned for good! Not just from out city, but from this world!', Dream outstretched his arms. 'He's an outsider! He doesn't belong here!'.

'Dream, this wasn't part of the agreement-', Wilbur got closer, trying to diffuse the situation.  
'There was no agreement Wilbur! The people voted and the people want this guy out! So we get him out!', Dream pushed Schlatt aside, the other managing to just miss the portal by a bit, instead controlling his fall and dropping onto the burned grass below.  
'Dream, get the fuck away from him!', Wilbur, in an act of desperation, quickly pulled his sword out from a seathe on his hip, pointing it at the man in front of him. As he did so, the whole crowd around them gasped, some people shouting out to stop it, or trying to calm the situation down. Sapnap, George, Tommy and King Eret all focused on keeping the crowd away from the two leaders, who were now standing in complete silence, tension hanging over them.

'Do you really want to risk another war, Mr. President?'.  
'Let Schlatt go into the forest, or we might just have one-'.

'Wilbur, it's fine.'.

The two both looked aside, where a businessman was now standing next to them.

'Schlatt, what do you-'. Wilbur was cut off as his old friend stuffed an old, ragged backpack into his arms. A back pack carrying a music disc, a bag of coins, and a familiar photograph.  
'I was in there for a good few weeks when I walked. What's another few?', the man said with a shrug, but even he couldn't hide the fear in his voice.  
'You'll die! With the Intolerance, you'll-'. Wilbur could barely speak. Dream, on the other hand, was watching the whole ordeal with a pleased grin. Of course it was him that got what he wanted in all of this. Of course it was him that got to walk away satisfied.  
'I'll be fine.', Schlatt looked aside, for once regretting the words he had said to Minx. With the way she was looking at him he knew there was no way she would protect him on the other side.

'I'll get you out of there. I promise.'.  
'We made too many promises we couldn't keep in SMPLive, Wilbur.'. Schlatt looked aside. 'Let's not add to it, alright?'. The president nodded, although hesitantly, and slowly, he moved away.

He stepped back into the crowd, together with Tommy, Sapnap, George, and King Eret. Dream kept his distance from the portal, too, but he stood close enough to stop Schlatt if he tried anything. There was a moment of silence as the whole crowd watched the man and Dream face each other. It were as if time stopped for just a moment. Just a single moment in-between all the chaos, all the hate, all the suffering, all the grief, all the arguing. Just a single moment of peace. Wilbur wanted to step forward, shout, stop this, but he knew. He knew deep inside he couldn't. He knew deep inside that there was a part of him that wanted this. He knew there was a part of him that was afraid of his past, and no matter what, would never be able to face it.

Schlatt was the past.

'I'll let you have the dignity to walk in yourself.', Dream said, his voice turning grave. 'Unless you force my hand.'. Schlatt turned to the crowd, his eyes scanning all of it. He seemed impartial, almost like he didn't care – Until he saw Wilbur. Then, there was a sting of hate, regret, worry, sadness, and finally, relief. He was happy at least knowing one thing – He was happy knowing that no one here would ever be forced to face the Wilbur Soot he knew a long time ago once he turned away and went into that portal. He looked at Dream, for a moment, who tilted his head with a smile.

'Any last words?', the leader beckoned.

Schlatt scoffed and grinned to himself.

'Suck my dick and balls, you green bitch.'.

And with a rather elegant middle finger aimed right at Dream, the man backed up into the portal and disappeared for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welcome to angst central :)
> 
> also HOLY FUCK the last chapter made me wake up to like 24 messages did i really hurt yall THAT bad????


	38. The Idea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur thinks about Schlatt. Tommy pulls him away and the two hatch an idea.

God, Stal was so shit.

That was one thing him and Schlatt could definitely agree on. Wilbur wasn’t sure why exactly he gave it a go in the first place, after hearing all the other had said about it, but he still wanted to hear it. He managed to find another jukebox, this one not having had been kicked down by the long gone businessman, and listened to the disc while thinking through everything that had happened. Or, he would have. If the second part of the song weren’t so distracting. He eventually opted to turn it off completely, deciding to sit alone while his mind worked through everything that had happened. He was still grasping onto the bag Schlatt had given him, wondering whether or not he truly wanted to look inside. Whatever was in there didn’t matter, after all - Schlatt was long gone.

Apart from the disc, another thing in the bag that had grabbed his attention was the pouch of round, golden coins, practically spilling out and falling out through the many holes in it. Wilbur opened it and removed a single one, inspecting it in detail. An S was inscribed into the front and back of each one, alongside a title on the tops and bottoms of the coin, curved as to fit its round shape. The inscription said ‘Schlattcoin’. _What’s with Schlatt and naming everything after himself?_ Wilbur set the pouch down and finally got to inspecting the photograph - The one thing that interested him the most. He grabbed it gently, as if afraid he’d rip it by just touching its edge, and looked at it.

There was no doubting it now - The two men in the photograph were him and Schlatt. They looked a lot younger, that was for sure. Schlatt had practically none of his facial hair, and was of course missing those unusual goat horns. Wilbur himself didn’t look as tired as he tended to appear these days, with bright eyes and a lively smile. They both seemed to be in their twenties at the most, laughing away about something only known to them. Wilbur had his arm around Schlatt, and even here in such a distant past, he wore his yellow sweater, round glasses and black beanie. Behind them, something he had failed to notice until now, was the entrance to an office building, with a large sign above it;

_Schlatt & Co_

And under it, lazily painted in red onto a large, white banner were the following words;

_Launch Day!_

As he looked into the photo, it were almost as if he was there again, on that day. There was a flash-

_-as Connor’s old camera goes off, soon followed by a whirring sound as a photo is ejected._

_‘Can you guys stop laughing? The pictures are gonna turn out blurry.’, Connor mutters under his breath as he shakes the photograph, looking into it. It’s more clear than he expected, but still, it’s not perfect._  
_‘Then tell Schlatt to stop with the half jokes!’, Wilbur manages between his giggles. ‘He knows I can’t keep a straight face with those!’._  
_‘...This is my stepladder...’, Schlatt mutters under his breath, the sentence alone causing Wilbur to begin laughing uncontrollably again._  
_‘Come on, guys. Just one good picture to put up with an advertisement in the Nether Hub. Can we do that?’. The two men gather themselves and sigh._

_‘Fine, fine. Let’s take a serious picture...’._  
_‘Connor, you should be in it! It’s the three of us that make up this company, not just me and him...'._  
_‘Well, someone has to hold the camera.’._  
_‘Right... uh...’._

_Wilbur looks around and spots someone passing by._

_‘Hey! Hey, Pete, could you give us a hand?’._  
_‘Ah, so you three actually went through with your company. Splendid! I’m looking forward to our future partnership...’._

_The man grabs the camera and points it._

_‘To a new future, guys. Only up from here!’, Connor exclaims._  
_‘This is it Wilbur. A new era.’, Schlatt turns and smiles._  
_‘This is what we’ve worked for. Let’s give it our all.’, Wilbur concludes._

_The camera flashes again, and-_

-he was back, still staring into the old photograph.

‘Hey, Wil.’. The president looked up, seeing Tommy was standing at the doors of his office. He was leaning on the doorway, his arms crossed. He had a look of concern in his eyes. ‘You’ve been in here all day. Are you doing alright?’.  
‘Just thinking.’, Wilbur responded, looking into the photograph. Seeing Schlatt's face made him flinch. ‘...But... Dwelling on the past won’t shape the future. I’ll be out in a minute, there’s actually something I need to talk to you about.’  
‘Alright... And, hey.’, Tommy smiled, tilting his head. ‘You can talk to me, alright? I know that guy was your friend-‘.  
‘I didn’t even remember him. It’s fine.’, Wilbur lied with a shrug.

The Vice-President left without any further questions.

Wilbur, continuing to look at the photograph, started paying more attention to its small details. For example, the edges of the photo seemed to be slightly burned, a charred, black colour covering them. He guessed it must have originated in Schlatt’s walk through the Nether - the photo may have caught fire while he tried to get back to his friend. He wasn’t sure why, but he decided to flip it over, wondering if something could be found on the other side. To his surprise, he found something. With the same handwriting as the caption at the front of the photo, there was a singular message left behind;

_Never forget what he did to you._

The president decided this would be a good time to finally stop dwelling on the past.

\---

Tommy was worried about Wilbur – That wasn't something he could hide. Ever since Schlatt had entered that portal that morning he had been sitting alone in his room, looking over his things and playing that music disc, over and over. He knew there were things to be done around L'Manberg, and as harsh as it sounded, if Wilbur didn't move on from what had happened that morning any time soon they could get in trouble. Of course he himself was sad, too – As little time as he spent with Schlatt, he became very fond of the idea of him sticking around and helping their nation out. That, and he was from one of the old worlds with his memories still intact. He could have been the key to solving the mystery of their dreams, but he was now gone without a trace.

Well, no point in holding on to the past, right? And they still had The Blade. Not only that, The Captain was also somewhere out there with all of his memories present. King Eret and Tubbo had both been mentioned to be in the past worlds, and could possibly have their memories returned to them eventually. Even with Schlatt gone, there was still a lot of hope going around. And even if all of that weren't there... The past didn't matter when L'Manberg was right there. It was clear to anyone passing through – This nation had hit a point where it was difficult to tell if it was about to keep going up or start spiralling down. Only the President could call the kind of shots they needed to get out of this situation, and the President had spent the whole day sulking in his office.

He wasn't to blame, obviously. Schlatt's banishment had been more impactful for him than it had been to anyone else. But Tommy still had his concerns. This was why he was relieved when the President finally decided to speak to him, putting all of Schlatt's belongings aside and focusing his attention on whatever it was he wanted to discuss. From his expression Tommy could already tell it wasn't something to take lightly – Wilbur rarely got this intense. He had lead him out of his house and into a large field that had started being used as their unofficial meeting place, where they stood still for a moment in silence before the president spoke. Finally, he decided to make his thoughts known. And his idea was an incredibly unexpected one;

'Tommy, we need power.', he started. He turned away and crossed his arms. 'I lead the revolution but the problem is... I sort of became the de-facto president. But don't you find that slightly unfair? Now, with the war over, we've been left in charge for no good reason. And I can see it's starting to take its toll on the people... We're being listened to less and less.'.  
'What do you mean, Wil? Everyone follows your lead fine!'.  
'Yes, but... They're starting to less and less. Fundy barely gets involved with the country any more. Niki keeps heading off and working in the DreamSMP more. And don't even get me started on Jack and Quackity... Listen, Tommy. We're losing grip. We need to re-establish ourselves as Leaders. And I have just the idea to do that.'.

'Last time you had that glint in your eye we ended up illegally trading potions, so I'm not so sure I like the sound of this...', Tommy started, and then shrugged. 'But then we started our own nation! And that worked out great! So whatever.... What's your plan, big man?'.  
'Simple. We need to prove our presidency through an election.', Wilbur looked aside. 'Let's be honest here, Tommy. Once we announce it we're gonna be the only ones running. Everyone will realize we're the only ones willing to take charge and we'll get our grip back on the nation.'.  
'And if someone else runs?', Tommy suggested, causing Wilbur to laugh.  
'Of course they won't! Why would they?'. The boy shrugged and forced a smile.

'Whatever you say, Wil. I trust you on this.'.

And Tommy didn't lie. Of course he trusted Wilbur's judgment. And he had been hearing some displeased comments about his presidency from the people over the past few weeks, indeed. An election would probably be the best thing to bring some order and hope back to the people – And as Wilbur said himself, it was unlikely anyone would run against him. At the core of it all, him and Tommy were the only two who were really interested in leading.

Or so they thought, at least.

\---

'Everyone! Can we please have your attention?'.

Evenings in L'Manberg were always the same – It was one thing that had not changed during their first six months of independence at all. Everyone would gather around the large dining table in front of Wilbur's and Fundy's home and eat a large meal together, letting them all talk and unwind after a long day of work. It was one of Wilbur's favourite parts of any day, getting to finally rest from all the things his usual daily routines put him through. Political talks, risking war, slipping into traumatic dreams, repeat. Schlatt had been a nice break from that very routine, but he was ripped away from him almost as suddenly as he was forced into his life. He looked upon all of his people, gathered around and laughing away about jokes told between one another. They all went quiet as they noticed the President and Vice-President trying to get their attention.

'I know that uh... Today's events have shaken us all up a bit, but as a nation we have to move along and continue to make some bold moves. After all, there's no future if we stay focused on the past.', Wilbur started his speech, looking around the group as he spoke. 'Which is why me and my Vice-President have decided to announce an idea we came up with. An idea to try and push forward a more democratic nation, rather than what we've had for the past six months.'.  
'We're having an election, bitches!', Tommy suddenly cut in, clearly far too excited to wait for Wilbur to get through his formalities. The group muttered between each other as they looked upon the boy and the man standing next to him in confusion. Tommy carried on; 'An election for the President and Vice-President of L'Manberg-'.

'We are only in early planning stages right now.', Wilbur cut the VP off before he got too carried away with himself. 'But the ballot will open as soon as possible. We want to give more power to the people, as little as there is of us. There are a few ideas me and Tommy came up with today, and of course everyone is free to contribute with any ideas they may have. As of now...'.  
'We are planning to have the final vote happen in exactly six months, right after celebrating L'Manberg's first year of independence. The time leading up to that, of course, everyone will be welcome to campaign and try to secure as many votes as possible. The rules for this election are very simple; I'd say they're almost self-explanatory.'.  
'You have to be a L'Manbergian to run for president. That's it. If you think you can do it, you're welcome to give it your all. We want a leader that can represent our nation and all of its best qualities. That is why I am now announcing that me and Tommy will be running together – We're yet to figure out a party name, but.... Yeah. We're running.'.

There was a moment of silent hesitation among the crowd.

'Well...', Niki muttered. 'I guess this would be a good thing to do to officially name you President.', she said with a shrug. 'And I guess a little election could always be fun. Something to distract ourselves from the usual work.'. Just as Wilbur thought, she didn't even consider another candidate. That was pretty much what he hoped this election to be – Just an official way to name Wilbur and Tommy the President and Vice-President. Nothing else.  
'Yeah! We can be a proper democracy then, right? That's gonna make us a thousand times better than Dream!', Tubbo cut in with a giggle. Tommy leaned over the table.  
'Hell yeah! Oh, and we're gonna come up with a cool party name for us! Just so we have like, an official government! I don't really know how those things work, but...', Tommy's voice trailed off as he was asked something by Tubbo and quickly got distracted.

Wilbur watched with a pleased smile as everyone discussed officiating Wilbur's presidency, chatting through all the different things they could do in preparation and how they could try and make the voting something bigger in the future, once the nation grew larger. The president, however, noticed something strange. Among the crowd of light-hearted smiles and laughs, there was a single face displeased with the whole thing. A single person who didn't seem to like the idea of such a straightforward “election”. A single man rose to his feet, smiled with a wide smile, and looked at everyone with a look of pride.

'I'd like to run, too.'.

And as the whole nation looked upon Quackity, they couldn't help but laugh.

'Big Q? Running for president?', Tommy choked out in-between his laughs. 'Come on dude, this is just an unofficial thing to secure Wilbur as president... Don't make it more messy than it has to-'.  
'Hold on, Tommy. We never closed the ballot. We're not gonna until election night.', Wilbur cut his Vice-President off and looked at the businessman in front of him. 'If Quackity wishes to run, he has every right to. I just... Doubt anyone will vote for him.'. The president smirked.  
'Alright, alright. Laugh all you want for now. But you're gonna regret it, with the ideas that I have. Oh right... I guess there's something else I have to do to properly run.', Quackity suddenly turned away, heading out of the nation's walls.

'Hey! Quackity! Where are you going?', Wilbur shouted after him.  
'You said the president has to be L'Manbergian. Ain't ever said anything about the VP!', Quackity turned away, a grin growing on his face. 'I'm off to get myself a Vice-President, baby!'.  
'Wait, hold on, we haven't even established all the rules yet-'. Calling out to the man, of course, was completely useless with how distracted he had gotten with his idea.

Wilbur and Tommy watched in silence as the businessman disappeared into the woods, making his way to the DreamSMP. The two, even though they were quite confident in their win, even with this small hurdle, still couldn't help but get nervous. If something like this popped up six months before the actual election... What could this whole thing possibly lead to? Wilbur tried to not think about it too much, heading to bed that night not giving the whole ordeal much thought. The election would be an easy win, it would pass, and he'd never think about it again.

He was sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's time.  
> hold on to your butts.


	39. The Ballot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The election heats up as more candidates join in. Tommy and Wilbur recall their training with the Emperor.

_POG2020_   
_SWAG2020_   
_COCONUT2020_

There was no doubt about it - This would be the single most unnecessary election in history.

About a month in after Wilbur proposed the idea of the election things already started getting more messy than he anticipated. The “easy win” Tommy and him intended to grab was starting to become a more and more distant possibility, meanwhile an actual election and some hard work was starting to become more likely. Wilbur wasn’t worried, of course. With how little people there were in L’Manberg and with how much he had given to the nation when no one else worked as hard he was sure he would secure the votes of everyone not running. That was, until this very list of voters begun growing smaller and smaller.

Only a week after Quackity’s sudden outburst and wish for presidency Niki and Fundy showed up out of nowhere, deciding to run themselves, with Fundy as President and Niki as his Vice-President. The President’s son, for whatever reason, seemed to grow into some sort of rebellious phase where he didn’t seem to care much for the logistics of this many candidates and practically no possible voters, instead wanting to prove himself worthy of leading the nation. Him and Niki were yet to really figure out their policies fully, but clearly, they seemed set on showing everyone they were as capable of leading as Wilbur and Tommy. The President would have talked to his son, asked him where this sudden need for going against him came from, but something in the back of his mind told him it was better if he were to just allow it to happen and let this thing pass. He had another problem to tackle - The issue of the votes.

With how things were going, there were now five L’Manbergians running and only two were left to actually properly take a vote. With everyone voting for themselves, most likely, two of the running parties would get two votes each, and the party would have to get both Tubbo’s and Jack’s vote. If these two votes were to split, both parties would be at a standstill. Oh and... Quackity could win, too. A distant possibility, but with the two votes, he’d get one more than everyone else. Sounds like a win, if someone were to ask him. Even with this, the voting didn’t seem as good and as impartial as it could be. There was a very likely possibility that it could backfire and turn into a split vote - And where would they go from here? Wilbur had an idea, but he wasn’t so sure if going through with it were to be the right choice. He decided to just put it on the back burner for now.

On the other end of the election you had Quackity exploiting every little rule that they set in place, securing himself things none of the other parties really had access too. First there was him insisting on a Vice-President from the DreamSMP, which, after some arguing, Tommy and Wilbur reluctantly agreed to. He hadn’t revealed who it was yet, and if they were all to be honest, they didn’t really believe anyone from the DreamSMP would willingly involve themselves with their politics. That was what they thought, at least. Until the election got to a point where it was obvious more votes were needed, and where interaction and close cooperation with the DreamSMP could not be avoided. So, as little as Wilbur wished for it, he met wit Dream in his office a week before the ballot was properly written up.

‘...I’ve heard about your little election.’, Dream leaned back in his chair as he spoke, sitting comfortably below the three discs hanged above him. ‘There’s only like seven of you there... how do you expect to run a fair election with no people to vote?’.  
‘That’s why I’m here.’, Wilbur responded, himself far more stiff and uncomfortable in the way he sat. He had rarely been to Dream’s office these days - They never had any important matters to discuss with how peaceful things had been. ‘We don’t have enough voters to make this election fair... Which is why I want to propose a deal of sorts.’.  
‘I’m listening.’, Dream leaned forward with a smile.

‘It’s no secret that even with our independence our nations still collaborate closely on many matters, such as the vote we took in relation to that Schlatt guy. This is why the leadership in L’Manberg will affect the people of the DreamSMP as much as it will affect us. Since we can’t hold a completely fair vote with how little people we have to vote... I propose the DreamSMP people vote in our election, too.’.  
‘...Now that’s an idea.’, Dream mused, a smile coming to his face.  
‘L’Mnbergian votes will be counted as one. DreamSMP votes will count as half a vote. Hopefully, something like this can ensure we get a somewhat fair result and get a leader both sides can be satisfied with.’. Dream smirked to himself.

‘I like the sound of that. I already can’t wait for you to be toppled from power.’.  
‘You seem confident in my loss.’.  
‘Of course! Haven’t you heard who Quackity’s wonderful Vice-President is?’.  
‘...Who... Is it?’.

Dream chuckled.

‘You should probably ask him yourself.’.

Wilbur ran out of the office with his eyes wide. Okay. So this election was getting more out of hand than Wilbur was willing to admit. So what? It wasn’t like Dream had caught on and was trying to seize control of their nation again and- Oh god he was totally doing that, wasn’t he? It became clear to Wilbur when he returned to L’Manberg after that meeting, finding none other than Quackity and who he could only assume to be his Vice-President...

George.

George, as in GeorgeNotFound, as in Dream’s best friend, as in the type of person who could take this nation and hand it right back to Dream as soon as he became the one in power, was meeting with Quackity - The two were standing in the centre of L’Manberg and laughing away as if the whole ordeal were completely normal. Wilbur barged into the nation with rage overtaking him - How could Quackity just turn around and betray them like this? He could feel that familiar anger growing in him, that anger that he had directed at Eret after his betrayal what seemed to be an eternity ago. He came closer, looked at the two, and watched as their faces dropped when they noticed the President’s unusual anger. He waited a few seconds before he spoke, taking deep breaths.

‘You... You traitor! What the hell is this?’, Wilbur shouted at Quackity, who recoiled.  
‘Excuse me?’, the man retaliated. ‘How am I traitor? I’m running in the election and I’m following all the rules! There ain't nothing wrong here!’.  
‘You’re bringing Dream’s lackey into our government!’, Wilbur looked at George, who had remained silent for the whole ordeal. ‘Don’t you get it, he’s gonna hand L’Manberg over to him the moment you two win, this is the stupidest idea you could have-‘.

‘What do you mean, Wilbur?’, George suddenly cut in. ‘I won’t have that kind of power as Vice-President. I’m just here to help make the election fair. No one wanted to run as Quackity’s Vice-President, so I’m here to help out.’, George grinned. ‘And why are you so worried? You said yourself you’ll probably snatch an easy victory... Unless something changed, and you’re less confident now?’. The man's lips curved into a smile as he spoke.

Of course something changed. And this bastard must have known. He may have been despised in L’Manberg, but in the DreamSMP, him and the rest of the Dream Team were respected and followed. And since the vote was now in the majority up to the other nation, George running alongside Quackity created a situation he hadn’t quite been prepared for - A situation where he would have to actually campaign, far more aggressively than than he had planned to do initially. He had to keep George out of office no matter what - Because whatever he had planned, it couldn't bode well. What other reason could a friend of Dream have to try and become the Vice-President of their opposing nation? Something was wrong here, and him and Tommy now had more than enough motivation to campaign as much as they could. If they were to lose their nation here and now for something so simple it would be a blow more devastating than anything else.

But surely, they could win. With a bit of convincing and walking around, they could easily win. They just needed to keep their heads on their shoulders and focus on getting votes in the DreamSMP above everything else. Wilbur barely felt intimidated by Quackity as a candidate – It was George that truly made him fear for the possible results of this whole event. But of course, he also knew that the man had been right in his taunts. It would be Quackity that called the shots, not George, if they were to win. And again – That was unlikely. After thinking the whole ordeal through a good few times he became more relaxed about it, eventually deciding he would simply do all he could, and whatever came after did – He'd cross that bridge when he got there.

But there was no way Quackity and George or Fundy and Niki could win, anyway.

\---

_'...Left... Right... Faster, don't slack off! Turn right, right- Too slow.'._  
_'Do you ever shut up!?'._  
_'I'm just trying to teach you. Wilbur, keep up.'._  
_'I can't... I can't breathe...'._  
_'Fine. We'll take a break. Five minutes.'._

_Tommy and Wilbur, both out of breath, are standing against a wall and trying to rest before they're forced back into their training. Despite the whole place around them being freezing cold, they're still able to run around in short sleeved shirts and loose trousers thanks to the intensive training that their teacher decided to put them through. Tommy wheezes and coughs, trying his best to keep his breathing calm as he practically bends over from effort. Wilbur is simply sitting on the floor, slowly feeling the cold air around him seep into his skin._

_'Hey, you two. Do you want some water?'. The two look up. Tommy knows that bucket hat, kind smile and angel wings – Wilbur simply recognizes the man as Phil. He comes closer, passes both a bottle of water each, and they both chug them down with no hesitation._  
_'Phil... You are literally the best thing to happen to this shithole of an Empire...', Tommy mutters between violent coughs. He nearly chokes on the water he was handed. Wilbur's drinking is far more reserved, but it's clear he himself really needed the water, too._  
_'Thanks.', he simply says. 'But... Don't you have recruits to be training?'._

_'I'm on my break right now.', Phil responds, smiling. Even with his usual relaxing aura, it's still clear he's exhausted. But who isn't around the Empire these days? Even the Emperor walks around with bags under his eyes from how little he sleeps. Everyone is stressed out of their minds and Wilbur and Tommy are at the centre of it, trying to get by._  
_'Can you tell him to take it easy on us? We've been working our asses off for hours! I get that we need to train, but I can't even feel my arms any more!', Tommy continues complaining, meanwhile Wilbur tries to warm himself by rubbing his arms. So, so cold..._  
_'I'll try to talk with him.', Phil says with a sigh. 'But he barely listens to me these days. Pete is your best bet if you wanna get through the Emperor's head. You know how convincing he can be...'._

_'Pete won't listen to me.', Wilbur rolls his eyes. 'He never did and never will. There's a reason he leads the Empire with him – Exactly the type to run this type of-', he cuts himself off as he realizes._  
_'Right. Obviously.', Phil mutters, looking down at his uniform. A mix of different shades of blues .'Because there's a type for us, isn't there?'._  
_'You know I didn't mean it like that, just...', Wilbur hesitates before he speaks. 'You are so different to Pete and... him... Why did you ever start the Empire with them in the first place? Why did you let it get as bad as it did? You were right by his side, you could have...'. Wilbur's voice trails off as he notices Phil's expression._

_'Wilbur, I may like you and Tommy but I've known the Emperor far longer. And there are things to him you could never hope to understand. You agreed to a condition when you entered these walls to train – We forget the past and focus on getting ourselves a future. So can we actually do it?'._  
_'You're afraid of him, aren't you?', Tommy asks. 'You're scared to speak up to the Emperor.'._  
_'Trust me, if I really was, I had a lot of chances to run.', Phil says with a spiteful glare. 'I care about him. You may not see it, but he's very important to me. I've been through a lot with him. There's more to him than what the outside world sees.'. Tommy scoffs._  
_'Whatever. You and that guy will never make sense to me anyway.'._

_Tommy walks away and gets his sword ready, preparing for more training. Wilbur looks back._

_'The past is the past.', Wilbur says to him. 'Let's leave it at that.'._  
_'Thank you for understanding, Wil.', Phil responds with a smile._  
_'Do you think we can do it? Fight back against the Hunters?'._  
_'As long as we stick together? I'm sure we're gonna be okay.'._

Wilbur awoke that morning feeling strangely comforted.

It had been a month since the election was first announced – All of its rules were finally set in place, the official candidates had made themselves known, and the election was publicly announced to the DreamSMP. Even after the first day of being mentioned it became the main focus of everyone's discussions – Talking about candidates, asking for more information, requesting that debates take place. Once again, the election had reminded Wilbur it would be far more complicated than he intended it to be. At times he'd regret he came up with the idea in the first place, but that specific morning when the final ballot was to be written up, he felt unusually confident.

A large clearing had been made right outside the walls of L'Manberg's capital where a podium would be build in preparation for the election, both for debates, results, and the eventual president's grand inauguration speech. It was only five months away now that the big event would take place, and already, it felt like the eyes of both nations were set on them, awaiting results. Wilbur walked into the clearing that morning, his uniform proudly on display, alongside Tommy. Fundy and Niki were standing together, whispering about something. Quackity and George watched them arrive in silence. They both stopped in front of a small table, where a singular piece of paper was laying. The current president picked it up and looked around.

'Has everyone put the names of their parties and all individuals running on this paper?', he asked, receiving a few nods and maybe one verbal response. He wasn't sure if it was because everyone was as tired or as stressed as him – Or maybe it was a mix of both?

Either way, he decided to look down at the page and finally put his and Tommy's names in, as well as their party name. It wasn't anything creative by any means, but they had to come up with something. From the page he could see no one else really took this specific section of the election very seriously. He wasn't sure where exactly this whole thing would lead, but he knew from the list before him that there would be no turning back from this point. He had received a clearer, printed out version of the ballot later that day, reading over it carefully. From it alone he could tell the next five months would be interesting – But hopefully, they could end in his victory. And the ballot went as follows;

_POG2020_   
_Presidential Candidate: Wilbur Soot_  
_Vice-Presidential Candidate: Thomas 'TommyInnit' Simons_

_SWAG2020_   
_Presidential Candidate: Alexis 'Quackity'_  
_Vice-Presidential Candidate: George 'GeorgeNotFound' Davidson_

_COCONUT2020_   
_Presidential Candidate: Floris 'Fundy' Soot_  
_Vice-Presidential Candidate: Nikita 'Nihachu'_

_WRITE-IN CANDIDATES PERMITTED TO REGISTER UNTIL VOTING NIGHT_

Certainly, this election would be more than interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we GO  
> THINGS ARE GETTING STARTED
> 
> im gonna try to get to the election ASAP, and not delay it as much as i did the war...


	40. The Debate (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur, Quackity and Fundy all make their first speeches and lay the groundwork for their candidacies.

_Breathe in, breathe out. It's not like the whole world is watching._

_Breathe in, breathe out. Well, it isn't. But all of my own little world is watching._

_Breathe in, breathe out. Things are about to get messy. Real messy-_

'Tommy? Are you ready?'.

_Breathe in, breathe out. I sure hope so._

The Vice-President took another deep breath as he finally decided to step outside and face what was ahead. He stepped into a small corridor, moving out of the bathroom at the President’s house. He soon found the man in question standing nearby, leaning on the wall. Wilbur was dressed in his usual presidential uniform, nicely cleaned up and fixed up for what was ahead. He clearly wanted everyone to see the best of him, even bothering to wash that old beanie of his and brush his hair properly. Tommy had thought he was the only one who prepared for the event so much, but upon seeing the current President, he had begun thinking he may have underprepared just a little. He brushed some dirt away from his jacket with his hand, looked up and forced a smile.

‘Ready?’, Wilbur asked again.  
‘Yeah. Let’s go.’, Tommy responded, moving forward.

The two walked slowly out of the President’s home and begun making their way out of L’Manberg’s walls. Only a few people were around, but they were all making their way to the same place as them. Everyone had the same goal, the same place to go to today. There was only one event around L’Manberg and the DreamSMP today that everyone would gather for. Distant chatter grew louder as Tommy and Wilbur approached the (still under construction) podium, where most citizens were sitting on chairs that had been brought in from various homes and set up. Up on the stage, Quackity and George were already waiting, with Niki and Fundy arriving soon enough. Tubbo was standing nearby, going through notes he held in his hands. Dream and King Eret were both standing at the side of the stage, watching carefully, but stepped down as they saw the President and Vice-President arrive.

For a brief moment, Wilbur turned back to Tommy. And just as he had months ago at the start of their war, he quickly fixed up his tie, much against his complaining and muttering something about ‘responsibility’ and ‘independence’. He then turned back to Tubbo, who was nervously fiddling with the pages as he waited at the side of a small microphone. Once he received a nod from Wilbur, he quickly turned around and tapped on the microphone, receiving everyone’s attention. Chatter died down, everyone took their seats, and the six candidates all stood tall by one another, trying to outdo each other in appearances. Tubbo cleared his throat, quickly went over his notes, and finally, begun speaking;

‘Hello everyone, and thank you for coming today. As you all most likely know, two months ago we started work on the first L’Manbergian election. And while all candidates have worked hard to campaign for votes, we were yet to have our first proper debate. And that is why we are here today. We welcome all DreamSMP Citizens and thank you for your help with our election. We truly appreciate it. We hope you enjoy your stay in our nation.’.  
‘Before we start, I’d just like to remind you all that no weapons or amour are permitted in L’Manbergian walls. You may have your emergency weapon with you, but please keep it sheathed. This is a land of words and not violence - And we hope that moving past this war we went through, and going into a purely democratic election as such, we are establishing this very belief.’.  
‘Today, I will introduce all of our running candidates. We will switch between Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates throughout the course of today, but we will have these debates separately in the future. I will ask questions and then will pass the microphone over to the audience - I encourage everyone here ask about an issue they truly want their future president to address.’.  
‘I just want you to thank again for coming. Your help is what’s going to shape our nation’s future - And with our messy past, it is truly heart-warming to see all of us moving past these events and focusing on the future. This debate is not only for L’Manberg, it’s for the DreamSMP, for us, and every single one of you. Thank you!’.

A mix of cheers and claps went through the crowd. Wilbur couldn’t help but smile. Tubbo put a lot of work into preparing that speech.

‘Firstly I’d like to introduce our candidates. Starting with the POG2020 party, the current President and Vice-President of L’Manberg, Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit!’.

A few cheers went through the crowd, an extra loud one coming from Jack, who got to sit up front as the only L’Manbergian not directly involved with the election. He was sitting alongside Dream, Sapnap and King Eret, who all got the front row seats to themselves, next to an empty chair Tubbo would take once questions started and someone else took over the debate.

‘Next, running as the SWAG2020 party, we have Quackity as the Presidential Candidate and GeorgeNotFound as the Vice-Presidential Candidate!’.

The cheer this time wasn’t as strong, but Dream and Sapnap clearly got quite into it, practically screaming out their friend’s name as they watched. Jack jumped away from them as they exclaimed, but not only he was startled. A lot of the people around the two were shocked by their outburst. Meanwhile, on the stage, George himself simply seemed embarrassed.

‘And finally, as the COCONUT2020 party, all welcome Fundy as Presidential Candidate and Nihachu as Vice-Presidential Candidate!’.

The cheers and claps this time were far more calm and organised, but it was no secret that Alyssa and Ponk were both making sure to be seen by Niki. She gave them both a shy wave as everyone waited for the crowd to calm down. Fundy whispered something into her ear and she laughed - Wilbur couldn’t help but wonder what they were discussing.

‘We’re going to get started now with some basic introductory questions. For the time being, could the Vice-Presidential Candidates step down and sit in the audience, and could the Presidential Candidates take their spots at the three stands?’.

Everyone listened, with Tommy, Niki and George all making their way down to a few front-row seats below, soon followed by Tubbo with his microphone. Wilbur stepped up to one of the three stands prepared for the Presidential Candidates, noticing the microphone in front of him. He could see everyone staring up at him, and already, an uneasy feeling of nervousness started rising in him. He took a deep breath and tried to relax himself, knowing this would be the worst possible time to slip into another dream. He gripped the side of the stand, tapping his hands on the wood to try and focus on his present. He laid his notes out in front of him and waited, forcing a smile to hide the internal panic slowly settling in with him. He couldn’t really see if Quackity and Fundy were having the same problems from their eyes alone, but he could make an educated guess that they were most likely just a little stressed. Tubbo readied his microphone, glanced up and spoke;

‘First of all, I’d like all the candidates to introduce themselves and give us a basic outline of their policies and why they think they deserve the presidency. We’re going to start from the left side and go right - Mr. Fundy going first and Mr. Soot going last. Fundy, go ahead.’.

Wilbur glanced at his son. Fundy looked back. There was a gleam in his eye, one he had never seen before. One he, for some strange reason, feared.

‘Thank you Tubbo.’, Fundy started with a grin. ‘And thank you everyone for taking the time out of your day to come here and help us with our election. You’re helping us shape a better future for L’Manberg. And even if you may not be a part of it, you are shaping a better future for yourself, too. That is, if you decide to vote for me.’.  
‘My father lead the revolution and his Vice-President secured our freedom. Quackity’s business handling allowed us to rebuild. But that is all these two candidates have brought - The basics. The soil atop which to build a country. But what comes next?’, Fundy turned to the side, lowering his voice, slightly. ‘What comes next, Mr. President?’.  
‘I believe L’Manberg should be handed down to ambitious candidates who have plans for our future - Opening up the walls to new citizens, finding other cities and starting long-term trade deals. And of course, a cooperation with the DreamSMP closer than ever before. Me and Niki can bring that very future.’.  
‘A future where we can look our children in the eyes and proudly say “I made this for you, now take it and make it better”. And that future can’t come if the children of the nation can’t secure it.’, Fundy paused, taking a deep breath. ‘A vote for me is a vote for a future built by those who don’t need to depend on the past.’.

Wilbur shuddered as he heard the applause - And the way Fundy looked at him only made him fear more. There was a reason he was up here with him, campaigning against him, trying to uproot his rule and prove to everyone that he could lead the nation instead of him. And it wasn’t because he admired him, because he was motivated by him, because he wanted to make him proud. It was because he wanted to prove himself, he wanted to get attention, he wanted all of those things because Wilbur had failed to provide him with them. He failed to he the father he should have been - And the middle of a presidential debate was definitely the worst moment to realise something like that. He shifted his position slightly, grasped onto his stand more tightly and cleared his throat as applause died down.

Him and Fundy really needed to talk.

‘Thank you, Fundy. Mr. Quackity, you’re next.’, as Tubbo spoke, a murmur seemed to go through the crowd, combined with some giggles between people. The man cleared his throat and stepped up, fixing up his sunglasses. Clearly, he was taking the whole thing far more seriously than anyone expected him to.

‘Alright, let’s get the obvious out of the way.’, the candidate spoke with a tone a lot more relaxed than that of Fundy. ‘None of you here are taking my future presidency very seriously. And I get it! Hey, I’d never take myself seriously either! I mean, I obviously don’t! Look at what I’m wearing!’, the man looked down at his messy suit as a few laughs went through the crowd.  
‘But when it comes to L’Manberg I have been serious since day one. I mean, you know it! Alyssa, Ponk, how many trade deals did we make? Sam, I’m pretty sure I hired you for redstone work at least three different times! I spent countless nights staying up and working out the best way to make this place special - And here’s what I got in exchange.’.  
‘I got a country with too many resources to count and no future plans to use them for - While I was doing the hard work, the even harder work was being just... left there! I mean, come on. We don’t just stop at building some walls and flying a flag. We need bold strokes - And I can promise you I’ll bring that.’, Quackity paused with a grin.  
‘You may know from my past endeavours I barely ever hesitated when it came to my plans. I don't hold back, no matter what, because when I want something, I'm gonna do anything I can to get it. And do you know what I want?', the man shouted out, looking into the crowd. 'I want a better L'Manberg, and a better L'Manberg starts with a vote for me!'.

The cheer that followed almost shocked Wilbur – He didn't expect Quackity to have support to this degree. And these people, for once, seemed to accept his words like they were truth. Not as some sort of joke, some sort of irony. They actually seemed somewhat trusting in him and his policies. Wilbur felt his hands only gripping onto the stand below more tightly as he tried to keep his focus on everything around him. The noise of the applause all seemed to blend together, his whole vision seemed to get blurry... He had never thought he would get this nervous talking in front of such a large crowd. He usually had no problems addressing L'Manberg – But this was different. There was so much at stake, so much that could go wrong. It all depended on his first impressions here and now, and he already felt far too light-headed to speak. Not only that, his mind kept travelling back to Fundy's spiteful words, constantly making him wonder what he could have done wrong to cause all of this. Before he knew it, the podium was once more coated in silence and all eyes were set on him.

'Thank you Mr. Quackity. Mr. President?'.

_No wait wait I'm not ready I need more time_

'...I... Uh... Right...'. Wilbur cleared his throat, looking around. So many faces. So many expectations. So many standards to hold up and so much to represent. So much to fight for, so much that mattered, so much that he had to show here and no matter what he did he couldn't hold on, he couldn't stay focused, he couldn't-

_-let this stop him from achieving what he had dreamed of his entire life._

_'Just take a deep breath and try to focus. This is the worst time to start doubting yourself.', Wilbur is speaking, although he himself seems nervous. The man in front of him fixes up his hair, rearranges his tie and rubs his eyes, trying to keep it together._  
_'I'm fucking freaking out here, man! What if they- What if they just turn me away the moment they even recognise me? Those guys pretty much hate me!', the man speaks in a panicked voice. Wilbur gets closer, grabs his shoulders and shoves him to try and get some sense back into him._

_'Schlatt! Keep it together!', Wilbur shouts, making the other somewhat calm down. 'Listen to me! You're gonna go in there and you're gonna get accepted! Alright?'._  
_'No, no, no, those guys hate me, they're gonna kick me out the moment they-'._  
_'Stop saying that!', Wilbur shouts. 'You are literally the best businessman this whole city ever had! If they don't accept you because of some past- Well, pretty recent, actually, crimes, they're just missing out! So go in there and give it your all!'._

_'Speak from the heart! Say what you mean! Don't bullshit, tell them exactly why you're there and why they'll miss out if they don't accept you! Alright?', Wilbur shouts even more loudly than he means, to which he receives a rather aggressive nod._  
_'Alright! Hell yeah! Let's go, time to kick some ass, baby!'. Schlatt turns around, reaches for the handle, and Wilbur quickly pulls him back._  
_'Schlatt. Your jacket.', he says, pointing to the chair nearby._  
_'Right! Okay! Let's go!'. The man slips on the jacket and turns around. 'Here we go! No bullshit! No fake promises! Speak from the heart – How hard can that be?'. Wilbur watches as the man grabs the handle, opens the door, and enters. He watches it close, sighs, and looks above the door._

_ LUNCH CLUB _  
_Meeting Room_

_He really hoped everything would-_

'Mr. President? You were saying?', Wilbur looked down at Tubbo and rubbed his eyes.  
'Right... Forgive me.', he quickly responded, shaking his head. He took a deep breath.

_Here we go! No bullshit! No fake promises! Speak from the heart – How hard can that be?_

'...Over half a year ago I... I put a start to L'Manberg. I wanted to create a nation where people like me – People too tired to run, but ones who could not live in their present. I wanted to create a home for people like me and my son – I wanted us to be safe and happy, for once.', Wilbur looked at Fundy for a moment, seeing him avoid his gaze completely. 'I wanted to have a home, as simple as that. And after months of war and hard work... I finally stand here, in the home I created.'.  
'Me and Tommy have ran this nation ever since – We've lead it to a state where all of us can finally live how we always wanted to. We created the home I always wanted to see. And so we called on an election – We figured it was finally time for us to let the nation decide where exactly they wanted to go from here. And... If I'm being honest...', Wilbur chuckled. 'Whatever happens next, I'll be satisfied. Because I know everyone here is capable of leading this place to prosperity.'.  
'Fundy is my son – I could not be prouder of how far he's come. Niki is brilliant – She's been doing nothing but good for this nation since she first joined it. And Quackity is a man of action – He'd never let an opportunity pass him by.', Wilbur paused, noting George's indifferent reaction to being left out of his compliments. 'But as amazing and brilliant as all of the candidates are, L'Manberg is still not in the right state to be handed over.'. The entire crowd went silent as they listened in.  
'L'Manberg needs another year under the rule of someone who's had it by the reins for a while now. We need another year of stability. I want to ensure that what I am handing down to other, absolutely wonderful people is something I can be proud of – Something I can proudly call my home. And with another year of presidency, I can assure you, L'Manberg will become this very home I've always dreamed of.'. Wilbur paused for a moment, and suddenly raised his voice.

'Something free. Something great. Something strong and powerful. So while I'll be happy with whatever the result may be... Know that a vote for me is a vote for another year of stability, prosperity, and most importantly – It's a vote for home. Thank you.'.

And with the cheer and applause that followed, Wilbur could barely hide his pleased smile. For a moment he looked away, and it were as if his eyes gazed into another world for just a moment;

_'They accepted me! Wilbur, I got in!'._

And with a wide smile he looked back at the audience and waved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPEECHES
> 
> i cant write speeches i got kicked off the debate club in my school oops  
> i hope this was good enough uwfwfgwfg-


	41. The Debate (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The debate heats up between the candidates. Wilbur and Fundy try to talk their issues out.

'Let's start with something simple.', Tubbo begun speaking, looking up at the three men at the podium in front of him. 'L'Manberg has been known to have an incredibly selective process on how it chooses its citizens and who it grants citizenship to. Under your supposed rule, what possible laws would there be regarding granting citizenship and allowing people inside of the walls?'.

'...Well as we all know, L'Manberg has a long history on keeping certain peoples out of it.', Quackity started.'. It may not show on the surface, but with the strict policies on social status, abilities, skills, and the various things that have to be proven before you are granted citizenship are simply impossible standards to meet. The best way to get in is to be useful in a unique way. Happen to cover for a gap in their market? Congratulations, you're in. Be well-off, unskilled and a former DreamSMP Citizen? Joining is as good as impossible for you. Under my rule this very discrimination would end straight away.'.  
'It's not our fault that for years the DreamSMP has ostracised my group of people.', Wilbur retaliated almost instantly. 'People who wanted freedom from Dream and his unfair policies were always pushed aside and mistreated in the city. We wanted to create a free land for people like us – We were willing to trust anyone like us to join us and stand by us. But as I'm sure we all remember, a certain someone decided to take that trust and throw it all away. I won't name names... But traitors don't go down well in history.', at this, Wilbur gave both King Eret and Quackity a few angry looks. 'We have to be careful as to who we allow in our walls.'.  
'There's a way to do both.', Fundy suddenly interjected. 'We can stay safe and have a system in place for recruitment but ensure we give a chance to those who deserve it, too. Besides, we're way past the war by now. King Eret's actions should have long been forgotten and forgiven.' - It was obvious that Fundy's words were only there to try and gain the man's favour, but it was clear he struggled to even properly get the words out. ‘Moving away from the past and focusing on the future is exactly what we need to finally let this nation thrive. So under my rule, new citizens will be allowed into the nation with minimal requirements.’.

‘Opening the nation up to anyone without any restrictions is asking for trouble at the messy spot we’re at right now! The nation could be open, but not right now when everything is so fragile. With another year of my rule, however, we could easily make L’Manberg safe and open, but both cannot be guaranteed this early into-‘.  
‘Do you people really want a President who’s too afraid to open his walls in what’s supposed to be an era of peace and “words over violence”?’, Quackity suddenly cut in. ‘Opportunity won’t come without risk, Mr. President. Just hand the nation over to someone who’s willing to take those very risks.’. Fundy didn’t speak, but it was clear from his expression he agreed. The crowd, in a way, seemed to agree, too.

Wilbur should have expected that Quackity would steal the question the way he did - With his past in business, he no doubt knew how to shift a conversation into his favour. Even if he didn’t take a single thing seriously he could easily convince the crowd that he did - And that was a problem. Fundy, on the other hand, mostly agreeing with the other’s points and being outshined by him in most arguments clearly started losing his grip over his audience. How did Wilbur learn to analyse things like this, he wasn’t sure. It were as if something in the back of his mind was guiding him, telling him what to say and what to look out for. He couldn’t be sure, but...

He had a feeling a certain businessman from his past had something to do with it.

‘Onto my next question. Then I’ll pass the mic over to the audience.’, Tubbo came up with his microphone, clearing his throat. ‘Laws and punishment. Something not often considered in L’Manberg because of its small size, but something we may have to look into in the future. What are your thoughts on that on that? Mr. President, let’s start with you.’.

‘...Well, as you said yourself, L’Manberg is a small nation.’, Wilbur lifted his head, trying to move past his failure to properly handle the earlier question and instead putting all his focus on this one. ‘Laws are something very loose and relaxed, mainly because there’s barely any citizens to enforce them on. But, I do agree, if the nation is to grow larger, something of the type would be incredibly important. Laws themselves have to be written up and properly established - I would most likely assign someone to enforce our rules, someone trusted. And again, this is the type of progress I could easily push for during another year of leadership, finishing up this country and making it something that we can all proudly move forward with. Laws would be a step forward for a safe L’Manberg...’, Wilbur paused, and under his nose, added; ‘Safe from traitors.’.  
‘Nice waffle there, Mr. President, but let’s focus on the real issues here.’, Quackity cut in, leaning over his podium. Wilbur was surprised with how suddenly he interrupted - It were almost like he felt threatened. ‘Laws aren’t needed in a nation where everyone is just a friend. And that’s a nation you want - A little community for trusted runaways. That won’t cut it for a real country. If we want laws and for them to even matter in L’Manberg, we need to expand, and we need to expand, now. More people. More work. Make a nation where things like that will actually matter, and not a nation where they exist for the sake of being there. I think before we even enforce any laws we should focus on the country’s expansion.-‘.

‘Getting a little off-topic there, Mr. Quackity. Maybe get back to the debate at hand?’, Fundy spoke up with a sly smile, clearly having had waited for a chance like this for a while.  
‘I’m simply trying to make my ideas clear.’, the businessman claimed.  
‘It’s almost like you’re getting defensive. But then again, with how you usually carry out your business, actual laws and enforcement of them would make things a bit more difficult, would it not?’, the President’s son carried on.  
‘Excuse me? And I’m the one getting off-topic?’.  
‘Gentlemen, please. Let’s move along to the next question.’, Tubbo tried to calm the two down as they spiralled into a private argument. Wilbur stood aside, fixing up his jacket and smiling to himself as well as at the people in front of him.

Where two are fighting, the third wins. He had the crowd’s favour on this one.

‘Would anyone from the crowd like to ask a question?’

A single hand went up, and a man stepped closer. A man with messy brown hair stuck on top of his head like a tuft of grass, hidden slightly behind the hood he had over it. His hoodie, as far as Wilbur could see, was a messy mix of purple and blue, with a green spiral at the front of it. He fixed up his hair, grabbed the microphone from Tubbo and cleared his throat, getting ready to speak;

‘Hi, so like... I had this question.’, he quickly said, looking aside. ‘So... As far as this election goes, there’s something that’s been bugging me. If you were to, like, set up a proper government, what if there was corruption within it? How would you treat that?’.

‘That’s a great question, Karl!’, Fundy exclaimed almost instantly, turning to his father. ‘Funny you mention that, actually, with how this election was supposed to go initially. I’m sure The President never mentioned-‘.  
‘This is slander-‘, Wilbur tried to interrupt.  
‘-how he wanted this election to be ran initially, did he? Because I think hearing it alone will tell you exactly what you need to know about this so called “loving father and President”.’.  
‘None of what they’re saying is-‘.

‘The only reason I ran in this election was because of the way Wilbur treated it.’, Quackity cut in with a smile. ‘He wanted to run by himself and win by default! He barely even took my candidacy seriously, after that. When Fundy joined in, that’s when he finally realised this isn’t just gonna be some friendly fun to officially call Wilbur our president.’, the businessman paused and narrowed his eyes. ‘This is serious.’.  
‘That’s...’, Wilbur looked down. ‘...I didn’t think anyone would oppose me. That’s true. But I didn’t want to just... close the ballot after one candidate. Once Fundy and Niki signed up, I knew this would-‘.  
‘But I didn’t matter, did I?’, Quackity spoke, catching the man off-guard. ‘Me running didn’t matter to you. I wasn’t good enough for president. Because just as you have a standard for citizens, you have impossible standards for your own position.’.

Wilbur was speechless. I mean... Was he wrong?

From the start he had underestimated and refused to take seriously the man in front of him - But it wasn’t the wrong thing to do, either, of course. Quackity, even if he worked hard, made jokes about everything he did and made his entire life into one big bit. Nothing mattered seriously to him. Wilbur knew, deep inside, he didn’t care about the nation. He just thought I’d be funny if he got into office with George by his side. He didn’t want the best for L’Manberg. He wanted a punchline to his joke. Sure, he took the race seriously. He took the debating seriously. He fought with all he had to secure votes - But why would that matter if once he got the presidency he would simply use it to laugh in everyone’s faces and do nothing of value? Wilbur was sure - To Quackity, this was all one giant joke. But god, was he good with setting his jokes up.

He didn’t say anything else. It was better for him in the long run to end the debate there.

‘Alright, that's all for now. We’re going to take a short break and then come back for the Vice-Presidential debate. Please stay close by and be ready in your seats once the debate begins. We’ll resume in roughly fifteen minutes.’.

As soon as the announcement was made, Wilbur heard noise rise all around him. Tommy ran up to Tubbo and started praising him, Karl, Sapnap, Dream and George all huddled together and discussed something, occasionally giving Wilbur glances, and Fundy and Niki soon met below the podium, whispering away about their strategies. The President, while he knew he should prioritise the debate and Tommy’s upcoming task, instead decided to approach his son and speak to him. Clearly, there was something between them he failed to truly comprehend. Something that had managed to push the younger Soot away, enough to run against his own father and try to take vital votes away from him. The moment he approached, he could see Niki’s eyes light up as she smiled at him. His son, however, seemed less than impressed.

‘Fundy. Do you have a minute?’.  
‘Mr. President.’. Hearing the title stung. ‘Is it related to the debate?’.  
‘...Not really, son.’, Wilbur noticed the other flinch as he heard the word.  
‘I’ve got... five minutes. Let’s go somewhere private.’.  
‘Right.’, Wilbur nodded, turning away. ‘Let’s.’.

\---

_Don’t listen to him. Whatever he says, it’s all lies._

‘So what is it?’, Fundy asked as he turned to face his father. The two walked back into L’Manberg’s walls for a short while, standing in front of their home. With everyone at the podium the place was incredibly quiet - The wind was blowing and birds sang their songs quietly. Distant chatter of the crowd beyond the walls could be heard, but it was too far away to be bothersome.  
‘I’ve noticed the way you look at me.’, Wilbur muttered, his voice low. _About damn time.._. ‘Fundy, if there’s anything I’ve ever done wrong you know you can tell me. I don’t care about this election or... or anything else. I don’t want you to stay angry at me. So talk to me. Why have you suddenly turned away from me?’.

‘So you don’t even know?’, Fundy said with a scoff. ‘You don’t even know what the issue is? You can’t figure it out yourself?’.  
‘Fundy you know I don’t often notice small things. Sometimes I forget others. It’s no my fault-‘.  
‘Yet somehow you never seem to forget around Tommy.’, the man snapped, his eyes burning through the President. ‘Around me things are blurry, and unclear, but around Tommy everything is fine. You always remember him, you remember what he says, apologise to him when you snap and never seem to have a single issue with him. But me?’.

‘You don’t even remember my name.’.

‘Fundy, I...’, the man started, his voice cracking. ‘I don’t choose what I remember and what I forget. I swear, I swear on my life I try. I try more than I do with everything else, but I just...l can’t hold on sometimes. I wish I could. I really do.’.  
‘It’s so unfair.’, the man muttered. ‘It’s so unfair Tommy gets everything I never had. Did you ever consider me for your Vice-President, dad? Did you even think about it? Or was it all stacked against me because of your messed up head?’.  
‘...I... I chose Tommy, because-‘.  
‘Schlatt was right.’, Fundy said in a whisper. ‘A father shouldn’t treat his son like some average citizen. He should give his son time, and love. You've been as much as ignoring me since that little shit showed up! It's all Tommy and never me any more!'.

'Fundy-'.  
'That's not my name!'.

'Son...', Wilbur started slowly, receiving a frustrated sigh. 'I'm sorry. I don't remember some things, and I don't remember your name. But I'll try my best, okay? I promise. So please. Can you tell me your name?'. Fundy hesitated. He stepped back, clenching his fists.  
'Names are only for people you trust.', he hissed under his breath, turning away. Wilbur felt a strange feeling of guilt and anger overtake him... Anger at himself, anger at what he had been forced to live with. And just as any time he was overwhelmed with emotion...

_'Dad? Can we... Talk?'._

He was away.

_'Sure. What's up, kid?'._   
_'I don't... I know... This is gonna sound stupid, but please, you have to listen to me, okay?'._   
_'I... Obviously! What's up-'._   
_'I'm a boy.'._

_'O-oh.'._   
_'And, please, just- Just listen here, I know it doesn't-'._   
_'Okay. That's fine.'._   
_'-make sense to you and I know- Wait, what?'._

_'You're a boy. Okay. Thank you for telling me.'._   
_'You're not mad? Weirded out?'._   
_'You're my son. Why would I be?'._   
_'I- Right... I...'._   
_'Come on, don't cry!'._

_'Thanks dad... I love you.'._   
_'I love you too, uh....'._   
_'Floris. That's the name I chose.'._   
_'Floris. It's nice. I like it.'._

_'Thank you! I think it really suits me...'._

'Floris!', Wilbur called out. For a moment, he saw his son stop. His shoulders moved up, his ears perked up, and for a good few seconds, he simply stood still. He turned back, narrowing his eyes.  
'I've got a debate to discuss with my running mate, Mr. President.', Floris said with a cold tone of voice. 'I'd advise you to do the same, if you want to win this election..'. He once more turned away and left the President all alone, abandoning him completely and leaving him in stunned silence.

Wilbur stood up tall, rearranged his tie, and forced a smile. Floris was right. He wanted to win the election. He had to talk to Tommy now, above everything. Floris didn't matter. Floris would be fine. They'd work it out, they always did.

Right now, Tommy mattered more. He knew that for sure.

Fundy would be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANGST BABYYYY  
> ITS BACKKKK
> 
> ive never written a proper coming out scene before so uh- i hope that did the trick????  
> oh god im so bad at writing wtwggwdgw


	42. The Debate (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy, both in the past and the present, gets angry and says things he can’t take back.

'Tommy. Tommy, a minute, please?'.  
'Oh! Hey, where were you-'.  
'Quick. We need to talk.'.  
'Wait, me and Tubbo were just-'.  
'Just five minutes Tommy, come on.'.

Tommy, to his dismay, was suddenly pulled out of his talk with his friend and grabbed by the arm, being lead through the large crowds and into a secluded area of the podium. Wilbur looked at him, fixed up his tie (although Tommy tried to push him away and insist to do it himself), and brushed some dirt off his jacket. The Vice-President could see the other was incredibly stressed about the upcoming debate, his usual behaviour fading away completely and being replaced with something that could only be described as one would expect an older brother to act. The President crossed his arms and looked the other in the eyes with concern.

'Tommy, I- I really am worried about you here.', Wilbur started, tugging at his sleeve nervously.  
'Why? Wilbur, I'll be fine!', he exclaimed in retaliation, the lack of neatness in his outfit stating otherwise. The President looked at him, shook his head and sighed.  
'George, he's a-... he's a smart man-', Wilbur tried to speak, being cut off once again.  
'No he's not!', Tommy claimed, crossing his arms.

'Tommy, I...', Wilbur took off his beanie for a moment and ran his fingers through his hair. 'That fire in your heart is gonna overtake you and you're gonna say something-'.  
'It won't this time, Wilbur!', the boy claimed.'I've already done enough fighting and arguing... I'm gonna make sure to debate and debate properly!'. The President smiled.  
'Make me proud, Mr. Vice-President.', Wilbur finally said.  
'I will, big doubs!', Tommy responded, turning to the podium.

The President, although worried, took his seat at the front of the audience alongside the other candidates, meanwhile Tubbo once more picked up his microphone. The crowd slowly started gathering, their chatter dying down as they focused on the three Vice-Presidential Candidates taking their places at their stands. Wilbur looked at his son for a brief moment – The other, although spotting him in the corner of his eye, simply avoided him and put his full focus on Niki. The President took a deep breath and himself gave Tommy his full attention – He knew, with this boy, it was hard to tell when he'd have to step in.

And so, the Vice-Presidential debate begun.

\---

Holy fuck did the crowd look a thousand times more intimidating from up there...

'Alright, let's get started. Firstly, I'd like all candidates to go over their policies and ideas, much like the Presidential Candidates did. Just to make sure we're all clear on exactly what you want and what you are here to establish. And please try to be brief with it so we can focus on questions this time around. Let's start with you, Mr. Vice-President?'. Tubbo gave his friend a nod.

‘I mean... Mr. President over there made it pretty clear.’, Tommy started speaking with a smile. ‘We’re on the side of stability. Another year with me and Wil in charge will let L’Manberg grow into something we can actually call a nation. We want to carry on with our tested and trusted leadership until the country is at a point where it can be handed down to the next leader. Right now, at this very time, we’re not ready. We’re not ready for such a drastic change, we need something that’s simple, familiar and guaranteed. And that’s what me and Wilbur bring if you vote for us.’.

‘Thank you, Mr. Vice-President. Mr. GeorgeNotFound?’.

‘...Well, it’s quite obvious I’m very different to the other candidates here. But there’s a reason I’ve taken up this race. And it’s a reason that highlights exactly why L’Manberg needs a new rule.’, George paused, looking at Wilbur. ‘The President is clinging onto the past, trying to separate his so called “home” from the outside world. Locking yourself in your walls and singing about freedom won’t bring progress - Collaboration with other cities, this including my own, will. With me representing our city in the L’Manbergian government we could work closer than ever and bring this country the development it needs to finally become the great nation it could be. A vote for me and Quackity, most simply, is a vote for progress. Real progress, that is.’. He shot Niki a glance as she stood nervously by the stand next to him.

‘Thank you. And now, Ms. Nihachu?’.

‘L’Manberg needs new rule, but it doesn’t need radical change, either.’, Niki quickly said after clearing her throat. ‘Representatives like me and Fundy can take this nation and push it in the right direction, but don’t put priority on impossible growth in such a small amount of time. We can continue the very home President Soot put in place for us without destroying everything L’Manberg stands for, while also allowing it to grow and become something we can all take pride in. We can’t dwell on the past but we can’t rush into the future - And if you choose Fundy for your President and me as your Vice-President you will see the exact type of slow and steady change this new nation needs at this time.’.

‘And thank you Ms. Nihachu! I think that sets things up quite well. Because I talked a lot during the Presidential Debate, I’m gonna give this one to the audience straight away. Do we have any questions?’.

This time around, several hands went up.

‘Sam, why don’t you come up?’. Tubbo pointed to a man with messy green hair and tan skin, with a mask of an unusual green creature covering most of his face. He got closer, grabbed the microphone and gave all of the candidates a careful glance.  
‘Regarding that whole citizenship thing earlier - I’d like to get your thoughts on that, too. What kind of steps can be taken to keep L’Manberg safe but open, too? Or are you even willing to open it at all?’. Tommy instantly looked up, a familiar flame returning to him. Wilbur sat back for a moment, unsure if he should look forward to or fear whatever came next.

'Let's set the record straight here – The reason L'Manberg was created was for freedom. The DreamSMP wouldn't allow people like us to live in peace. And they wouldn't tolerate us creating our own, separate nation. We simply wanted to have a safe place for people like us. I think keeping our borders closed is the only way we can uphold this safety we created – Sure, the process to join is gruelling, but it ensures our nation remains the safe haven for people who don't want to run it had always been. Letting anyone in will ruin this very unique nature of our nation.'.

_Alright. Not so bad. He's doing fine._

'So just because it's special to you you believe L'Manberg should remain closed?'.  
'We fought for that land with all we had!', Tommy responded, his voice already getting louder and more intense than usual. Wilbur felt himself becoming concerned. Tommy could never really hold it in when he had something to say. 'Wilbur sacrificed everything to lead us, I gave up my discs for freedom! Do you know how much they meant to me?'.  
'And still you cling onto your past.', George carried on, his voice far more calm and collected than the other. 'You sacrificed so much, lost so much... So why did you even provoke Dream into this war in the first place?'. Tommy' eyes widened.  
'We provoked Dream? Since when? We wanted a peaceful resolution!'.

'Gentlemen, let's not get off-topic here!', Tubbo tried to interrupt, being mostly ignored.  
'Nice question, Sam. This debate is as good as over.', King Eret muttered under his breath.  
'Let them argue.', Dream mused with a smile. 'I like where this is going.'.

'You mercilessly blew up our land! You tried to kill us! We barely got out of that war with our lives!', Tommy begun shouting, leaning into his microphone. 'If you hadn't done that, maybe there wouldn't be a need to keep as closed-in as we do!'.  
'Maybe if Wilbur Soot stayed in his head and didn't step out of line we wouldn't be here, either.', George said with a shrug. 'But I wouldn't want to open that discussion-'.  
'You bastard! You stupid son of a bitch!', Tommy almost instantly lunged at the other, being held back by Niki who managed to step in-between the two as the fight begun getting more heated. Both George and Tommy were now shouting at one another away from the microphones, mostly unheard by the crowd who begun murmuring between each other.

 _There he goes._ Wilbur sighed. _I really hoped he'd manage to stay calm this time._

The President got off his seat, rushing up to the podium alongside most of the front row. He shouted a good few rather violent things at Tommy before the Vice-President actually decided to step down and move away. Wilbur grabbed his arm with a tight grasp and started pulling him away, ignoring his complaining about wanting to go back and give the other candidate a piece of his mind. He pushed Tommy into a small clearing in-between the trees, waited for him to gather himself and finally decided to speak. From his tone alone it was clear he was far more than disappointed – In a way, he almost seemed furious. He narrowed his eyes and spoke;

'Tommy... What have you done, Tommy?', Wilbur started, an exasperated sigh escaping him as he did. The blonde in front of him, however, didn't seem to see anything wrong with his behaviour.  
'He- He wouldn't let me speak, Wilbur! And he- he was outright lying!-'. Wilbur didn't let him speak. He couldn't. He had talked too much already, he had said far too much. He ruined everything.  
'You're jeopardizing this whole election!', he shouted out, unsure where his sudden rage came from. It were as if it weren't just an anger for the boy's behaviour during the debate, but it was far more. It was something far stronger, far worse, and something that went way back to something more distant. His mind, as it often did, reached out – And it grasped onto a memory.

_'You're an idiot! Do you realize how dangerous this is?'._   
_'I'm sorry, Wilbur, I got carried away, and-'._   
_'When do you not? Tell me one time you actually didn't just shout without thinking!'._   
_'I'm sorry! I'm sorry, please- Please, you have to help me now!'._

_Wilbur hesitates. He hears his panic. He knows he has to._

'Wilbur I- I'm sorry! I got carried away, but they keep bringing up all of that, and I don't know- I don't know what to say any more- I don't want us to lose votes because of me, but he keeps brining up the war, and-', Tommy's voice begun growing more panicked as he struggled to focus.  
'Just- Calm down. We can still turn this around, okay?', Wilbur tried to move past his anger and focus on the present – There was no point in getting angry over all of this when they were in such a fragile state with their election as it was. 'Let's focus on George's strategy. What is he trying to do?'.

_'Okay, okay. Just breathe. We're gonna get you out of this.'._   
_'How?! He said I have to fight him! If I lose, then-'._   
_'Then we'll make sure you win, Tommy.'._   
_'H-how? How the hell am I gonna win against the Emperor?'._

'He keeps lying! Lying and doing nothing else, telling everyone things about the war that aren't true! If people start thinking that we started the war and then locked ourselves away they're gonna think we're tyrants!'. Wilbur thought through the situation and then nodded.  
'Then let's show them the truth. Call George out on his lies – We are in the right here, aren't we? Then surely, if we just push on the truth, he will eventually crack under the pressure and it will become clear he doesn't know what he's talking about.'.  
'And what if he doesn't? What if he manages to slither out of this?'.  
'Well then at least we can say we tried. We have to do everything we can to keep him and Quackity out of office – What they're doing goes against everything we ever wanted for this nation. Just think about it, Tommy. Do you want the duel to be for nothing? Do you want your discs to hang in Dream's office without a L'Manberg behind them?'.

_'You've been training with him for over a year. You know all his techniques. If you just stay focused and put together everything he's ever taught you, you'll be fine. And make sure to have a back-up – If he tries to play smart, you have to play smarter.'._   
_'Like what?'._   
_'Hide potions. Spare weapons. Light and small, don't let them slow you down. Keep them out of his sight, don't let him see your plans before you carry them out. He'll be ready for anything – Don't depend on every plan catching him off-guard.'._   
_'Potions... Tubbo could make me some...'._   
_'And remember, don't let him intimidate you. A balance between your mental and physical form is what's gonna be the key to you winning this fight. You're going to finally show him you're capable of fighting – We all are – Show him we're not the people we used to be!'._

'Alright! I'm gonna go back there and kick his ass! And uh- I'll stay focused this time! I promise!'.

_'I won't let the Emperor push us down ever again! He's gonna get a piece of my mind!'._

Wilbur watched the Vice-President turn away – He just hoped his motivation wasn't in vain, and he'd actually manage to pull this off. He followed him hesitantly and eventually joined the crowd in front of the podium, afraid of what would come next. Based on the memory tugging at the back of his mind, he knew exactly how things turned out whenever Tommy happened to get too carried away with his arguments – He was always willing to do far too much to try and show everyone that he was right at the worst of times.

Much like he had done in a world that they left a long time ago.

\---

_'Left. Right. Spin. Strike. Faster. Keep up.'._

_Coughing, falling, slipping, wheezing. No one can keep up. There's no way to, with the way the Emperor carries out his training. Even the strongest of the warriors struggle to keep up with his relentless pace, some passing out outright from exhaustion. The Emperor doesn't care. He watches them all as if the suffering before him were normal. Pete seems to be questioning his methods – Phil is about ready to interrupt him. But someone else does. Someone in the front, someone who's had enough, someone who won't let himself be ordered like this any more. His sword hits the floor below and clatters as it slips away on the ice, stopping everyone who is still able to stand. The Emperor looks at the single person up front enraged. The person shouts;_

_'Enough! This is enough! Are you fucking crazy?'._

_Tommy is out of breath as he looks the Emperor in the eyes, watching him process his outburst._

_'...What was that?', he speaks, his voice, as always, monotone and without much care. He hasn't slept in days, planning everyone's training, planning their next move. He himself barely stands, but he won't let it show. He'd never let his weakness show._   
_'You're too harsh on us! All of us! Can't you see what you're doing?! If the Hunters were to attack now, none of us would be even able to lift a sword!', Tommy screams at the other._   
_'And since when do you know more about fighting than me?', he soon responds, moving closer and readying his sword. The crowd around them gasps and moves away – The boy remains still._   
_'I know where our limits are.', he says in-between deep breaths. Even as the Emperor's most skilled apprentice he still barely handles his training. 'And we've long gone past that point. You need to make the training easier, and you need to do it now!'._

_'No one orders me to do anything.', the Emperor starts, a hand appearing on his shoulder._   
_'Maybe you should consider it.', Phil, who has just come up, says to him. 'Look at them. They're all wrecked. Can't you at least let them have more breaks? Slow down a little-'._   
_'This is disrespect! I should just cut everyone's training short completely with how ungrateful all of them are!', the Emperor spits back, looking at his two companions._   
_'Then perhaps we can find a middle ground.', Pete suggests as he steps closer. He walks forward, the snow crunching under his boots as he steps in-between Tommy and the Emperor. 'Let Tommy prove to you your training has already yielded the needed result – Face him in battle. If he wins, we shall make the training easier. If he fails...', the man pauses. 'We shall end the training completely, and leave these people to fend for themselves once the world ends.'._

_The Empror hesitates. He considers. He sheaths his weapon and grins._

_'Very well, then. I shall face Tommy in battle this evening. Get ready.'. Tommy hesitates._   
_'Wait, I never-'. But he doesn't listen._

_The Emperor is already on his way to get ready._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> techno and tommy boutta duke it out in the past  
> uh ohhhhh


	43. The Debate (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy faces two dangerous opponents.

Tommy stepped up to the stand and gripped onto its side. He could already see the crowd gathering below, everyone getting back into their seats. In this very crowd he could see Wilbur and Tubbo, both looking up at him with expectations of how he was to act in this very situation. He turned to the side and found that Niki was already in her place, Fundy still standing by her, the two engaging in what seemed to be an incredibly serious conversation. When the President's son noticed the crowd gathering he eventually said goodbye to his running mate, making his way down to the chairs below and taking his place there. The boy looked around a bit more – Somehow, he was even more stressed this time around than he was last time.

_Tommy stands alone. Completely alone. Despite all the people around him, despite Wilbur, Phil and Tubbo all trying to talk to him and give him tips, he stands alone. He knows this, deep inside, the moment everything is set into motion, it's just going to be him and his enemy. No one else. It didn't matter who was by his side a second ago, it didn't matter who was cheering him on. When their swords clashed, those who gasped in reaction couldn't stop it. When he fell, no one would have enough strength to come and help him up. When he had the sword of his enemy above him, about to take his life, there would be no one in the crowd coming in to block it. He was alone, alone, alone, completely alone._

George arrived last. He had a quick talk with Dream before he stepped onto the podium, and then, finally, he stepped up to where he once stood. As him and Tommy exchanged quick glances, the whole crowd seemed to erupt into whispers and mutters about god knows what. What did they expect to happen here? Some great show-down? Tommy finally being put in his place? Maybe that's what they wanted. Maybe they really just came here to watch L'Manberg crash and burn, already having had made up their mind about who they would vote for way before they even got here. Maybe none of this really mattered. But still, he would fight. Just as he had a long, long time ago, he would stand for what he believed in, as unlikely as his victory may have seemed.

_The Emperor arrives with Pete by his side soon after Tommy gets done preparing, his usual outfit ready. He does, however, remove his long cloak and crown, putting it aside for his companion to hold. He removes his single, diamond blade from its sheath and touches the ground with it for a moment. He's wearing a clean, white shirt, there's a belt around his waist and his shoes are heavy and tailored for combat. He didn't come here to just prove a point or settle and argument – He came here to win a war. He slowly looks up, his long hair tied back in a braid that lazily hangs down around his back, swaying in the cold wind. He looks ahead with a look of spite – But the exhaustion in his eyes is clear, too._

'Welcome back, candidates. I hope the small recess was enough to get us back into order. We're going to carry this debate on from where we left off – But if we start another argument, we will cut this whole event short. Is that clear?', Tubbo asked the three, who all nodded. 'We're going to return to the topic at hand. Do any of you have any further comments on what Sam asked?'.

_'Let's set up some ground rules.', Pete says as the whole crowd moves away, giving the two fighters the space they need. 'No potions. No ranged weapons. No armour. Whoever manages to disarm the other first wins. You may cut, stab, punch, kick, scratch, anything. If one of you dies during this fight before they are disarmed, that will also count as a win. Now... Begin.'._

'May I start, please?', Tommy asked, and after some murmuring through the crowd, received a brief nod from Tubbo. He leaned into the microphone and cleared his throat. 'First of all, I would like to formerly apologize for my outburst earlier. But I think I can provide you for a good reason why. At the core, it all boils down to the unprofessional and downright childish behaviour of my debating opponent – Because that's the truth, ladies and gentlemen. George has been lying this whole time, turning this story against me to make me look bad. You may say what you wish about mine and Wilbur's policies, but do you want a liar in your government?'.

_The Emperor is the first to make his move. He rushes forward and raises his sword, spinning around and trying to catch Tommy off-guard. The boy, however, is more than ready, dodging to the side just as he had a million times before in his training. As his enemy moves back on the tip of his feet to turn back around, he takes this time to slide to the side and make some space between him and his enemy. He's quick on his feet, just as he was always taught to be, and by the time he's facing the Emperor once more, he's ready for his next strike. He knows from his expression the fight has only begun – But he also knows he has just established he is not going to give up easily._

'Me? A liar?', George repeated with a smile. 'What do you mean? I've said nothing that was a lie. Not a single thing. I've simply decided to bring up the past of your nation. You advocate for a future with words over violence and yet your very nation was born of violence and suffering. I'm sorry to bring up the past here, but... Don't you think it's a little hypocritical?'.  
'Well where is the source of that violence? What does it all boil down to?', Tommy retaliated almost instantly. 'You're acting as if we up and just started a war for no good reason! Let me remind you, when L'Manberg first formed we offered a peaceful solution. We asked for our land to be granted to us without war. But you refused – You'd rather hurt us.'.

_Tommy knows that the only way to win against someone as strong, agile and intelligent as the Emperor he'd have to focus on breaking him down mentally first – Take his mind away from the fight and try to send it somewhere else. With his usual handling of things this would most likely be impossible. He is a man always in control of the situation, only slipping away into downright insanity when he slit one too many throats. But with the way he had been recently the boy knew there was a way – Tired, paranoid, constantly angry and lacking proper sleep. This is the perfect time for him to finally be toppled from that perfect mental state he always claims to be in. Tommy gets in a fighting stance, one taught to him by Phil, and as the man comes closer he once more moves to dodge his attack – He has to wear him out before he begins with what he planned to do here tonight. Will it work? His life depends on it._

_The Emperor won't just let him get away by just disarming him, and he knows it._

'There was no need for L'Manberg first and foremost.', George claimed. There was a whisper in the crowd, the man himself clearly not realizing how controversial an opinion like that could prove to be among a crowd of people less than fond of Dream. 'We never did anything to wrong you. We welcomed you to our city with open arms, and you separated yourself and took resources from us we could have used to develop the DreamSMP more. The only way to repair this divide again is for cooperation to start between the two of us-'.  
'And what about other bits of the past you never seem to mention?', Tommy mused with a grin. 'What about locking Tubbo up in his house to make potions for him all the time? What about threatening to burn down our home simply because we wanted to make potions a common resource? What about everything that came before L'Manberg and motivated us to found it in the first place?'.

_'You've improved since you first arrived here.', the Emperor admits as he swings his sword, this time being blocked directly by Tommy. The boy anticipates his next move and jumps to dodge his leg, with which he tries to knock him down. He stumbles for just a moment from the sudden movement, which gives the Emperor a chance to move closer and cut through his arm. Although he feels the pain, he knows he has to keep on the defensive._   
_'You've changed quite a bit, too.', Tommy starts as he sees the Emperor try to come in for another strike, this one more irregular and clearly out of desperation for taking an early win. Thanks to how sloppy it is, Tommy manages to dodge it easily, once more making space between himself and his enemy. 'You've stopped killing mindlessly. Now you just kill a little less.'._

_The Emperor hesitates. And that, alone, shows Tommy he's doing something right._

'You... You lot were trying to topple the system we had in place to keep our city safe.'. Hesitation. A stammer. A moment of uncertainty, and already, the boy's confidence was through the roof. He couldn't let it get to his head, though. He knew he had to keep focused, or he could easily lose grip on the situation at any moment. 'We fought back against what could have left our city in shambles. We did the right thing, and L'Manberg was a disappointing side-effect of that.'.  
'...And yet, by starting this war, you did the exact opposite. You sent the DreamSMP into a state of ruin, suffering and a lack of leadership for almost five months. The only reason the city stood tall when you returned was because of The Blade, who miraculously showed up and saved us from the forest when you couldn't protect us like you swore to.'.

George, caught completely off-guard, hesitated with his answer.

_'Just stop dodging! This will be so much quicker if we actually fight!', the Emperor, quite unlike him, begins taunting Tommy as they fight. The boy dodges another strike, tries to keep his focus away from the pain growing in his arm, and keeps his breathing steady._   
_'You know what will happen if I stop. You'll tear me to shreds. Rip open my stomach, maybe cut right through my skull. Or maybe, you'll slit open my throat.', Tommy pauses for a moment, seeing the Emperor hesitate. He lowers his voice; 'Maybe I'll just get the same treatment as the Captain.'._

'If we hadn't fought you would have just carried on with breaking our rules and tearing down our city! Why wouldn't we try to oppose that? The war that followed was unfortunate, but opposition in the first place was what brought us to that point!'.  
'So you think we shouldn't stand up for what we believe in? Try to oppose what isn't right?', Tommy chuckled. 'Funny you say that! I thought that was exactly what you and Quackity are claiming to do. And now you're telling me it's a bad thing?'.

He was getting closer.

_'You could never hope to understand the things that contributed to my actions that day!', the Emperor shouts as he moves his sword forward, this time barely able to maintain his perfect stance. Finally,Tommy begins on the offensive. It's time._   
_'You're a heartless murderer. That's all I see and that's all I care about.', he says as he swings his own sword, taking advantage of his opponent's sloppy move and quickly gaining control of the situation. He knocks him away and watches him stumble back. The crowd around them gasps._   
_'I'm the only thing keeping you safe from whatever is coming our way! You should be grateful and stop holding onto the past!', the other retaliates, and as he tries to make another move, quickly loses his footing and struggles to properly stop himself._

'You and Wilbur are trying to create a nation that can never, ever hope to even live up to what the DreamSMP is! If you keep closed forever you can never develop! You'll crash and burn!'.  
'Oh? And I thought your win in this election was guaranteed. Now you seem convinced that me and Wilbur will get re-elected.', Tommy grinned. 'Did something change your mind?'.  
'If we win this election we're going to bring L'Manberg back to what it should have always been – Nothing more but an extension of the DreamSMP!', George spat into the microphone with spite.  
'Sorry, big man, but I doubt that will happen with how you're acting right now.'. Tommy looked into the crowd. From their expressions alone he could tell who was winning this debate.

_The Emperor loses his footing, struggles to stand properly, and taking charge of the situation, Tommy quickly turns his sword to the side and pushes the side of it into his opponent's side, causing him to lose control over his movement completely. He makes his final move – He kicks the man in the chest, and watches as he lets go of his sword from the impact. It shakes as it hits the ground and slides away, gleaming under the moonlight once it becomes still again._

'You're such a little... Brat! How did you even get in a position of power?'.  
'By keeping my cool far better than an adult can manage to, it seems.'.  
'This whole election, this whole nation... It's all a sham! A giant joke!'.

'That's enough!'.

_The Emperor falls._

'Clearly Mr. GeorgeNotFound has no idea how to debate properly.', Tubbo exclaimed, taking charge of the debate once more. 'With how childish and inappropriate everyone here has been acting today I have no choice but to cut this event short! I'm truly sorry for wasting all of your time...', the boy carried on as he addressed the crowd. Tommy didn't listen much – Most of his focus was on George. Eyes wide, trembling with rage, gripping onto the stand before him with all his strength. And as he looked down at Wilbur below, a look of pride in his eyes, he couldn't help but smile.

_'...And so... It is decided...', Phil is first to speak, passing Tommy and making his way to the centre of the clearing they had used for the fight. He glances at the Emperor, still too shocked to get up off the ground and try to get his weapon back. He continues staring at Tommy with his eyes wide, breathing heavily as he does. Phil looks down at him with a mix of pity and satisfaction. 'The Emperor was defeated by Tommy. As per our agreed rules, training will continue for all recruits but will be changed to be easier and more manageable. That is all.'._

'Good debating there Gogy.', Tommy patted the other on the back as he passed him, unable to force himself to show any degree of sportsmanship. 'But try harder next time.'.

_'It was an honour fighting with you, Emperor.', Tommy says as he reaches out with his hand. The man looks up and hesitantly, grabs it and stands. He doesn't speak. He simply turns away._

Tommy looked upon his opponent with a degree of satisfaction he didn't quite comprehend.

_And his opponent looks back with confusion and shock that cannot be put into words._

\---

'Holy shit Tommy, where was that during the first half of the debate?'.

Wilbur managed to pull his Vice-President away from a small group of DreamSMP citizens asking him questions (once he soon recognized to be Callahan, Skeppy and Purpled), instantly turning to him more confused than anything else. He was impressed, proud... He couldn't even choose the right words for how he had felt about what he just witnessed. Tommy had all of that just... Hidden away? What even made it come out? Could they harness that more in the future? He wanted answers, but when he saw the boy's expression, it became clear to him he himself was still completely lost at his own skill displayed just minutes ago. There was this pleased gleam in his eye – Clearly he was still far from getting off the adrenaline high his victory gave him.

'Did we win it? Did we do well?', Tommy asked, like a confused child, instantly receiving a laugh.  
'Obviously! Tommy, Quackity and George look like a joke and Fundy and Niki barely even got to talk at all! We've got this in the bag!', Wilbur paused, sighing. 'For now, at least. There's still almost four months left until voting night, but... This is a good start. We can really use this to our advantage, we just need to keep this energy up, and-'.

'Wilbur?'.  
'Yeah?'.  
'Maybe... Let's take a break for today? Go have some food, rest up?'.  
'Right, yeah... You're probably right. I'd say we both deserve it.', he smiled. 'You especially.'.

And as the President and Vice-President turned away and begun heading home, it became clear to them, that even with this great start, their fight had only just begun. There was still a long struggle for votes ahead of them – More debates, more campaigning, more advertising and policies to establish and make clear. Even with this they walked with a certain bounce to their step... They were far more than confident in their first proper day of this election.

The next four months, however, would bring about changes they'd never fully see coming.

\---

~~Twenty one~~ Twenty-two people would get to vote on Election Night.

Fourteen with a half vote, and ~~seven~~ eight with a full vote.

And the next four months could decide every single one.

No pressure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tommy beat techno.... fucked up if true  
> also heyyyy im really proud of this chapter-
> 
> oh quick info;
> 
> there are twenty two voters total because...
> 
> 1\. techno wont get to vote for obvious reasons  
> 2\. antfrost is yet to arrive in the city in this story - apart from him, everyone else is there. i had to do this like this as it will help me set up the voting results in a certain way so a certain's someone's win will resemble their win in the original story - so yeah :p


	44. The Voters (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The candidates all make their votes. Tommy and Wilbur make a desperate last attempt at victory, Quackity and George drift apart, and Niki worries about Fundy’s motivations.

Wilbur, Tommy, Quackity, George, Niki and Fundy would all vote for themselves, obviously.

But there was more to it than just wanting a win.

\---

Wilbur and Tommy's campaign, all things considered, definitely went a lot better than they expected it to. They were off to a great start with how the Vice-President snatched his victory away from the other two candidates during the first debate, and he only carried on with that over every debate that followed. Wilbur had been working his hardest too, managing to triumph over Fundy easily but slipping up quite a bit when facing Quackity. He could see this race would come down to the two of them in the end – And with how things were going, it could prove to be an incredibly close match. Either way, the President stayed optimistic and kept his head held high. After all, whatever he did for those four months would decide the fate of his nation. The best thing he could do was always assume he was losing and up his game more and more, which he encouraged Tommy to do, too. And even with this attitude, still, it seemed like towards the last month or so the election was slipping more and more from under their control.

Wilbur knew, deep inside, he'd have to make a bold move if he wished for victory here.

But he wasn't sure what kind of sacrifices he was willing to make.

\---

Quackity was winning.

That was for sure. But was he winning because of himself, or because of George?

It was clear to him. The little giggles behind his back, the whispers between his audience. Even during his debates, even when he gave it his all, there were still people below who only saw his Vice-President, and barely even registered him as his running mate. But after all, he was the one running for President. Not George. He was the one who mattered in this whole thing the most, he was the one who was supposed to lead this party. And yet, he was still getting out-shined simply because of his past, simply because of his attitude, and simply because of the way he conducted his business. But he wouldn't let himself be pushed into the shadows like this – He had a plan. A plan to to show everyone he was more than capable of his position.

He didn't need George by his side everywhere, following him around like some sort of loyal dog. That was how Wilbur and Tommy did their campaigning – He could talk to people and try to get votes on his own. Use his techniques, talk smooth, show the person right in front of him that he was exactly the person they wanted in charge, and not just the person to vote for to have George up in the government. Eventually, things really started turning around for him. People smiled at him, talked about him openly in a positive light, told him how much they appreciated his strategies and policies. And he, of course, in turn would tell them what he himself was planning, what he himself thought of the other candidates, and what he himself would do in office.

Slowly, but surely, it seemed George was the one being pushed into the shadows.

\---

Niki and Fundy were losing – That much was clear.

Wilbur and Tommy had this appeal to them – The appeal of being the current people in charge, able to start putting in place their changes early and completely ruining their own plans. Quackity and George had a whole other advantage to them that was hard to exactly explain. They were both incredibly liked for different reasons. George, obviously, was well known around the DreamSMP and probably the least... intense, if you will, member of the Dream Team. People would vote for him because he was familiar to them, not because they liked the policies him and his running mate had proposed. As for Quackity, he definitely wasn't the popular choice by any means at first, but with how aggressively he had been campaigning he made it very clear this election was no joke to him. But their losses didn't just account to the skill of their opponents – Niki was sure they could keep up if it weren't for Fundy. Now here came the big problem of their candidacy.

Fundy wasn't running for L'Manberg. Fundy was running for himself.

She wouldn't bring it up with him directly, and you wouldn't catch her dead sharing these thoughts with everyone else, but it was clear to her and many others Fundy only ran in this election for the sake of opposing his father and nothing else. He was trying to prove himself, show that he could handle the position so that he had an excuse and something to hold over his head. He wanted some sort of upper hand in that weird argument of theirs she could never hope to understand, and something so angry and born of hate at its core could never win them their presidency. Still, Niki had some hope. She had a back-up plan, after all.

She was sure a few things from her bakery could get them a vote or two.

\---

'We can't win this if we don't get some final twist, final show... Something on election night to really convince people to forget the other candidates just in time as they get into the voting booth.', Wilbur had told Tommy as the two sat alone in his office, sitting at a desk and staring down at pages upon pages of their opponent's strategies and recent moves. They had been doing it for almost three months now, and with the final month of the election here and starting to count down, they knew they had to start making some bold moves. Wilbur had a back-up plan – One he really didn't want to pull out unless he absolutely had to. And with the way Quackity had been pushing for votes lately, he knew then and there was the time for emergencies.

'We're out of surprises already. I don't think there's anything that could change enough people's minds to win so last-minute.', Tommy told him honestly as he flipped through some pages. 'Maybe we could still change Karl's mind if we try? Surely there's something he-'.  
'There's one idea I have left, but... It all depends on a lot of factors.', Wilbur cut the other off, his eyes focused on a small painting on the nearby wall. 'A lot of factors that might not turn out the way we want them to, but-'. Tommy sighed and rolled his eyes.

'Just say it, Wil. We're out of options anyway.'.

'We need someone convincing. Someone who would be able to lull the whole crowd into giving us their votes and outshine all other candidates for just long enough to get them to the voting booths and give us their vote before they can wake up.'.  
'Well we don't know anyone like that. And there's no way we can contact another city right now.'.  
'There is one man like that.', Wilbur paused. 'One man who would definitely be willing to do something like this in exchange for citizenship and guaranteed safety in L'Manberg.'. Tommy's eyes widened and, for just a moment, filled with excitement.  
'Wait, you don't mean-'.

'We need Dream to show us the votes.', Wilbur carried on, realizing his running mate already put two and two together. 'Our votes more specifically. If we can prove that L'Manberg wanted him to stay and the DreamSMP wanted him out, we can have grounds to bring him back and grant him citizenship here. And once he's back-'.  
'He can get us the win! That guy can talk like no one else!'.  
'Exactly. Now, for this to work, Dream has to agree first of all. We have to look at the votes. We have to see if a majority wanted him to stay – And if that happens to be the case, we can argue to bring him back and let him stay here while he remains banned from the DreamSMP. All of this, we grant him in exchange for endorsing us on Election Night – He'll give one speech, make us look good, and we could really make this work. But it all comes down to Dream. And... Well, if he's even still alive in there. He might as well be dead.'.  
'Never a good thing when that guy is in charge of anything.', Tommy admitted.

'I'll make sure he agrees. I'll convince him, somehow.', Wilbur stood up, put on his jacket, and was stopped suddenly as Tommy rushed closer to him, grabbing his arm.  
'Wait, you're going right now?', he asked, confused more than anything. The President nodded.  
'Obviously. The longer he's in there the more likely it is he dies before we can get him back.'. Wilbur turned back as he stood in the doorway and grinned.

'We're getting Schlatt out of the Nether.'.

\---

'George.'.  
'One second-'.  
'George.'.  
'Just one minute-'.  
'George.'.  
'Just hold on- Wait, what's wrong?'.

Dream never looked stressed. He never looked overwhelmed. He never looked tired, sick, pale... Which is why George got so concerned when he saw his friend displaying every single one of those traits. He was just in the middle of sorting something out related to the SMP, barely even putting any work into the election with how much their city had been developing in the months following the war. He watched as his friend stumbled over, sat down on a spare chair in his office and just looked at him for a moment. That cut Wilbur made across his face way back was barely visible these days. But what difference would it make, if barely anyone ever saw him without his mask?

'Are you alright? Why are you so pale?', George turned around, got closer and watched as his friend looked up at him with wide eyes. Dream sighed.  
'It's... I... I'm gonna need your help.'. George shrugged.  
'Okay? You don't have to ask, you know.'.  
'On the 21st of September. I'm gonna need you to be there.'.

George stammered for a moment.

'That's... Election Night.'.  
'I know.'.  
'I have to be there.'.  
'I know.'.  
'I have a speech to give.'.  
'I know.'.

'But why? Dream, what's going on?'. He didn't respond. He just looked away.  
'The woods. We're gonna need to go into the woods, and stay the night.'.  
'Dream, you have to tell me what-'. The other rubbed his eyes for a moment.  
'Please. I- I just need you there, okay? I'll explain, I promise. But I need you to promise you'll miss that Election and come with me. Please?'.

Dream ended that war for him. He ended it in exchange for three discs.

What's the worst one missed Election could do?

'Okay.', George nodded. 'I'll go with you. But you'll explain?'.  
'Once we're there. I will. I promise. Just trust me, please.'.  
'I do trust you. Obviously. I'll miss the Election. I'll come.'.  
'Okay. Thank you.'. Dream, without further comments, stood up and headed back to his room. However, before he could even reach his door, a knock on the front door quickly snapped him out of it. He slipped on his mask, forced his usual smile and opened – And found none other than President Wilbur Soot standing at his doorway.

'Dream. I need to talk to you. Urgently. I have a deal to discuss with you.'.  
'I- I'm not really feeling-'.  
'Five minutes. In your office. Come on, I'll make it quick.'.  
'Right, okay-'.

And as George watched in silence, Dream was pulled into his office and in his dazed state, made one of the most regretful deals of his life.

\---

'You're only doing this for your father.'.  
'So what if I am?'.  
'We won't win, Fundy.'.  
'I don't care.'.

'You need to stop being so angry.'.  
'Well he needs to apologize!'.  
'Hatred will get you nowhere.'.  
'Oh, did The Blade teach you that?'.

'I feel sorry for you.'.  
'Thanks, but it won't change anything.'.

\---

The final month passed, and there they stood.

Wilbur stepped into the voting booth with his shoulder still hurting, bandages wrapped all around it. He wiped some of the blood from his face with a piece of cloth he brought with him and looked down at the small paper below. He wrote in his name, and with no title, wrote nothing else. And then, he checked the box. With his bloody hand he put the small piece of paper into the box in front of him – And so his vote was cast.

Tommy stepped into the voting booth still trembling and with a pain in his leg he forgot the origin off. His jacket was ripped, but he didn't care. He grabbed onto a piece of paper, wrote in his name and title, and checked the box. His hand was still shaking and he could see the blood under his finger nails as he placed his vote into the small box – And so, his vote was cast.

Quackity stepped into the voting booth angry, betrayed, but to an extent, satisfied. Satisfied with his choices that night, satisfied with what was ahead, and satisfied with the vote he made. He wrote in his name and title, and with no hesitation, checked the box on the page and placed the paper into the box in front of him, trying to ignore the bruises on his arm – And so, his vote was cast.

George stepped into the voting booth second last that night, and he knew he wouldn't have time to think through everything properly. His clothes were still dirty and burned, and his whole body was aching from what he had been through, but he didn't care. He missed Election Night, the least he could do was vote – His name and vote chosen, he put the paper in – And so, his vote was cast.

Niki stepped into the voting booth more shocked and confused than anything. She knew there was no way she was winning this election – But she wouldn't lose hope so easily. Her hand was shaking a little as she wrote down her name and title, and she almost missed the box she was meant to check. She thought through everything that went down that night as she placed the small piece of paper in the box in front of her – And so, her vote was cast.

Fundy stepped into the voting booth and laughed. God, what a show that was. Really, he hoped he could win after all that. What an Election to call your victory – But still, he knew he would lose. Him and Niki had too messy of a campaign to grab a win here. Either way, he wrote in his name, title, and checked one of the three boxes on the list. At least he'd be guaranteed one vote as he placed the piece of paper into the box in front of him – And so, his vote was cast.

Election Night went how no one expected it to – But even with this, in the end, the results would all come down to the ~~twenty-one~~ twenty-two voters.

It could only get worse from there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayooooo foreshadowing
> 
> what happened on election night?  
> why did gogy miss the election?  
> and why is dream so worried? 
> 
> i wonder, i wonder...


	45. The Voters (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eret regrets his past choices.

King Eret knew how he would vote the day the Election was announced.

He owed it to them, after all.

\---

For the first few weeks after the war ended, things were more than good. The King's castle was well on its way to being finished, looking better with each passing day. It was the single biggest and most impressive building in the whole DreamSMP – With a great gate, throne room, towers, flags waving in the wind, large windows with gorgeous art all over them... It was far more than Eret would have ever expected from his exchange with Dream. A great red carpet lead from the entrance right up to his throne, chandeliers hanging over him, and piles upon piles of gold in his treasury. He could not ask for more – And yet still, he felt as if something were missing. As he walked through the corridors of his castle, as he looked at the many paintings and sculptures he had stashed away all around his home, he couldn't help but feel something.

He felt lonely.

Sure, sitting on a throne all day was great. But what was the point if there wasn't anyone there to kneel before him? Everyone was far too busy rebuilding after the war, and barely anyone came by his castle. He could go for a walk, of course. Everyone he passed would bow down, treat him with respect, shower him with gifts if they had anything to spare. But where was the fun in that? Wandering about without anything to do? There was no point. So although he wished for more, although he wished there was someone there by his side, he stayed sitting on his throne for days on end, eating lavish dinners alone, and going to sleep in a bed far too large for one person... Alone.

All alone.

\---

He heard about the debate. Finally, a good reason to step out of his castle.

'King Eret.', Sapnap addressed him as per usual, bowing down before him. There was still this rush of ecstasy as he watched someone kneel before him like this, talking to him so properly and putting themselves so much below him. But it wasn't the same as it used to be – In the first few months, back when he'd go out of his way to go into crowded places and put himself in the centre of attention. Just as with anything else that brought one joy, the initial rush eventually faded, and after so many days of endless praise and worship, it just felt... Bland. 'We prepared a seat for you in the front. If you'd follow me...'.

'...but he got kicked out after he made a deal with Dream...'.  
'...so much in exchange for a crown and some jewels...'.  
'...a traitor, and nothing else, if you ask me...'.  
'...would you do something like that for a bit of gold...'.

King Eret tuned the whispers around him out. He had long learned to do that a while ago.

The debate itself was a pleasant break from the dull nature of his life so far – Watching all of the candidates fight for what they believed in with the vigour that they did almost made him forget everything he had heard about himself as he arrived and joined the audience. It almost made him forget how lonely he had been for the past few days. And it almost made him forget the, rather unwelcome, contributions he had made to the history of this nation. He listened, impressed, as Tommy debated his final points and left George completely unable to speak, breaking his arguments down like a skilled fighter protecting himself in battle. For the first time in a long while, seeing someone shine brighter than him didn't make him jealous or lustful for more – This time, he actually sat up in his seat and carefully listened in.

His optimism faded as he realised how many enemies he had in the six candidates alone.

It was tiring, at times, how his endless guilt would grasp onto his very soul and squeeze until he couldn't think of anything else but that unending, mental strain. Of course he regretted ever making that deal – That much was obvious. Even the moments after, when he saw Tommy's expression as he shouted at him, when he watched Wilbur stare at him with betrayal in his eyes... He felt as though his very heart was about to break into a million pieces and leave him with nothing but an empty void swirling with endless stress, regret and anger at himself. But he couldn't control it, either. Even now, when he had practised for so long to try and keep those feelings at bay, that endless hunger for more, more and more, seeing something that glimmered made his eyes light up with pure glee and greed.

And with the way Dream had him positioned, his eyes would never stop glowing in that way.

The castle, the bowing, the title, the gold... It was all there to keep him grounded in that tiny, helpless spot where he couldn't break out and make his own decisions, no matter what. That castle, god, that damned castle was the single biggest set back in all of his progress. The way his heart fluttered whenever he saw it, that feeling of euphoria whenever he stepped inside. Maybe, if he never saved Tommy from that cave almost a year ago he would still have his crooked old house and be able to appreciate the little things – But no, he felt like he had to be a hero that day, and things only spiralled from there when Dream approached him with a deal he knew he would not be able to say no to. It was unfair, wasn't it? To use one's mind against them-

'Um, King Eret?', he heard Jack say to him with a respectful bow. 'We have to clean these chairs up now. If you wouldn't mind, could you...'. Eret looked around – Not a single person in the audience, not a single person on the podium, and not a single person by his side. Alone, all alone. He must have had gotten lost in his thoughts for far longer than he intended.

The King stood up, and without a word, headed back to his castle, thrown right back into his endless cycle of greed and despair.

\---

Another day wasted away on his throne. Another day sitting alone. It was so, so tiring.

'Um, hello! King Eret? Are you home?'.

A voice echoing through the castle halls – A pleasant surprise, to be sure. He waited as the stranger turned the corner, speeding up their movements and approaching him more quickly as they spotted him. A young woman with a cake in her hands and a wide, welcoming smile on her face. He remembered seeing her during the debate, and around L'Manberg, but no matter how hard he tried, just could not recall her name. She got closer to him, waved slightly with her right hand, and then quickly grabbed onto her cake once more – It had almost slipped out from under her grip and fell to the ground. He looked at her for a moment, rearranged his sunglasses, and crossed his arms.

She didn't kneel. She didn't even bow.

'Hi there.', he said to her. 'I feel like I know you... You are...?'.  
'Nihachu!', the girl quickly exclaimed. 'Or, Niki. I'm the Vice-Presidential Candidate for the COCONUT2020 party! My running mate couldn't be here, as he's busy with his... Um...', the girl lowered her voice and sighed. 'With his “issues”... But I'm here! And I'm here to campaign!'.  
'Campaign?', Eret looked down for a moment. 'With a cake?'.  
'With a cake!', Niki proudly exclaimed, moving it forward. 'Fresh from my bakery! I just opened it, right at the edge of the L'Manbergian coast! It's in my house.', she paused. 'I run it with Fundy. My running mate! The Presidential Candidate for our party!'.

'Right. I saw you at the debate.', Eret stood up from his throne and walked down his stairs – Soon, he was at the same level as the girl. She remained unmoved. No bow. No stepping away. She simply stood there, by his side... And he wasn't alone.  
'Yeah... I didn't get to talk much, did I?', Niki said with a frown. 'But hey, we're still doing our best. The next Vice-Presidential Debate is coming up soon. Let's just hope I manage to get in a few words this time, before George and Tommy start a shouting match again.'.

'So what does the cake have to do with all of this?'.  
'Right! Sorry! I get off-topic so easily...'.

'This here cake...', Niki said and raised her creation. 'I made for you, Eret.'. Eret. Not King. Eret.  
'For... Me?', the man came closer. Indeed, the cake had a rather crude drawing of a man with sunglasses and a little golden crown drawn on it with icing. It was messy and unclear but... It had this feeling to it he couldn't quite place... Familiarity and comfort.  
'Yep!', the girl moved it closer. 'Here, take it! Actually, wait, do you have like... Any servant that could take this, or something? I don't really know how Kings work...'.  
'I'll take it. Thank you.', Eret grabbed the cake, turned back, and placed it on the nearest table he could find in his throne room. As he did, he glanced back at Niki. 'And it's just... A kind gift? For no reason at all?'. Her eyes widened – Like a deer in headlights.  
'Well... Let's just say... Me and Fundy are struggling for votes, just a little.', she shrugged. 'But I don't expect anything for that. Sometimes it's just nice to do a kind thing, You don't have to vote for us. But it would be... Greatly appreciated. If you catch my drift.'. She winked.

He did not, but... Still, he carried the conversation on. Not being alone felt nice.

'You saved Tommy after that duel, didn't you?', Eret asked after he had finally matched the girl's face to the nurse he had been seeing around with the L'Manbergians. Niki giggled.  
'Yep! I came in just in time.'. The King, for just a moment, glanced away.  
'...I'm... I'm the reason that duel had to happen, you know.'. He expected her to be shocked. Disgusted. Anything. But her smile remained unmoved.  
'I know. I watched. For a long while, Eret. A long, long while.', she titled her head. 'But... What's the point in holding onto the past? An attitude like that is why President Soot is so stressed all the time. He can't allow himself to enter a new era.'.

'...You'd be willing to forgive me?'. The woman's smile disappeared for the first time.  
'...I wasn't in the Final Control Room. I don't get to decide that.'. The King nodded.

'Welp, I gotta go! Got more cakes to give out!', Niki turned away, about to rush out of the castle just as quickly as she had arrived. Eret hesitated, for just a moment, but eventually, called out;  
'Niki!'. She paused, she turned back, her eyes widening.  
'Right! Bow! I forgot to bow! My sincerest apologies-'. The man grabbed her arm and stopped her before she could even lower her head. She looked up, puzzled.

'Thank you.', he simply said. 'For the cake, that is.'. The woman smiled.  
'I'm glad you like it.'. She rushed out the gate, and right before leaving, turned back and waved.

And once more, King Eret was alone. All alone.

\---

Every hallway felt cold and lifeless. None of the painted people ever seemed to smile any more. And the glow in his eyes only faltered more and more with each passing day. It was lonely at the top – That was no lie. Every single night he fell asleep alone. Every single evening he ate alone. Every single morning he woke up alone. And every day of every hour, he sat alone on his throne. He wondered, what would have happened if he had never betrayed them? With all of their gear, would they stand a chance? Would they have snatched the victory away from Dream before he could even blow the first walls into pieces? Would he be with them in there, with his home built alongside theirs? Would he fall asleep knowing many were nearby? Would he eat with them in the evenings? Would he wake up and be greeted by his friends? Would he, for once, not sit alone, and actually do something that mattered?

Who cared about the gold? Who cared about the endless halls? Who cared about the lavish food?

Who cared when he was the only one there to enjoy it?

_'I can offer you a simple deal.'._

Why did he say yes, why did he agree, why did he ever even think it would be a good idea to turn away and stab everyone he cared about in the back? But it wasn't him, right? It was his mind, pushing him forward, eating away at him. Telling him the only way to be happy was to have everything and let everyone else have nothing. That was the true way to live, right? Above everyone, above everything, with an upper hand and control over every small aspect of every single thing. That was what he had believed, in the back of his mind, all his life. But when he finally got the taste of everything, he just wished he could go back to having nothing.

_'If you lead the revolutionaries into our trap... I can give you everything you'd ever want.'._

No, no, no. It was as simple as that. Say no. Win the war. Get something better than all of this, all of this useless shit he could never even find use for anyway. But Dream knew, oh that bastard knew exactly how he would react if he were to offer someone like him something of this degree. He never knew where this lust came from, where this constant hunger for more originated. He just knew it was there, and that was enough. That was enough to take control of Eret with a few sweet, empty words that in the end, would mean nothing.

_'I will crown you King of the DreamSMP. I will give you a castle, a crown, and endless riches.'._

He knew, and it was all his fault. He never had to do it. He never had to bring those things up. He never had to make Eret turn away from everything he cared about, everything he believed in, there was never a need for it, but he did it for another reason. He didn't do it to win the war – With his skill-set, he was guaranteed a win from the start. He didn't do it to beat the revolutionaries further down – They were already as hopeless as they could be. No, no. It was all because of him. It was all because he wanted Eret to suffer, he wanted control over him, he wanted power over someone who was weak enough to be a puppet. How he'd remind everyone to bow before him, use his title, supply him with endless gold and gems – He knew. He knew what he was doing from the start, and it was never about L'Manberg. It was always about Eret-

_'What do you say, Alistair? Do we have a deal?'._

No! No! Stop! Stop saying that! It was never about Eret, and that's the point! He never mattered in all of this, he was a stepping stone! But he kept convincing himself it was him, he was the victim, he was the ultimate weapon, he was the worst of traitors. That was the true extent of his greed – No matter what he tried, he always returned to this same spot. Eret, Eret, Eret. All that matters is Eret, all that everyone cares about is Eret. But would the castle be so quiet and lonely if everyone cared about Eret? Would his betrayal be so easily forgotten and forgiven? The true extent of Dream's cruelty was this – He had shown Eret exactly how useless, insignificant, and forgettable he was. But in this action he did something else.

With no more glow in his eyes... Eret woke up.

Average. Cookie-cutter. Like everyone else. Not better, not worse. That was what Eret was. He wasn't a poor, exploited man, he wasn't a great king, he wasn't a cunning traitor and he wasn't a lost spec of dust in the corner of the room. He was Eret – A man who made a mistake, and a man who could fix it. A man who could put away his greed, his anger, his hate and his regret and make some changes. A man who wouldn't let his past control him, and a man who would make the most of where he had pushed himself in his blind belief that he was all that mattered in the world. Eret would fix this - And it all started on Election Night.

Eret's redemption started on Election Night.

\---

King Eret stepped into the voting booth with hope. Hope for a future, where, maybe, his eyes never glowed, and his castle never felt so cold and lonely. He fixed up his cloak, a rip still present in it from all that had went down that night – He still couldn't quite place it all. He wrote down his name, his title, and finally, checked the box that would be the first step to him fixing everything. Or so, he hoped. He truly, truly hoped he could fix it as he placed the paper into the box in front of him.

And so, Eret's vote was cast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i call this one the eret episode 
> 
> my brain: dont make eret angsty dont make eret angsty dont make eret  
> my hands: *writes eret angst*  
> my brain: goddamnit


	46. The Voters (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twelve voters think through their decision carefully on Election Night.

Out of the ~~twenty-one~~ twenty-two voters, there were twelve that could prove to be the tipping points of the whole election.

And each one of them was inspired by something different when making their vote.

\---

Tubbo, all things considered, had always been Tommy’s friend above everything.

Election or not, those two had been through far too much to just leave each other in the dust at a time like this. Given enough time and work, he probably would have had given his vote to Quackity. He was convincing, had a vision for the future, and definitely put a lot more focus on expanding the nation than Wilbur and Tommy could ever hope to. But for Tubbo, there was a whole another factor in all of this - He had been there since the start, and Wilbur and Tommy were the only duo of candidates who could say the same. They understood how important L’Manberg and its ideas were, so they tried to push them - Too bad most just didn’t understand the importance of keeping the walls closed. In the end, Tubbo had more than one reason for his vote. His friendship, his beliefs, and how much he cared for his nation. And that was enough.

Tubbo stepped into the voting booth thinking about his friend and the good he could do to their nation. He still had some blood on his sleeve and his wrist hurt from a scratch he got while running, but he didn’t mind. He grabbed the piece of paper in front of him and quickly scribbled on his name and title, checking a box before him with confidence. He placed the paper into the box in front of him and took a deep breath - And so, his vote was cast.

\---

Jack may have had been a new member of L’Manberg, but he was around long enough to know who the right choice for President was.

Wilbur was the one who brought him there. Wilbur was the one who invited him. Wilbur was the one who accepted him. He barely had a home in the DreamSMP before he joined L’Manberg, so he had been more than grateful. He never had an issue with how Tommy and Wilbur ruled - Keeping L’Manberg as small and as local as it was gave it a unique appeal. But he could also see why a change in leadership could benefit them - Change and new things never hurt a fly. A need for change was what brought along their nation in the first place, wasn’t it? So what’s the worst it could do to them? He was conflicted on his vote, but with how Election Night went, he was finally sure. Convinced of who he wanted to rule the place he lived in.

Jack stepped into the voting booth with his choice still yet to be fully made - He wrote his name and title in with his shaky hand as he thought through it carefully, and after giving it a minute or two of thought, finally checked one of the boxes. He looked at the small paper, took a deep breath, and placed it in the box in front of him. He hoped he made the right choice - And so his vote was cast.

\---

Skeppy, above all else, looked out for himself.

From the very beginning, from the very first day he settled the DreamSMP with Bad, The Dream Team, Alyssa, Callahan, Ponk and Sam, he had been looking out for himself and... Well, Bad too. It was always him and Bad. Which is why, whenever a decision was to be made, he’d always make one that was in their best interest. When the revolution against Dream first started, he supported it because he knew it was unlikely the leader would find out - And if the revolutionaries won thanks to his gear, they’d owe him. Win win, a deal without losses and only with gain. Which is why he made his vote the way he did - Skeppy, most simply, voted for whoever benefited him and Bad most.

Skeppy stepped into the voting booth, wrote down his name and title in a rush, and quickly checked the box he had been meaning to go for for the past month now. He had a lot to do that evening - With how Election Night went, there was a lot of opportunities for “profitable” deals in his favour. He put the paper into the box in front of him - And so, his vote was cast.

\---

Bad just wanted everyone to get along.

There wasn’t much to it. Some ulterior motive, some hidden plan - None of that. He had always been someone who just wanted peace between the people he cared about. That was why he started the DreamSMP with everyone else, after all - It was a union of people who wanted to live peacefully in a shared space, protecting each other and sharing supplies to allow themselves to live in peace. Some of Dream’s later policies and the whole L’Manberg incident definitely made that idea a bit harder to match with the SMP, but more peace came after, in the end. And now, with this Election, Bad wanted nothing more but for that peace to carry on. So, when faced with his decision, Bad would vote for peace.

Bad stepped into the voting booth with a simple goal in mind, putting down his name and title with a careful, neat font and lots of focus. He checked the box he picked clearly and made sure there was no confusion as to who he picked - He was proud of his decision. He quickly slipped the paper into the box in front of him and sighed in relief - And so, his vote was cast.

\---

Callahan had always despised conflict.

The DreamSMP, at its core, was built to be a safe place for him and all of his friends to live in in peace. It was a home for those who didn't want to keep running through the woods, struggling to survive every single day. That was what it was meant to be – But more runaways like them were bound to find it eventually. It grew slowly, sure. But with each new member things got more cold, more political, more proper. In the end, the DreamSMP had slowly become like those very pasts its citizens tried so desperately to get away from. But he didn't care. As long as his friends and him were safe, happy, and together, he didn't care – But L'Manberg took that safety away. And no matter what, he'd vote in a way that would guarantee that safety to return.

Callahan stepped into the voting booth wanting things to go back to their old simplicity. And he knew there was only one candidate up on that stage during Election Night that could bring this simplicity and normality back – Or at least, he hoped. He wrote down his name, his title, and quickly checked one of the four boxes – And so, his vote was cast.

\---

Sam had always been a man of action.

Day one, he lit their campfire. Day ten, he planned the Community House. Day thirty, he created a simple mechanism that allowed automatic farming. By day one hundred, he had created a gigantic automatic door in the side of a mountain that lead to one of the most intricate houses in the whole city. Since day one, Sam had been a man who wanted progress, innovation, and development, and no matter what it would take, he would get it. Which is why coming up to the election he had thought about his choice so carefully – Of course, with how he had always been, he would make sure his decision on election night reflected that. After all, L'Manberg's development often impacted the development of the DreamSMP itself, too.

Sam stepped into the voting booth sure of what candidate he would pick – There was only one choice for the exact outcome he wished for, and he would not change his mind last second like this. Despite the events of that night he still wrote his name onto his vote, as well as his title, and after some final thinking, checked one of the boxes. He placed the paper into the box in front of him and cleared his throat – And so, his vote was cast.

\---

Alyssa, even in the face of the events of Election Night, prioritized good business.

The Lemon Tree was an incredibly small investment compared to her usual endeavours. She was the first one to start the first inklings of what she would call an “economy” - Selling small things and services in exchange for items she could have probably gotten for free. Eventually, everyone else caught on. And here they were – In a future where nothing was free, and those who started their business early profited the most. This was why, in the end, Alyssa would put aside her friendships, her own wants, and her own likes in exchange for business – And progressing it further. After all, she was a businesswoman at heart. And that was what mattered.

Alyssa stepped into the voting booth knowing that what happened that night would benefit her. She knew, from how Election Night turned out, that there was someone she could finally put her trust in, someone who truly had a plan on how to make L'Manberg more focused on business than ever. She wrote down her name, her title, and checked a box with an added scribble. She looked down at the page, making sure she marked everything correctly, and then placed the small paper into the box in front of her – And so, her vote was cast.

\---

Ponk, same as his business partner, always wanted to expand.

Deals, trades, new working places. That was what he truly wanted, away from all the fighting and electing and what not. Whoever was in charge had to give him the ability to continue working the way he did usually, allow him to carry on working alongside Alyssa, and most importantly, would have to be a businessman with equal skill to him. There was only one candidate like that that made sense as a choice for him – And it all came down to the unlikely events of Election Night and how exactly it influenced his decision. After all, so much had happened, surely it would change his decision just... A little.

Ponk stepped into the voting booth with the sole intention to make the DreamSMP, as well as L'Manberg, a place where business such as his could flourish without anything getting in the way. There was only one president that could grant him the very freedom he wished for, and he knew their name exactly. He wrote in his name, his title, and checked one box. He placed his vote into the box in front of him and relaxed his shoulders – And so, his vote was cast.

\---

Punz was a man plagued by regret – Not as much as King Eret, but still, quite regretful.

He had never been one for absolute loyalty. Not in his first days in the SMP, at least. But Dream, as well as his two companions, happened to be incredibly good allies, as well as being overly convincing when it came to recruiting their supporters. He followed him and his lead, and when he was recruited for the Battle of the Two Towers, he asked no questions. Of course, right after, he begun feeling a bit uneasy. How the L'Manbergians were treated, with how they were beaten down over and over again, and how much they sacrificed for their victory... It was unfair.

Punz stepped into the voting booth wanting to make up for his actions. There wasn't really a lot more to it – He just wanted to make sure he somewhat made life easier for the people he hurt. And so, he wrote down his name, his title, and checked the box with the name of someone who would be able to turn this country into something good again. He placed the paper into the box in front of him satisfied with his choice – And so, his vote was cast.

\---

Purpled had always tried to stay away from all the wars and fighting, but he couldn't flee this time.

Election Night was one of the single most anticipated events in the DreamSMP's history, but with what came after, maybe it would have been better if no one showed themselves in the first place. Either way, he had to make some sort of choice. He had to step into there, just like everyone else, and tick one of the boxes on the page. No big deal, right? Well, with his attitude to everything thus far, he had really struggled to pick a candidate he truly trusted and believed in. Mainly because there was none – They were all just a bit too intense for him. In the DreamSMP, they never really went out of their way for theatrics like elections, and- Right, right. He shouldn't get off-topic, standing there and trying to make his choice.

Purpled stepped into the voting booth and stopped, standing still for about ten seconds. He looked at the page laid out before him, waited for a bit, and bit his lip. He hesitantly put down his name and title, and as he waited for a bit longer, he finally decided to make his choice. It was mainly driven by the adrenaline of the night and all that had happened rather than reason – But he had made it. He placed the paper into its place in the small box before him and turned away unsure if he was really happy with his choice – And so, his vote was cast.

\---

Karl was Sapnap's friend.

That's it. It was as simple as that. Since he first arrived in the city, while George and Dream clearly pushed the other away into nothing more than a third-wheel of the friendship, Karl very much latched onto him the first chance he got. And god, he did not regret it. Those jerks were missing out, leaving him in the dust like that. He was the single kindest, most fun person Karl had ever come to know. Well, apart from an old friend he had left a long time ago – But pasts were the one thing never brought up in the DreamSMP. But he was getting off-topic, wasn't he? His friendship with Sapnap, as far as he was aware, brought him a lot closer to the Dream Team than anyone from the city ever had gotten before. He saw Dream without his mask on the daily, he spent countless evenings talking and working with George, and of course, he spent twice as much time around Sapnap. And from this came his vote – A simple vote for someone he was close to.

Karl stepped into the voting booth without much of a plan, much of a change of heart, or anything at all due to Election Night. Sure, some things happened that changed his opinions of George slightly. But knowing him, and knowing Sapnap and Dream, they all had a very good reason to miss all of the stuff that went down. He quickly wrote in his name and title, which come to think of it, were practically identical, and checked a single box. He smiled to himself as he walked out, despite all that had happened that evening – And so, his vote was cast.

\---

HBomb had no fucking clue what the hell was going on.

He had arrived at the city a good month back and god what a month it had been. Elections, fights, debates, arguments, candidates beckoning him to their side from every angle... This man was more lost than he had ever been before, and in a way, he enjoyed it. The chaos was fun to watch from afar – Uninvolved and with nothing to lose with how recently he had arrived it never bothered him much. And Election Night, god, that was like a movie! None of the stuff that happened even made sense to him! He had no idea who half the people there were! But would that stop him from taking his rather blind, but deserved, DreamSMP Citizen-Granted vote? Of course not! He was having far too much of a blast dipping his toes in this mess.

HBomb stepped into voting booth with far more excitement than he should have felt after a day as messy and as unnecessarily violent as that one. But once again, he stayed away. He wasn't bothered, since no one really knew him well. He had kept his distance, and he was far better off than half of the people he passed on his way there. He scribbled in his name, title, and checked a box at random – He was sure that his single vote wouldn't have changed much, anyway. He turned around and stepped out just as clueless as he had entered – And so, his vote was cast.

\---

Election Night truly made everyone show their true colours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promise this is the most boring chapter of "the voters", the rest are gonna be interesting-  
> i just wanted to make sure everyone got their little bit :)
> 
> REGARDING TODAY'S REVOLUTION STREAM - SPOILERS FOR THE REVOLUTION AHEAD 
> 
> a lot of stuff that messed up my planned plot happened today  
> but a lot more stuff that could make it better happened, too
> 
> techno's arc so far fits very well into what I have planned, as well as Wilbur's  
> Phil and Connor are gonna make things difficult for me, but I'll manage  
> Schlatt's and Wilbur's storylines coming to a close as they did is something I can spin into this tale very well, too. But here's comes the big wrench in the story.
> 
> Schlatt and Wilbur were both the two reasons I started writing this fic, my two favourite characters. And they're both gone... Which is why I don't know if, past the revolution, I'll want to continue writing this story. There's a big chance I will – But please don't get disappointed if that's where this tale ends. 
> 
> After all, at its core, schlatt, wilbur and their past have been the main focus of this story for a LONG while now, and will be way after the election and all the way up to the revolution – Which is why ending the fic at their dramatic deaths would be a great place to stop.
> 
> There is, however, a possibly at this changing. If the plot continues developing and becomes as interesting as it was during last two month's arc, I might carry it on. Maybe, I'll open a second book for it. If things slow down or get average, I may just call it quits at the revolution and let someone else carry the torch from there.
> 
> NO PROMISES THO. I MIGHT STICK TO THIS UNTIL THE SERVER SHUTS DOWN. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. SO DONT TREAT THIS AS OFFICIAL.
> 
> And... theres still a long time until I reach that point. Maybe a single stream might change my mind. Who knows, who knows... 
> 
> Also, expect some messy retcons soon. Phil showing up REALLY threw a wrench into my plans. Just... Expect things to get really fast and messy for a while after the banishment. I'm gonna need to rework a lot of stuff and push in A LOT more dadza so that the “you're my son” line is more deserved. So uh... Look forward to that I guess!
> 
> Also a lot more schlatt angst. Mans gotta become a raging alcoholic somehow. 
> 
> For now that's all, sorry for the long rant, see ya around!


	47. The Voters (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On his quest to find a cure to his bloodlust, The Blade meets an eccentric potato farmer.

There, of course, were people who’d never get to vote.

The Blade was one of them.

\---

It was almost seven months ago now that he found himself standing in a rather large flower field, an old, tattered map in his right hand and his sharp sword in his left, as per usual. He was looking in front of him at what appeared to be a grand temple, with its stone doors shut tight and showing no signs of ever being meant to open. However, this very man needed to get inside, no matter what. And he had a plan. From some scripts he studied a couple of cities ago, he knew how this place was meant to work. And, with no Eye of Ender to call his own, he’d have to get creative with what to enter into the small hole in the front of the doorway that would cause the mechanism to open up. He got closer, looked inside and focused on what he could see - Surely, such an old mechanism could be exploited.

The locks, as far as he could see, were created in a way where inserting an Eye of Ender would press on multiple small elements that would most likely trigger some sort of mechanism on the other side when pressed all at once. That, of course, made things very easy for him - He had a thing just the right shape for this. He quickly removed his- The Fallen King’s crown, from his head, and turned it around, pressing its pointy tops into the lock. After some struggle and extra help from pressing his finger on one last mechanism, he heard a click, and quickly backed away. He watched, patiently, as the doors slid open with a deafening, grinding sound - He’d have to move fast, with how much noise it made. Surely someone had been alerted by that point... The last thing he’d want in his recent state was bumping into people. The Blade readied his sword, put away his map, and removed a torch, lighting it. And so, he entered.

The temple turned out to be nothing more than an endless, winding staircase that he seemed to keep going down for an eternity. When he finally reached the bottom, he instantly turned to the Library to his right - He knew what the portal to the left was, how it was activated, and why exactly he would not want to even touch it. The Library, however, had something that interested him far more. What he found, though, was a lot more puzzling than what he had expected to see.

The Library had an abandoned camp in the middle of it - From how it looked, he could tell it had only been left mere minutes ago. The Nether Portal next to it had been lit quite recently, too. He could have looked around, thought through it - But he knew he didn’t have much time. He quickly turned to the small bookshelf filled with translated texts and looked carefully until he found the book he was searching for - “Advanced Potion Brewing”. He begun reading through the contents in a rush, flipping to the first page that interested him. He read over the ingredients quickly - He was lucky that whoever was here happened to translate it;

_Unstable Potion of Extreme Calming_

_\- Ground-Up Lavender_   
_\- Obsidian Dust_   
_\- The Tear of a Monarch_   
_\- Piglin Essence_

Before The Blade could even properly read the instructions on preparation, distant footsteps quickly snapped him out of his lecture. In a swift and precise motion he ripped the single page out, making sure to not lose any essential part of the recipe as he did. While the strangers approached, he dashed across the corridor from the Library and into the portal room, quickly hiding himself behind the frame. And there, he remained, for a rather long while. He heard them approach above - They looked over the portal and ultimately chose to leave it alone. A good choice, for once. While they headed off to the Library he finally managed to sneak past them and up the staircase, disappearing once more into the woods with a single potion recipe in his hand.

\---

As he walked for the tenth day straight now, The Blade wondered. He wondered about the many issues with the recipe he had snatched in his hurry to avoid whoever it was coming his way, and he wondered about how he could counter them. In the end, his troubles boiled down to three points.

1\. How “unstable” was this potion, and how much could it hurt him?  
2\. What exactly was a “Piglin Essence”?  
3\. And where would he get the tear of a monarch?

Luckily, two out of the three questions would be answered when the man finally arrived at a new city - And this one was far grander in appearance than any city he had ever witnessed before.

Large buildings, thousands of people, farms surrounding and supplying the great nation with produce and an endless stream of people coming in and out. Of course, a crowded place like this was a nightmare to a man like him. But with how much he had been walking, it could also prove to be the only way he could get his answers. He focused, kept his mind clear, and approached one of the more distant potato farms of the city, hoping he wouldn’t see too many people there. Luckily for him, he only met a single man. The single farmer and owner who opened the door for him - And he was a strange one indeed. His eyes inky black, small tentacles around parts of his face and fingers, and a blue tint to his hair. He smiled, revealing a missing tooth.

‘Hey there!’, he exclaimed. ‘I don’t get a lot of visitors this far out. What do they call you? You got a title?’. Indeed he did. But he had grown far more attached to the name granted to him by the DreamSMP Citizens, so he opted out for that one.  
‘The Blade, that’s what they call me.’.  
‘Badass title! A lot cooler than mine, that’s for sure.’.  
‘And you are?’. The man grinned more widely.

‘Name’s Squid Kid! Single best potato farmer Hypixel has got, that’s me.’.  
‘Hypixel?’, The Blade looked in the distance. ‘Is that what they call this city?’.  
‘So you’re a newcomer! Welcome, welcome!’, the man looked into the house. ‘I’d invite you in for dinner, but all I’ve got is potatoes and calamari. And you don’t seem the type for crappy dining.’.  
‘Oh....’, The Blade looked down at his lavish attire. Mostly torn, but still, quite impressive. ‘This is all for show. I’m the farthest thing from royalty these days.’.

‘You’ve got a story about you, haven’t you?’. The Blade did not respond.  
‘I need some help.’, he moved forward his potion recipe. ‘Would you know where I can get Piglin Essence? Or, even, what it is?’.  
‘You’re in luck, my friend!’, the farmer exclaimed. ‘I’m the guy you need. Piglin Essence is just a fancy term for a little something potatoes happen to have in them. They only get called that because those little bozos love to eat potatoes, and that specific part gives them a little energy boost.’.

‘And how much would you think this brew needs?’.  
‘Oh, brother, you are screwed.’ Squid Kid leaned forward. ‘That’s a good twenty spuds you’ll need for one portion. Piglin Essence is rare, and sometimes doesn’t show up in potatoes at all. How committed are you to making this potion?’.  
‘Very.’, The Blade replied, his mind flashing back to Niki for just a moment. ‘And I won’t just be making one. I’ll need a steady supply of these.’.

The farmer laughed.

‘Well, you’d need to somehow create a farm even better than mine for something like this to work. And trust me, Blade.’, Squid Kid looked at him with an angry glare. ‘I’ve been at the top of this game for a while. It’s damn near impossible to beat me.’.  
'Right.', The Blade said, as he turned away. 'Of course. I guess I'll find another way to get the Essence, I suppose. But I might stick around this city...', he paused. 'I like it here.'.

He didn't. But he had a plan.

\---

Ground-Up Lavender... Obsidian Dust... Piglin Essence... He was only missing one ingredient.

'Hey! Hey, Blade guy! You think I haven't noticed what you've been up to?'. It was another average day for The Blade, and same as for the past month or two, he was standing alone by a small wooden table with a large field of potatoes surrounding him. He turned away from his small pile of ingredients and found none other than Squid Kid standing next to him.  
'What have I been up to?', The Blade looked at his ingredients. How the hell would he get the tear of a monarch? All he could think of was King Eret, so a ten days walk must have been ahead of him.  
'This whole farm! You're trying to outdo me, aren't you? Well, let me tell you, I've been in charge around here for-', The Blade quickly cut him off.  
'Do you know any kings in the area? I desperately need them to cry for me.'.  
'Don't change the topic! Besides, aren't you a king or something?'.

Squid Kid turned and picked up the Fallen King's crown, which The Blade had laid out on his table.

'Just chop up some onions and call it a day-'.  
'Don't touch that.'.  
'Okay, okay, relax-'.  
'I'm serious.'.  
'What's the big deal?'.  
'Put that down!'.

And like the snap of one's fingers, his hand moved to the side and quickly grabbed onto his sword, his mind barely able to keep up quickly enough to make it move and hit next to the farmer, rather than hit him directly. Out of fear the other quickly dropped the crown and watched it roll away on the grass as he trembled, eventually stopping at The Blade's foot. The man leaned down slowly, picked it up, and placed it back on the ingredient table.

'Damn, you really have some issues! I was just trying to be friendly!', Squid Kid dusted off his clothes, rolled his eyes and turned away. 'Whatever! Just make sure to keep those potatoes to yourself! I'm the real potato king!'.  
'Potato king?', The Blade repeated, smirking. 'That sounds... So stupid.'. The man's eyes widened. 'Hold on, wait, king? As in, a monarchy?'.  
'As in monarchy.', the farmer agreed with a smile. 'Oh, but... In a local way. It doesn't actually hold power. Well, old Simon in the city doesn't seem to think so, at least. I think I should at least get a little crown or cool badge or something. I work hard on those potatoes!'.

'God, do you ever shut up about the potatoes?'.  
'You are so incredibly rude, Mr. Blade.'.

The Blade watched the “king” walk away, an idea coming to him.

\---

'You've seriously got some nerve, Blade Boy!'.  
'Not right now, Squid.'.  
'Stop selling your potatoes to Simon! Hey! Do you hear me?!'.

Three, maybe four months more. God knows, at this point. More and more of those potatoes, he was getting sick of them. And no matter how much obsidian dust, ground-up lavender and Piglin Essence he stuffed in, the potion wouldn't form. It was just an unsavoury, mushy mess of colours that smelled worse than anything he had ever been forced to interact with. He had managed to make a somewhat stable living out of selling whatever he had left of those accursed vegetables once he was done with them to the city, having a small hut to live in and more farming tools than he'd ever need. It wouldn't be such a gruelling process, if only, Squid Kid wasn't there. But by god, that man had the title of king and would hold onto it with dear life.

'Blade! Blade, I swear to god!', the farmer barged in the moment the doors were opened, looked around and quickly pinched his nose. 'Holy shit, what is that smell?'.  
'Potions. Potions that won't work.', The Blade made his way across the room, picked up another small bowl of ingredients, and begun measuring them out again.  
'Then maybe give up?', Squid Kid scoffed. 'Come on dude, you've been at this for months. How important could a couple potions be?'.  
'You wouldn't get it.', The Blade responded, shaking his head. For just a moment, the potato farmer seemed to consider something. He looked up, clicking his tongue.

'And... If you were to complete this potion of yours... Would you leave?'.  
'Most likely. I've got a home to go back to.'.  
'And... You'd stop selling your stuff to Hypixel?'.  
'Yeah. Obviously.'.

The farmer snatched the potion recipe off the wall and looked at it.

'Put that back-'.  
'Relax, I'm just having a glance.'.  
'You are seriously pushing this-'.  
'Tear of a Monarch? Well. Let's try this then.'.

Squid Kid, with no further explanations, reached into The Blade's stash of food that wasn't potatoes, which was rare in his home these days, and pulled out a single onion. He then grabbed a knife and cut it open, making sure it came close to his eye. As he did, he leaned over the small bowl of ingredients, a single tear dropping in. For a few seconds, the men just watched in silence. And as nothing happened, they both sighed.

'I- I'm sorry, I- I tried.', the man looked aside. 'Guess “potato king” isn't as royal as I thought.'.  
'This is pointless. I can't go into cities in the state I'm in. And there's no kings in the countryside. I... I'm never gonna be able to go back... I'm always just gonna be like this. Isn't that cruel?'.  
'Hey, dude. Come on. World's not over. You've got a roof over your head, food on the table, I mean, it could really be- Hey, are you crying?'.

'I don't cry.'.

And yet, a single tear fell into the bowl.

'Oh, alright tough guy. No need to- Holy shit, look!'. The two's heads snapped towards the bowl, which now, instead of that unpleasant mush, became clear and somewhat snow white in its shade. 'It worked! I knew you were a royal, you had all the vibes!'.The Blade looked down at the potion for a moment, his face reflecting in the milky mixture. He looked deep into his own eyes.

And he found The Emperor looking back.

\---

'So... You're leaving? For real?'.  
'For real. Sorry. I've got someone waiting for me.'.  
'But hey... The potion worked! What's it for, anyway?'.  
'For a second chance, hopefully.'.

The Blade rearranged his grip on the reins of the horse he bought from Hypixel – God, it felt so refreshing being able to walk into a city and not have to watch his own instincts constantly. He had a large stash of potatoes, obsidian dust and ground-up lavender with him, the horse barely able to handle it all. Squid Kid, who had been standing nearby for a while now, spoke for the first time just as he got ready to go.

'Hey uh...', he looked up with a smile. 'Thanks for giving me your farm. And uh... As annoying as it was having a rival, it was nice while it lasted. You're cool, Blade Boy.'.  
'You're cool too, Squid.', the man grabbed onto the horse's reins and sat back as it neighed. 'I'll come by some day. Maybe we'll have a rematch? How about we race in beets this time?'.  
'I ain't loosing for a second time!', the farmer shouted out as he watched his friend/enemy race away. 'Don't forget about Hypixel, alright?', he added, but most likely, was unheard past that point. With a sigh he turned back to his farms.

_Back to business as usual, I suppose._

\---

The Blade never got to step into a voting booth. He had gotten far too caught up with a potato war for that – And yet still, he knew what his choice would have been. After all, he had a friend in that city. And finally, he could see her again.

Finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES I TURNED THE POTATO WAR INTO A FILLER EPISODE  
> WHAT ABOUT IT I HAD FUN WRITING THIS
> 
> squid and techno sound like jaskier and geralt in this  
> im losing my shit at how i wrote them  
> i wanna write a whole book just of them help me


	48. The Voters (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream, George and Sapnap go into the woods on Election Night and meet someone interesting.

Dream, Sapnap and George were all missing on Election Night.

And they had a good reason to be.

\---

Fallen leaves scrunching under their shoes, birds singing around them, and Dream endlessly whispering under his breath. There was only that above the silence of the lonely walk, three friends walking into the forest on the morning of the 21st of September in a straight line. Dream was up front, Sapnap in the middle, and George sticking to the back - After asking about ten times and receiving no response, he completely gave up on trying to figure out why he exactly they were out here. While their friend wouldn’t talk, Sapnap very much wanted to put together some theories. He turned back, stopped, and waited for George to catch up, the two now walking side by side and lowering their voice to have a conversation unheard by Dream.

‘So why do you think he took us here?’, Sapnap whispered first, rearranging his backpack.  
‘I don’t know. But he’s been looking worse every day. I think he’s sick.’.

‘Do you think he’s gonna kill us?’.  
‘Are you daft?’.  
‘What? Don’t tell me he doesn’t have the ability...’.  
‘Why would he- You know what, never mind.’.

The two stayed silent for a moment. Then, George carried on.

‘I’m really worried about him.’, he muttered, looking ahead. ‘He’s pale. He keeps getting headaches. The other day he didn’t even get out of bed, he just spent all day sleeping. He can’t even walk straight sometimes - He just gets dizzy and falls over.’.  
‘I’ve noticed that, too.’, Sapnap whispered along. ‘But if he’s sick, why won’t he just get help? Why is he just bringing us into the woods, on Election Night of all times?’.  
‘You tell me. Let’s just hope he keeps his promise and tells us.’.  
‘Yeah... Let’s.’.

The walk continued. Every now and then, Dream would pause, look around, ask something to himself under his breath and then carry on. His two friends, although confused, would have no choice but to follow. This late into the day, turning back would leave them with no time to get home before the monsters started swarming the area. It was best to put their trust in Dream and follow - They had supplies to spend the night out here, if need be. Their walk wasn’t cut short by their friend stopping, however. It was instead him losing his balance, stumbling for a moment and falling to the ground, struggling to stand up and eventually collapsing completely. George and Sapnap rushed to his side, removing his mask - With blood under his nose and his face coated in sweat, the two knew something was wrong.

They quickly propped him up against a nearby tree and begun taking care of him as night grew closer and closer. They could hear something moving in the bushes as George checked Dream's breathing, Sapnap instead taking it upon himself to prepare a fire and begin lighting more torches to ensure monsters stayed away. As far as he could tell, Dream hadn't fully lost his consciousness, even opening his eyes from time to time. He was disoriented, looking around with a blank expression and then drifting off into something resembling sleep soon after. George touched his forehead, noticing it to be far too warm to possibly be healthy, blood running down his nose. He had no idea what to do, panic overtaking him as he reached into his bag and dug out whatever health potions they had brought along. He tipped one over near his friend's mouth, sighing in relief as he watched him swallow its contents with the last of his strength. While Dream sat alone and recovered George turned away to Sapnap, who had just gotten done fending off a zombie that came far too close for comfort. He wiped its blood off his sword with his sleeve and blew his hair out of his eyes.

'How is he? What's going on with him?'.  
'No clue. We have to get him in a state where he can tell us what's wrong himself.', George looked back at his friend, who was now awake, aimlessly looking up at the sky with clouded eyes. 'It would take an hour to get back to the DreamSMP from here if one of us ran for help. A good few more to get some and get back – We can't afford that. We're gonna have to take care of him with what we've got here.'. Sapnap nodded, getting to his back and recovering some tools.

'Dream? Dream, can you hear me?'.  
'Mask... My mask... Where...'.  
'Can you talk to me? Do you know where you are?'.  
'Forest... No time, we need to-'. Dream tried to get up, instantly falling down. 'We have to go... deeper into the woods, we have to-'.  
'The monsters are already coming out. This is as far as we will get.', George looked around, picking up a piece of cloth. He wiped some of the blood away from his friend's nose, the other making it incredibly difficult with how much he was trying to move away.

'Dream, you have to tell us. What's going on with you?'.  
'Hot... So hot... Fire... Why is there a fire?'.  
'It's keeping the monsters away. Dream, you have to talk to me-'.  
'I can't... I can't breathe... I can't...'.

'Sapnap! Put out the fire!'.  
'Are you crazy?  
'Just do it!'.

A splash, a hiss, and so, the camp went dark. Dream's breathing calmed down, and he moved his head back, resting it on the tree that he sat against. For a moment he just looked at the sky, trying to calm himself down, meanwhile George and Sapnap both grabbed onto their weapons and begun looking around, ensuring that no monster came close. Strangely enough, none seemed to even appear. The torches Sapnap had hung around appeared to do the trick for now, but it wouldn't last long. Or so they thought – But Dream seemingly had a plan.

'Don't worry.', he whispered, looking up. 'They won't come closer. They can't.'.  
'What do you mean?', Sapnap inched closer, still looking around nervously.  
'Look.', Dream pointed to the edge of their camp with a trembling hand. Right at its end, a skeleton had emerged from the woods. It raised its bow and both George and Sapnap got into defensive positions, but their friend didn't seem to care. And as the creature stepped closer, the strangest thing happened. For a moment, it paused, as if becoming aware of what would happen next – And a secnd later, it burst into flame and turned into a pile of ash. The three watched in silence – The first to speak was Dream.

'It's okay.', he whispered. 'She won't let them get close. She doesn't want me to get hurt.'.

George felt about ready to snap.

'Dream, if you don't tell us what the hell is going on here right now-', George started, but was cut off by Sapnap punching him in the arm. He sighed. 'Dream, can you please explain?'.  
'...Six months ago... The portal... When the Nether Portal opened... Something came through...'.  
'Yeah. Schlatt. We know that.', Sapnap shrugged. 'What does that have to do with anything?'.  
'Not Schlatt.', Dream shook his head. 'Something worse. Something... From the Nether.'.

George and Sapnap both gulped as they listened.

'Dream... What are you... What are you saying?', one of them spoke up in a whisper.  
'It's here. She's here with us.', Dream looked aside. 'She wants to take change. I said she shouldn't, but she insisted. Today. Right now. And-', he was cut off as he yelled in pain. He took a few deep breaths and carried on; 'I have no choice. Just... You have to... Keep her away... From everyone.'.

A chill went down their spines, as if a whisper spoke in the wind.

'Well I don't trust you not to!', Dream yelled to the side, now completely sounding like a mad man.  
'Dream... This is...', as George spoke, he looked at Sapnap. There was a silent understanding between them – An understanding that their friend has most definitely lost it.  
'You're sick, Dream.', Sapnap got another potion, handing it to his friend. 'You need to rest, alright? You're just confused.'. His friend ignored the statement completely – Now he started a barely audible argument with something unseen by the other two, turning his head to the side and speaking with more spite than anything. With each passing second he only seemed to be getting worse.

'But the skeleton... How did it...', George started questioning himself, looking at the pile of ash that had once been a monster inching towards them. The monsters getting anywhere close to them seemed to meet about the same fate, some turning away by themselves as if gaining sentience and common sense all at once.  
'Please, please just listen to me...', Dream spoke in-between deep breaths. 'I don't know what she's capable of or what her plans are. You just have to keep her away from the SMP. No matter what. I can't risk her getting there when everyone's together in one spot like that.'.

'Dream, who is she? Who are you talking about?'.  
'You won't believe it until you see it.'.  
'Try me. I've seen enough tonight to question life a little.'.  
'I'm possessed, George.'.  
'What... What the hell does that even mean?'.  
'It's too late.'.

Dream's head slumped down, his hood covering the top of his head as per usual. He whispered 'Too Late', over and over, practically trembling from pain. By the time he raised his head, something was... Different. His clothes didn't seem to fit as well any more. His hair appeared longer. And as his emerald green eyes looked over them, it was clear they were not the same emerald green eyes they had grown accustomed to. Whatever he- or rather, she, had become, looked up and smiled, a smile as innocent as that of a child.

'Too late.', she said with a light-hearted tone. 'My turn.'.

George and Sapnap raised their weapons – What else were they to do?

\---

**_Does no one else see her?_ **

_Dream is looking around, watching as Wilbur kneels over the stranger, picking up a photograph he holds in his hand. Niki comes closer and starts checking the man's pulse, then his wounds, and instantly takes charge of the situation. He, himself, watches on._

**_Is it just me?_ **

_She's blonde. Shoulder-length hair. She has a loose purple hoodie, jeans, and black boots. Emerald green eyes, freckles – She looks identical to him. She even has a mask similar to his – Hers, instead of smiling, frowns. She has it moved to the side of her face._

**_Why is no one saying anything?_ **

_He watches her as she steps closer, seemingly stepping through the people now gathered around the passed-out stranger. He backs away, trying to hide from her, but she's soon in front of him, as if snapping into existence right before his eyes._

_'Hey there, big brother. Did you miss me?'._

\---

'I am... So incredibly confused...', George said in-between deep breaths.  
'That makes two of us.', Sapnap agreed, stopping next to him and putting out his torch.

On the ground in front of them, now surrounded by nothing but scorched grass and the small remains of a fire, there lay a young girl. A young girl, that, just moments ago, was their best friend. And although she looked a lot like him, her smaller stature was quite clear from how most of his clothes were oversized and incredibly loose on her. She was laying down, having had been knocked down after trying to make yet another attempt at attacking them, luckily not skilled enough to get away with much. She did, however, happen to have an ability and a love for creating fires all around her – This was also something easily suppressed by a shove to the ground and another confused exchange between the two friends. Dream had said to keep this girl away – But with how she was acting, that didn't seem to be much of a challenge.

It was now that it became clear she was running out of strength – Each of her attacks got sloppier, slower, and less threatening, she herself ultimately falling to the ground after some time. She had not said a word to them the whole time she struggled like this, but she continued looking back towards the tree where she awoke, shouting inaudibly at something unseen. It was almost like she was having a conversation with herself, not really caring much for the other two apart from the rare attacks she'd direct at them. Eventually, she tried with one last attack, this time managing to create a rather large wall of flame that startled the two. It moved forward quickly, forcing both to jump aside and barely get away. By the time they got back up, the girl was out cold on the floor.

They came closer. For a moment, they did nothing but look over her passed-out face, seeing the same blood under her nose that Dream had a moment ago, seemingly fresh. George came closer, gently picked her up and placed her by the same tree he had propped his friend up by a moment ago, getting her to sit. By the time he was setting her down, she seemed to get heavier. And by the time she was sitting up and in front of him, it was obvious she was gone, and had been once more replaced by Dream. He looked up, dizzy and confused, and blinked a couple times, rubbing his eyes. He didn't speak for a moment – It didn't seem like he was able to. He took a few deep breaths, eventually covering his face.

'I'm sorry.', he whispered. 'I thought I could keep her away.'.  
'Dream... You have to tell us now. This isn't... What even was that?'.  
'...That... was a Dreamon. From the Nether. She possessed me after she slipped in through the portal with Schlatt.', Dream's head snapped to the side. 'Schlatt and who? No, it was just Schlatt.'. He paused, narrowing his eyes. 'There was no one else with Schlatt! You must have made that up.'.  
'And she's... There? Right now?', Sapnap looked aside, staring into the forest nearby.  
'Yeah... And she's... Uh...', Dream sighed. 'Putting up a very unflattering gesture, towards you.'.

'Hey!', the man shouted, lifting up his hand and putting up his middle finger into the nothingness. As he did this, a small fire appeared right next to his foot, scaring him into jumping away.  
'So... You're possessed... By a Dreamon?', George could barely believe his own words.  
'Yeah, and uh...', he bit his lip. 'She's sort of... My sister, as well.'.

George and Sapnap were both speechless.

'Told ya they'd never believe you.', he heard a familiar voice from the side. 'They're gonna put you in a straightjacket now. But knowing you you'll just break out, somehow.'. Dream looked at the girl on his side - And all he got was a small grin before he was bombarded with more questions from the two men in front of him.

\---

Sapnap stepped into the voting booth third last that night, tired and barely walking after spending most of the night trying to walk through the forest. Having a Dreamon watching their back definitely made it easier, but walking for the whole evening and half of the night still wasn't easy by any means. And well, all the burns and everyone stinking of soot didn't help, either. Still, he felt confident – In his vote, that is. It was quite obvious that he'd vote for his friend. He wrote his name, title, and checked a box - And so, his vote was cast.

\---

Dream stepped into the voting booth last, his sister waiting patiently outside. Out of the whole city, he had taken the longest to gather his thoughts – After hearing everything that had happened that night, he was considering making an incredibly bold choice that night. He slowly went through all his options, all his wants, and what exactly he wished to happen to L'Manberg – Of course, all he wanted was to see it burn. He picked up the last of the twenty-two votes, writing in his name and title. He hesitated, moving to the bottom of the page and checking a single box.

_ Write-In (Votes for non-running candidates will not be counted) _

And underneath it, he wrote a single name. There was one candidate who would burn L'Manberg to the ground – A candidate he had only learned about that night. He wrote his name swiftly;

_Jschlatt_

And so, Dream's vote was cast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS HER ITS SHE ITS DRISTA  
> i really wanted to include her  
> i promise she will appear more and be explained in further chapters but from here on until the banishment i am putting FULL FOCUS on the election
> 
> the final vote count is getting VERY close :)
> 
> oh and let me see which one of yall here is gonna be caught slippin  
> *clears throat*
> 
> Sometimes, all I think about is you  
> Late nights in the middle of June  
> Heat waves been faking me out  
> Can't make you happier now


	49. The Voters (Part 6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt and Minx struggle to survive in The Nether, learning things about one another along the way.

Schlatt was fucked. He didn't care about voting. _He was fucked._

If the pain throbbing in his head and how blurry everything seemed didn't get it across, Minx's maniacal laughter and constant taunts definitely made it clear. He had made it two, maybe three steps from the portal before he couldn't breathe, another two before he collapsed, and he crawled a bit longer before the heat, pain, and sickness got to a point where he became completely still. He watched as Minx walked over to him, knelt down and grinned as she watched him struggle. He could hear ringing in his ears, blood was already pouring out of his nose, and he could barely catch enough air to speak. Still, over his wheezing and grunting, he knew exactly what he wanted to say;

'Are you crazy, you bitch? Help me! I'm gonna fucking die!'.  
'Good!', Minx shouted. 'You were never much help any way!'.  
'You'd let-', he coughed. 'You'd let an innocent man die?'.  
'Oh, you're far from innocent. And I'm a Dreamon!'.  
'But you're not like the rest of them, are you? You don't want people to suffer.'.  
'Well you're an exception! Congratulations for being a cunt!'.

_No air. So hot. God, so, so, hot. Why is this place so fucking hot?_

'Please!', he shouted out. Not out of desperation, no. He would never get desperate. But he acted like it, just so he could play on Minx's heart-strings. That was his best bet right now.  
'Should have thought about it before you bad-mouthed Niki!', with the tip of her shoe she kicked his stomach, definitely not making the pain and the dizziness any better. Schlatt already felt himself losing consciousness – Fuck it. He had to pull out his final trick. He'd never make it out of this if he didn't. He gathered all the air he had left, looked up, and screamed;

'Niki's alive!'.

He gasped for more air as he waited for response.

'...What?', she whispered after a short moment. He did not respond. He couldn't. All he could do was wheeze and cough, struggling for more air. Minx waited for a few seconds, growled in frustration and touched the man's shoulder with her hand as she shouted; 'God! I hate you! I hate you so much!'. He sighed in relief as he felt some of the pain fade, only leaving behind the pounding in his head and a sickness in his stomach, everything spinning as he finally got to breathe. He lay on the ground below for a few minutes, just trying to catch his breath, meanwhile Minx moved away from him, standing aside. She didn't say a word.

'What the hell do you mean by “Niki's alive”?'. Schlatt slowly sat up, feeling pain all over every part of his body as he tried to gather himself. The Dreamon rushed to his side, grabbed him by the collar and screamed right into his face; 'Talk! You wanna keep breathing, then speak!'.  
'She's in L'Manberg. She was the one who took care of me when you were too busy looking out a window.', Schlatt couldn't help but grin at the irony. 'You just missed her because you were thinking about her. Isn't that funny-'.

He felt a slap across his face. Well, to be fair, he deserved that one.

'Goddammit! Why, of all humans in the Overworld, did I get stuck with you?'.  
'Fate's a funny thing.', Schatt fixed up his tie, trying to ignore how much everything around him was still spinning. He tried to stand, supporting himself on a wall. He finally looked up to where Minx was standing – And even though everything was blurry, he still found it strangely breath-taking.  
'You didn't say a thing. Not a single word. Why?'. Schlatt came closer, standing by the woman and looking in the distance. Large cliffs made of a red, lifeless stone, a sea of lava and waterfalls of more. God, he did not miss it. And yet, it felt far more familiar than his “partner in crime” ever did. Come to think of it, even Minx felt more like his friend at this point. And that said a lot.

'Leverage.', he responded eventually, taking off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves. Even with Minx's help, this place was still impossibly hot. Something large and white floated in-between the lava waterfalls, and Piglins walked below them. The Nether, just as it was hot, was dangerous.  
'...You're an asshole.', Minx looked down. 'How am I supposed to get to Niki now?'.  
'We'll have to find another unlit portal.', Schlatt turned away. 'Come on. It's a long walk.'.

'...I could find another human.', Minx whispered, standing still. 'Throwing you into this lava sea right now would sever our bond. I could find a new person to possess. Someone who won't lie to me. Someone who won't trick me. Someone who would actually consider me.'.  
'Or you could stop being dramatic, deal with it, and come along.', Schlatt waved at the woman. 'I already have the worst headache I could right now, so if I walk away you're the only one who's gonna be losing.'. Right. The headaches. The one downside of possession – Get away from your target and the further you go the worse your heads hurt. Shitty handcuffs, is what it was.

Minx watched Schlatt walk away. She followed. What other choice did she have?

\---

'Stop moving.'.  
'I could do this myself.'.  
'No, you couldn't.'.  
'I could try.'.

Minx could barely hold her needle steady as she tried to stitch up yet another cut that had opened up on Schlatt's arm - Her powers weren't perfect, some effects of his condition still showing themselves. She would have let him bleed out a long time ago with how he had been acting – But she also knew finding another human would be an impossible task, so she had to keep him alive until she spotted another one for sure. Of course, she also couldn't let him show how weak she was. Another Dreamon would have possessed their target by now and walked them out of the Nether, or maybe opened their own portal. The best Minx could do was summon a bag of medical supplies and some water that evaporated before it could even properly be drank. Why did she turn out such a weak Dreamon? Even she didn't know. She just tried to live with it.

'How are you feeling?', she asked, and as she saw the other's expression, she sighed. 'Not because I care but because I don't want you dropping dead. Any other animal features showing? Can you breathe fine?'. Schlatt pointed to his head with an exaggerated gesture.

'The horns are getting longer. That can't be good.'.  
'Does it hurt?'.  
'What do you think?'.  
'No need to be an asshole. I'm just trying to help.'.

'Yeah. It hurts. A lot.', he looked aside. 'Something's wrong with my eyes.', for a moment, Schlatt looked into his reflection on a broken piece of glass Minx had accidentally summoned form the Overworld – her magic was incredibly flawed these days. 'There's... Slits. You can't see them yet. But they're there. Oh, and this.', he grabbed the edge of his ear, showing some brown fur growing on it. 'I'm turning into a fucking goat. This is bullshit.'.  
'If those horns keep going like they do, around your ears, you'll look more like a ram.', Minx noted, but the look Schlatt gave her made her instantly regret her comment. 'Right, irrelevant.'.  
'I'm gonna lose my mind in here. How long have we been looking?'.  
'It's only been a month, Schlatt. We've barely started.'.  
'Fuck...', the man looked down, his voice turning to a whisper.

'Fuck, fuck fuck! We're never gonna get out of here! I'm gonna fucking die here!'.  
'Hey! Cut that shit out!', the woman grabbed his arm forcefully, causing him to go silent. 'You better not die on me. You're my only way to get to Niki.'.  
'Well sorry to say you're gonna need another human!', Schlatt started tapping his finger on the floor, as if trying to keep his focus on everything around him. 'I can't do this any more. You're keeping me alive but that's not making this shit any easier.'.  
'Schlatt!', the Dreamon snapped, making the other stop for just a moment.

'Remember why you came here in the first place? Why you didn't care about the consequences?'.  
'Because I wanted revenge. But now all I have is a shitty ending while everyone else gets to-'.  
'Then don't give up!', she cut him off before he could even start. 'God, Schlatt, you're such a fucking disaster right now! Why does everyone else get to walk away from SMPLive happy but you stay like this? You can still get a good ending. But sitting here and wallowing in all this isn't gonna help. So are you gonna man up and stop being a little bitch?'. Schlatt looked aside.  
'Whatever.', he scoffed. 'Are you done with my arm yet? We gotta keep walking.'.

She nodded. Indeed, she was done. They had to keep going. No time for breaks.

\---

'Those mutton chops are not a good look on you.'.  
'Well, you look like shit all the time, and you don't see me complaining.'.  
'Ex-fucking-cuse me? What's that supposed to mean?'.  
'Maybe if you put on a pink wig or something you'd look presentable.'.

Trying to get sleep was probably the hardest thing for the two to do in the Nether. The constant burning fires, the growling and whining of unknown creatures, and the sickening smell of dust. Not only that, Schlatt had constant nightmares and Minx couldn't stop talking and moving around in her sleep. These two were the worst duo to try and share a camp – And yet, here they were, another sleepless night, looking at the pitch black roof of the Nether above them and talking about random bullshit they'd never waste their time on during the day. Maybe, just maybe, they'd get lucky enough to get in an hour of sleep before they inevitably woke one another up again.

'You're a dick.', Minx punched the other in the arm, but even she couldn't help but giggle as she heard him laugh at his own shitty joke. God, how did these two even find each other?  
'I'm just trying to be honest. With how much I've been around you I got a good look at you. And you could definitely use a make-over.'.  
'Says the guy who hasn't changed clothes or showered in three months.'.  
'Well I haven't had much of a choice, have I?'.

There was a moment of silence.

'Three months. We've been in here for three months.', Minx whispered, her eyes focused on the roof above. 'And we haven't even seen another human. Or Dreamon. Or portal.'. She could already see her eyes blurring from tears filling them. 'Is there even a chance we find one?'.  
'Hopefully sometime soon. Do you know how fucking difficult it is to sleep with horns like these digging into your face? Not to mention, these ears keep fluttering whenever I-'. Schlatt was cut off by a strange sound – As if someone choking. Then another. And soon, he realized.

They were sobs. Coming from right next to him.

'Oh, come on, stop being a pussy.'. They carried on. He looked to the side.

'Minx, I'm serious. Cut that out.'. She didn't stop. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

'What's wrong, Minx?', he forced out, although the words were somewhat genuine.

'...I'm never gonna see Niki again...', she whispered. Some of her make-up was already running down the side of her face – Schlatt would have probably laughed if he didn't actually care. A little. And only because he'd been alone with this woman for the past three months. 'You'll die. I'll never find another human. I'm just gonna sit in this hellhole for eternity.'.  
'Oh shut up with that shit. We're gonna be fine. There can't be no humans in this entire dimension.', Schlatt muttered, focusing on the roof above him again. 'Or portals. Or just... Anything that could help. I've still got a good three months left in me with how I'm doing. We're gonna be fine.'. Minx sniffled, wiped her eyes and nodded. And just as she did, she yawned.  
'I'm... Getting tired. I'm gonna... Try to sleep. I think.', she turned to the side.  
'Same here.', he closed his eyes already, feeling himself drifting away. 'Long days ahead.'.

'Night, Schlatt.'.  
'Night, Minx.'.

\---

'How... Long?'.  
'Six months.... Today...'.  
'Shit... So...'.  
'Not much time left.'.

The strange thing about possession, Minx had noticed, is her power depended greatly on her target. Schlatt, with how strong he had been mentally, made it extremely difficult to use her powers if he didn't want her to. Another element to this unusual connection was that she also had similar energy levels to him – So here, in his possibly last days, the two would be able to do nothing more but sit alone in a cave and hope for a miracle. Schlatt was lying down, looking up at the roof of the cave in silence. Minx was in the corner, her head dipping down every now and then, trying to fight her desperate need for sleep. She had barely even managed to keep him stable any more – He'd breathe heavily, cough all the time, his nose would bleed frequently and he could barely even go an hour without an intense headache any more. It was clear to both of them – Six months in, both him and Minx were in their last stretch, and time was running out.

'Once I die...', Schlatt muttered, strangely nonchalant about the idea. 'You're gonna get your full power back, right?'. Minx, although barely able to do it, nodded. 'Then you can find a new human. New portal. Find Niki, right?'. The woman looked up.  
'What are you on about?'.  
'Why not just get it over with?', he asked in a whisper. 'Just stop your magic. It's draining you, I can see. It'll just be a minute or two of pain. Then I'll be gone. And you can go find another one.'. Minx, as grim as the situation was, forced a dry laugh.  
'I'm not letting you get away that easily.', she said with a weak smirk. 'We've made it this far, we might as well stick out until the end. Come on. Don't do the sacrifice bullshit on me.'. She looked at him for a moment – He had truly gotten worse.

His horns grew out in a spiral just as she predicted, now looking more like ram horns. His facial hair had grown out a lot since he couldn't get rid of it – But he insisted he looked far better with it. His eyes were now a yellow shade, with black slits in them. His ears had been replaced completely by that of a ram, brown in shade. He wouldn't show this, but he had also grown out a tail, one of a goat. With all his features, he had ended up an uncomfortable mix of the two animals. He was tired all the time, not only from all the pain but from his lack of sleep, too. Pale, bloodied, bruised. The man was barely holding on – She was the last thing standing between him and death. And yet, even though she would have easily ended it for him half a year ago, she found herself inching closer and laying down by him. They now both looked at the ceiling.

'What's your name?', Minx asked suddenly.  
'Uh... Schlatt?', the other responded, confused. The Dreamon sighed.  
'I mean your name, not your title. And don't try to bullshit me. J. Schlatt isn't your real name.'.  
'Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't.', he shrugged. 'But... Nothing to lose, right?'.  
'Right.', Minx said with a nod. 'And hey, I'll tell you mine, too.'.

And so, a ~~scammer~~ businessman and a Dreamon shared their true names with one another.

Schlatt, for a moment, closed his eyes. He could hear Minx shouting something about staying awake, but he was so, so tired. He could barely even focus on the ceiling any more – Not to mention her words. He would have drifted away then and there – If it weren't for Minx's shocked gasp. He opened his eyes, for a moment, and looked up.

And standing above him was Wilbur Soot.

\---

Schlatt stepped into the voting booth knowing how he would vote and why – He had no doubts about it. He leaned over the small table, picked up the pen provided to him, and quickly wrote in his fake name and his title – He could feel Minx glaring into his back as he did. Finally, he checked a box. A single box with an option to write in a name – And once more, he wrote his own. He turned back, seeing the Dreamon look at him with worry. Maybe she was worried about the blood on his hands, or the crossbow strapped to his back.

He didn't care – His vote was cast.

And so, Election Night came to a close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooooh BOYE  
> SCHLATT AND MINX CHAPTER LETS GOOOO  
> MY FAVES TO WRITE ARE BACKKKK
> 
> POG POG POG


	50. The One Vote

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chaotic duo returns to the DreamSMP. Wilbur asks for help. Minx struggles with how to approach Niki. Schlatt learns a hard truth.

‘Is he... dead?’.  
‘He might be soon if we don’t get him out of here.’.  
‘You’re really eager to leave, aren’t you, Dream?’.  
‘I just don’t like this place. That’s all.’.

Wilbur, as gently as he could, lifted Schlatt up and, with Dream’s help, the two started carrying him back to the portal. He wasn’t too far away, and the trail of blood, dust and torn clothing didn’t make him hard to track down. Dream had agreed to come along to get him - A day before Election Night, but at least he agreed. Wilbur was glad he had someone with him - The Nether wasn’t a pleasant place. Red, blood-soaked stone squishing and squelching beneath his feet, a sea of lava and multiple waterfalls of more, smoke filling the air and his lungs and fires burning around every corner. Him and Dream were lucky they didn’t run into any of the local creatures yet, but their luck was bound to run out soon. They made their way back through their portal as soon as they could - They didn’t wish to spend another minute in that place. For a moment, the president looked down.

Wilbur really, really hoped Schlatt could turn this Election around.

\---

‘He’s.... Really changed, hasn’t he?’.  
‘Half a year in the Nether does that to you.’.  
‘Do you think he’ll recover in time for tomorrow?’.  
‘He might be a bit too confused to speak, I think.’.

_Wilbur? Tommy?_

‘Damn... Well, at least we have him back.’.  
‘Six out of seven L’Manbergians voted for him to stay. It’s only fair.’.  
‘So there’s someone among us who wanted him gone?’.  
‘I suppose. But it doesn’t matter much, anyway.’.

_Whoever it is, I’m gonna find out._

‘Well, what can we do now? It’s getting late...’.  
‘Let’s just leave him for now. It’s all we can do.’.  
‘And Niki? Didn’t she say she had to check him again?’.  
‘She’ll come by in a few. We can come back later if he wakes up. Come on.’.

_Niki?_

And just as vaguely as it had faded in, Schlatt’s world slipped away again.

\---

Hours must have passed by the time he woke up again, feeling something touching his face. As far as he could tell, it was a small, wet cloth covered in some sort of medicine. It was being dabbed gently on his face, but even with that, every single wound there seemed to sting. He couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes with how heavy his eyelids seemed, but he managed to scrunch up his nose enough to signify to whoever it was that he was, indeed, awake. The cloth was moved away, leaving behind only the sickening stench of herbs and alcohol, creating an unpleasant sensation in his throat that forced him to cough. Finally, he managed to open his eyes, and although everything was blurry, he could see someone leaning over him. Someone with long hair and a kind smile.

‘Hey there. Remember me?’, the voice, sweet and gentle, was very much familiar to him. Niki. The girl who took care of him when he first arrived, and the girl he just so happened to narrowly avoid for the rest of his stay. ‘I’m Nihachu. I’m a nurse for L’Manberg. Do you know where you are?’.  
‘Vaguely.’, Schlatt tried to speak, but with how raspy his voice was, it sounded more like a strained whisper. ‘How the hell did I get here? I was just in the-‘.  
‘President Soot got you out.’, the girl quickly explained, and as his vision cleared, he could now see her leaning over him and working on a bandage around his left calf. As she worked, she continued talking to him;

‘He’s been arguing your case ever since you got kicked out. We ended up proving L’Manberg never wanted you out, so... Welcome back. You’re still unwelcome in the DreamSMP, but within our walls you are free to stay.’.  
‘...And... Do I have citizenship?’.  
‘As far as I know.’, Niki paused for a moment. ‘You’re gonna have to ask the President about it. Apparently he’s gonna offer you some sort of deal in exchange for it. But I don’t know much.’, she shrugged, wiping her bloodied hands on a towel nearby. ‘How are you feeling?’.

_Minx. Where’s Minx? Why isn’t she saying anything?_

‘Hello? Are you there?’. Schlatt looked ahead - A hand was now being waved in front of his face. He shook his head, rubbing his eyes. He must have had zoned out.  
‘Right.’, he forced a smile. ‘Could be better, could be worse. Everything still hurts like hell but at least I’m not burning alive. And I definitely feel better that the first time I was here.’.  
‘Well, not running away from me and screaming about kicking me into the wall this time around definitely made my work easier.’.  
‘Right... Sorry about that.’.  
‘It’s fine. I’ve seen worse.’.

She hadn’t, he could see that much from her expression. To her dismay, he decided to sit up.

‘Hey, take it easy. You shouldn’t move too much.’. Schlatt looked around the room - He knew he was in Wilbur’s house, he recognised the corridor outside. He wasn’t sure what room he was in, but it must have been his or Floris’ bedroom. For a moment, his eyes gazed around with no real aim - Well, there was one. He felt as though something was missing.  
‘Where... Uh... Where’s Wilbur?’. Schlatt continued looking around - No sign of Minx. That was what was missing here. Not in the corner, not by the window, and not outside in the corridor. It was clear he was panicking - With almost half a year of her following him around everywhere, missing her felt... Wrong. And he wasn’t sure why.

‘I’m gonna go get him right now. And I know you have a tendency of running away, but please-‘.  
‘I literally can’t move my legs. I’ll stay.’, the businessman quickly responded, laying back down in the bed and letting himself fall onto the soft covers. Well, whoever this bed belonged to was incredibly lucky. It was unimaginably comfortable.  
‘Right. See you soon, then.’, Niki turned away, stepped out the door and closed it behind her - He could swear she smiled at him right before she did. The moment he was alone, his voice turned to a whisper, and as loudly as he could without alerting anyone, he called out;

‘Minx?’. He waited, and heard nothing.

‘Minx, are you here?’. He felt his stomach twist in a knot.

‘Minx, where the fuck are you?’. A strange panic overtook him.

_Thump. Thunk. Bang._

'Ah shit!'. And just as gracefully as she spoke and acted, Minx revealed herself as she stumbled out of a closet in the corner of the room, hitting the floor and gathering herself. She would have probably taken her time doing it if it weren't for the cackle coming from her friend, which enraged her enough to get right back up and rush to him.  
'I- I'm- Why the hell were you in the closet?', Schlatt asked in a voice that barely got across just how confused he was. Minx fixed up her hair and sat down by him, crossing her arms.

'I didn't want Niki to see me.', she sighed. 'I'm not ready.'.  
'You're joking.'.  
'What? It's been a year and a half, she probably doesn't even remember me any more!'.  
'I thought you were like... The best of friends or some shit?'.  
'You wouldn't get it.', the woman looked away, sighing.  
'My best friend doesn't remember me.', Schlatt told her with a grave tone. 'I get it a bit, Minx.'.

'Can we work on something else for now?', the woman gripped onto her knees, looking aside as she did. 'Why are you here? Have you figured it out yet? I haven't really been listening in there.'.  
'Nothing yet.', Schlatt spoke, deciding to drop the jokes and teasing for a bit. The longer Minx stayed away from Niki, the more time he had to focus on himself. And with how stubborn she had been the first time they came to the DreamSMP that was a blessing.  
'Then what are we waiting for? Let's get out of here and-'.

'Schlatt! You're awake!'.

Ah. Wilbur. Wilbur Soot. The man that he had no longer despised, hated, or had been impartial about. He was a man he had missed, a man he would have been happy to spend time with in L'Manberg, and a man he wished he could bring back to the friend he had known once. He was standing at the door, an expression of relief on his face and clutching a small pile of papers. He came forward and took his place where Minx had been a second ago, the Dreamon herself slipping away and ducking to the side. The president didn't speak for a moment – He seemed shocked just having his friend back once more.

'So... The horns grew out more.'.  
'They did.'.  
'And... Your eyes.'.  
'Yellow. Pretty cool.'.  
'And the ears-'.

'So are we gonna stop this Little Red Riding Hood bullshit and actually get to it, or..?', Schlatt smirked. 'Obviously you wouldn't bring me back here for no reason.'.  
'Well one reason is it was unfair you got kicked out in the first place.', Wilbur looked aside. 'The other is... Well... We're having an election. Tomorrow everyone is going to be voting.'.  
'Oh, great. You and I have a great history with votes.', Schlatt leaned back, seemingly pleased at his joke. Wilbur, of course, did not get it. He opened on eye, looked at him, and shrugged. 'SMPLive stuff. You wouldn't get it. Sorry.'.

'I remember a vote.', the president admitted. 'I don't remember what for and how I voted.'.  
'Good.', Schlatt reassured him, his voice growing grave. 'Maybe it's better if you don't.'.

'A-anyway...', Wilbur changed topics, clearly knowing it was better to shift away from his forgotten past. Even if Schlatt did forgive him to an extent, it was clear he was still quite bitter about... Whatever exactly it was he did. 'We need to really push for votes tomorrow. And from what I can remember, public speaking is something natural to you.'.  
'Can't say I'm bad at it.', the man responded, looking away. 'What's in it for me, though?'.  
'L'Manbergian citizenship.', Wilbur responded. 'You can vote with a full vote on election night. All I need you to do is stand before the crowd and give me and Tommy one hell of an endorsement. How does that sound?'. Schlatt smiled to himself. It sounded fair enough.

'I can do it. Sure. In the name of an old friendship. We're partners in crime, after all-'.  
'Till the end of time.', Wilbur cut in. The other seemed shocked.  
'You... remember?'.  
'Yeah. I do.'.

The moment of silence that followed was neither unnerving nor comforting – It was... Unusual.

'You should rest up.', Wilbur said suddenly, getting up. 'I'll leave these notes on our ideas and what not here. Just go through that and see what you can think up. You're... Sort of our last chance. No pressure.'. The president laid down his small pile of papers on a desk in the corner of the room and then turned back. 'I've got some work to do, so... See you tomorrow?'.  
'See you tomorrow.', Schlatt responded with a small wave, the best he could manage with how much his whole body was still aching. He really wished Niki would come back with more medicine by that point, but with how Minx was acting, perhaps it was better she stayed away for a while.

The moment Wilbur left, Schlatt forced himself to stand up.

'Where to?', Minx asked instantly, as if expecting him to leave.  
'To find the votes. Let's start in Wilbur's office, shall we?'. The Dreamon grinned.

'Let's go, then.'.

\---

_Papers, papers, pens, pencils and more papers... And, oh, what's this?_

'Would you look at that!', Schlatt exclaimed, removing something from under Wilbur's desk. In a small container, attached to the side, a single bottle of some sort of drink could be found. He opened it quickly and sniffed it – Yep, definitely alcohol. 'Guess Mr. President can't always keep his head on his shoulders.'. The businessman moved the bottle up and shook it – It was about three quarters full, so it was either very fresh, or Wilbur didn't drink much. Either way, it was there.  
'Whiskey?', Minx asked, leaning closer. 'He doesn't seem the type to me.'.  
'Oh, you should have seen him back in SMPLive.', Schlatt laughed at a fond memory, putting the bottle aside. 'Loverboy can hold his liquor, I can tell you that much.'. The two carried on with their search, this time working their way through the man's file cabinets. Minx, only a few minutes later, turned back with a small envelope in her hands.

'Hey, this is it.', she looked down and read; 'Jschlatt Banishment Votes – L'Manbergian Pile.'.  
'Alright. Time to see who I've got to put on my hit-list.', although Schlatt joked, the intensity with which he grabbed the envelope and spilled the seven papers out on Wilbur's desk suggested he was being more than serious. He looked through all of the votes and muttered under his breath as he read them, Minx leaning over his shoulder, herself engaged in the results.

'Tubbo... Stay. Tommy... Stay. Alex... Stay. Floris... Stay...', he looked through the first four, putting them aside. He chuckled. 'I expected as much. I'm putting my bets on Niki, I gave her a hard time when I first-'. His face went pale as he saw the next vote.  
'Nihachu... Stay.', Minx read from behind him. 'She didn't vote to kick you.'.  
'So it's that Jack guy, then.', Schlatt carried on, picking up one of the last two votes. 'He barely got to talk to me. He probably didn't care much.', he spoke with a nervous laugh, turning the paper over. He didn't say anything. Once more, Minx was forced to read for him.  
'Jack Manifold.... Stay.'.  
'Then that means....', Schlatt picked up the last vote. 'But that doesn't... That doesn't make any fucking sense, why would he-', he flipped it over, and it was clear as day.

_Name: Wilbur Soot_   
_Title: __________   
_Vote: Banish_

'Schlatt?'. Minx watched as the man put the paper down, not saying a word.  
'Hmm?', he turned his head, a strange, blank look in his eyes. She came closer.  
'Are you... Okay?'. He didn't answer, at first. His hand reached over to the bottle on the table.  
'Why do you ask?'. He slowly opened it. 'I'm fine. I expected as much from him.'.

Schlatt took a long swig from the bottle and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

'Come on.', he told Minx, heading out of the office. 'I have an endorsement speech to write.'.  
'Schlatt, should you really be-'.  
'Minx. I have to do this.', Schlatt forced a smile as he lifted the bottle. 'After all, I'm his only chance at winning this election, am I not?'. He took another long sip, let out a sigh and smiled to himself.

'It'd be a shame if something were to go wrong.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TODAY IN THE NEWS: local man begins his alcoholic arc  
> depression time baybeeee


	51. The Election (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Election Night begins. Quackity struggles to lead the election alone. Fundy and Niki lose hope. Wilbur tries to push through. Schlatt gives up.

The White House. Now that was an interesting creation.

In the heat of the election, it was always easy for the six candidates to slip up and forget some basic decency and sportsmanship. Sometimes they'd talk badly about each other, think things they would never consider otherwise – The atmosphere had gotten unpleasant with something that was meant to be light-hearted and an event to showcase the power and strength of the unity of L'Manbergians. And so, Quackity had hatched an idea – After all, where would the president live? They wouldn't just kick Wilbur out of his house now, would they?

That's how the White House was born.

Named so after the quartz it was built from, which they had gotten off Skeppy, who had far too much left over after building his own home, it was a house as well as office for any future presidents, located on a lovely hill right behind the Podium. It also united the candidates – It was a creation put together by all six, with everyone contributing work, designs, and ideas, creating a home that could truly represent the Election itself as well as the whole nation. It was here that the six candidates would meet before the final events of Election Night, only two hours before the voting was to take place in the single voting booth provided to everyone, with twenty two votes inside to be used by everyone (The twenty-second being printed last-minute upon everyone learning of Schlatt's now L'Manbergian citizenship and therefore deserved vote).

Well, six were supposed to meet. Right now, there were only three.

'What's wrong, Big Q?', Tommy taunted the other presidential candidate as he paced around the room, checking out the windows every now and then, as if waiting for someone to show up. 'Where's your running mate, Mr. Quackity?'.  
'He's busy! Uh-', Quackity turned back, crossing his arms. 'Being handsome. He's too busy being gorgeous, Tommy!'. The younger one laughed at the joke, but the one telling it didn't seem in the mood to even chuckle. Wilbur bit his lip as he looked around.  
'George is missing, and so is the entire COCONUT2020 party.', Wilbur shook his head. 'We can't go through with the election in a state like this.'.

'But isn't that good for us?', Tommy lowered his voice and asked. 'An easy win?'.  
‘It wouldn’t be fair, Tommy’, Wilbur quickly responded. ‘Not democratic.’. The president sighed. ‘However, if the other candidates don’t show themselves, we’re gonna be forced to move along without them. Let’s give them half an hour more. People are already gathering.’.

Wilbur walked closer to the window and looked outside, glancing at the crowd of people taking their seats below the Podium. The L’Manbergians, all apart from Schlatt, had made it there early to set up, but Niki and Fundy slipped away about five or so minutes before the planned meeting time. The nurse had also insisted Schlatt stay in bed resting until his speech - And go right back after. He was not in the right state to be sitting around with everyone all day, with how slow his recovery was. Wilbur knew it was unfair to put so much pressure on him this early on in his comeback, but he didn’t have much of a choice, with how everything was turning out. Not only that, the bottle from under his desk had gone missing. And with how Schlatt looked when he passed his room while getting ready that morning, he could only assume the worst.

'Hi! Sorry we’re late!’, Niki shouted as she entered the room, pushing open the door. Fundy was right behind her, not speaking and keeping his hands in his pockets. There was this look in his eyes - That same unusual anger he had with him for the past six months.  
'You’re just in time. We’re waiting on George, and then-‘.  
‘George’s not coming.’, Quackity cut in suddenly, fixing up his tie.  
‘What’s that?’, Wilbur asked as he turned.  
‘He left me in the dust, that asshole. But it's fine. I can handle myself.’, he turned around, opening the door Niki had just come through. ‘Let’s go. I’ve got an election to win, if you wouldn’t mind.’.

And as Quackity passed him, Wilbur couldn’t help but feel like, for once in his life, that man was taking himself incredibly seriously.

\---

'Okay! Uh... Right, can everyone just... Uh...'.

God, was Tubbo nervous. Being in charge of the first debate wasn't a huge issue – It was way more casual. The Podium was barely built, the chairs were all just random pieces of furnitures pulled out of the L'Manbergian homes, and most of the area was covered in grass. Now, the Podium had been completed, with lights around every corner making the area clear and visible. The chairs had been replaced with specifically tailored benches which were built into the stone floor below. It had a lot more space now, and specialized seats for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, only five of them being filled. Dream had also insisted King Eret got a special seat for himself – And strangely enough, the monarch refused. He instead took a random seat in the middle row, sitting alongside his subjects without much care, very unlike himself. The whole crowd slowly went quiet, only whispering between one another as Tubbo cleared his throat and spoke up;

'Hello! Everyone, welcome, welcome.', he spoke, becoming more relaxed as he did. At the end of the day, in front of him was a crowd of people he knew well and people he had, for the most part, considered friends. There was no need to be nervous. 'Today is the day! Election Night! The day we have all been waiting for. Six months of hard work to get us here – Finally, it's time to take our final votes. We do, however, have some things planned beforehand.'.  
'We're gonna begin with every presidential candidate coming up here and giving their final thoughts on the other candidates, the election, and themselves and how they feel about how far they've come. In the spirit of wrapping everything up I believe this will be a great way to get your final chance to sway some voters!', Tubbo looked at the candidates. 'Make sure to make the most of it.'.  
'Then we will move onto endorsements. Each candidate will be able to come and introduce one endorsement they have prepared ahead of time for the election. After this we will go into the final presidential and vice-presidential debates and finally begin going into the voting booth one by one, candidates first, L'Manbergians second, King Eret third, and everyone else last.'. The man seemed almost... Annoyed, with being pointed out as he was. Something, once more, very unusual for someone craving the spotlight as much as him.

There was a murmur through the crowd, and as soon as it quietened down, Tubbo smiled.

'Alright! Mr. President, Quackity and Fundy, why don't you come up here?'. With a cheer and some clapping accompanying them, the three presidential candidates made their way up to the stage. The mix of noise, light and nervousness he was feeling made Wilbur's head spin – He was about ready to slip away into one of his dreams again. He tried to ground himself, as well as he could.

_Deep breaths. Focus on the Podium. You'll be fine._

'May I start, please?', Fundy asked, and after getting a quick nod, cleared his throat and got right to it. 'I don't want to waste all of your time. You've been spending enough time on us as is, and we really appreciate all of you helping our nation make this choice.'. The man paused, gathering his thoughts. 'This race has truly been a close one between all of us, that much is clear.'. Wilbur bit his lip awkwardly, meanwhile Quackity struggled to stifle his laugh. Despite all this, the president's son still carried on, standing tall.  
'I'd just like to say I am very happy I made the choice to run. Even if me and Niki don't win this whole election showed us one thing – We are all capable of a democratic election, with respect along the way. And that's a wonderful thing to see for L'Manberg. And its future.', Fundy paused, looking aside. 'But such a future is not guaranteed with all of these candidates, of course. I encourage all of you to think carefully though what these two have said and what you want before you vote – That is all I have to say.'.

A reserved applause went through the crowd.

'Alright, hey, hello, hey, how's it going...', Quackity cut in almost instantly as silence returned once more, giving Wilbur no time to even take charge and speak. 'I'd just like to say that my dear friend GeorgeNotFound is not here as he is busy regarding matters- That will be- Uh-', Quackity paused, shrugging. 'A good thing for our society in the long-run. That is why he is not present. It's a good thing, him being missing.'. As the man carried on, Wilbur quietly snickered under his breath. He was lucky the microphone hadn't picked it up....  
'I think the reason I ran in the first place is pretty obvious – It's simply because I didn't think it was fair for Wilbur Soot to run a one-party “democratic” election. It's completely unfair for all of L'Manberg to vote for just one party – Which is why I have gone up to challenge this man... And all his incredibly old-school policies... To make L'Manberg a better place. Just remember how this election was supposed to go initially when you cast your vote - That's all I have to say.'.

This time, the applause was far louder.

'...Well. Guess it's my turn.', the president rubbed the side of the stand he was at for a moment, noting the coarse, wooden texture. He kept taking deep breaths – He could do it. He just had to focus. 'The reason I decided to run for president and set up this election in the first place, is, well... I felt like it was unfair of me to decide myself to be just a leader after the war ended – And to solidify democracy in our great nation.'. Wilbur paused, looking down.  
'L'Manberg was always meant to be a safe haven. A place for people who wanted an escape from the way the DreamSMP was ran, but no need to run away any more. And I wanted to uphold that. And I still do. Create a home that's safe, small, protected... A home where trade, fighting, and fear isn't the constant driving force. It's family, support, and cooperation. That is what L'Manberg has always been and always will be – And I'm going to keep it that way under my rule.'.

A cheer, but far less enthusiastic than his first speech. They were getting tired of this, weren't they?

'Alright! And with that, it's finally time to move into endorsements.', Tubbo looked at the three candidates. 'I'd like all of you to make your one endorsement known and to bring them up to the Podium to speak – Fundy, can we start with you?'. The man leaned forward on his stand, looked aside with an aimless glance and shrugged.

'Don't have one.'.  
'What was that?'.  
'We don't have one.'.  
'You have... No endorsement?'.  
'Nope. Move on to Quackity. Don't worry about me.'.

Something was off, Wilbur could tell – Why would Fundy act so casual about this?

'Alright, then... Mr. Quackity?'. The man smiled widely and turned to the president's son.  
'Fundy. My endorsement is Floris 'Fundy' Soot.'. Wilbur's eyes widened and he gasped. The crowd seemed about as confused and unsure as him – Even Niki didn't seem to see this coming. The lack of communication in those two's party was staggering.  
'Fundy... Would you like to... Say your endorsement?', Tubbo asked with an unsure tone of voice. The younger Soot crossed his arms, fixed up his tie and forced a smile.

'Of course. But I'd say things are pretty self-explanatory here. My father is a great man, sure. He brought L'Manberg out of a small caravan and a bunch of craters and turned it into an independent nation – That requires skill, endurance. But my father is still stuck in the past – The one with a vision for the future here is Quackity.', Fundy pointed to the other with his hand, grinning.  
'He is the only one who will be able to bring us forward into a new era. Let's be honest here, my chances at winning this election are slim. But my friend here? Your votes could still bring him to the number he needs. He could still get out of this with a win and bring L'Manberg glory. He is exactly the candidate we need, the candidate we want...And so, I have nothing else to say, but...'.

Fudny looked to the side, his eyes burning right through his father.

'I support Quackity.'.

The president didn't speak – He could barely bring himself to. He felt his mind spiral as the sound of applause rose around him, the beating of his heart somehow able to overpower the noise and drill into his mind more and more with each second. His own son, throwing away his candidacy, simply to make sure that he couldn't win and rule the nation he had created for him, to make a future for him, to let him be happy, to let him-

No. No, this was never about Fundy, was it?

The angry glares, the arguments, the constant whispers behind his back as they drifted further and further apart. What kind of father was he? What kind of father was he to treat his son like he did, what kind of father was he to let himself be so overtaken by other things as to not see the suffering he was displaying right in front of him? But there was still hope, right? Something he could do? This couldn't be the end, this couldn't be the-

'Mr. President, what about you?'.

Fundy would be okay. Eventually. They'd talk it out. He had an endorsement to introduce now.

'Right... Right...', Wilbur rubbed his eyes for a moment. 'I have to go get my endorsement, you see. He's... Somewhere else right now. May we have a twenty minute break while I get him, please?'. Tubbo briefly nodded, turning to the crowd.  
'Alright, everyone! In twenty minutes we will resume everything! Now please, make sure to...', Tubbo's voice faded out as Wilbur rushed away, pushing past his son and ignoring the way he looked at him completely. Later. They could talk it out later. Right now he had to get Schlatt – Schlatt mattered more.

Fundy would be fine. He'd be okay.

\---

'Schlatt?'.

_The stars are glimmering up above, but he can't seem to focus. They sparkle like glitter, sprinkled throughout the sky, joined by the colossal moon and sometimes overshadowed by a cloud passing by or some sort of animal flying overhead. He lays on the soft grass, trying to not let his mind drift away too much. He can't let himself fall sleep here. He may drown if he doesn't move soon._

'Schlatt, are you here?'.

_Next to him lays his friend, looking up at the very same sky, the very same stars. And yet deep inside, he knows that he sees those stars differently. Everyone does. Where he sees glimmers and shiny things, he may see splotches of white or discolourings to how perfect the sky would look without them. You'd never know. Everyone's world looked so different._

'Schlatt- Oh, there you are.'.

_Wilbur's world is so much different. That's the problem._

_While Schlatt sees a friend laying next to him, Wilbur sees nothing more than a stepping stone._

'Oh... Oh, Wilbur! Hey! What's up!', Schlatt sat up, feeling his head spin as he did so. Too fast, too fast... Now he had a headache. Wonderful. 'Is it speech time? I'm gonna be honest, I've just been laying here thinking about it... Hey, this bed is so comfy, you know that?'.  
'Are you...? Schlatt, don't tell me.'. Slurred words, voice cracks, and an empty bottle in his hand and two or three more by the bed. Where did he even get them? 'Are you _drunk?_ ', the president hissed, more like a disappointed mother than a concerned friend.  
'Drunk? No, no, no.', Schlatt got up, but the way he swayed back and forth and almost lost his footing definitely contradicted his words. 'I'm just a little tipsy with a helluva hangover. Last night I was wasted, let me tell you that much-'. Wilbur stopped him before he could walk out the door. God, you could smell the alcohol from a mile away.

'You can't do your speech when you're like this-'.  
'Am fine!', Schlatt pushed past him, rolling his eyes. 'I've done speeches in worst states, y'know.'.  
'I...', Wilbur pinched the bridge of his nose. Schlatt was his last chance, with how Fundy acted earlier. '...God... Do you promise you can handle it? Are you gonna be alright?'.  
'Promise, pardner.', Schlatt saluted him with a small smile. 'And we keep our promises, right?', he muttered as he made his way out the house.

_'Schlatt! Please! If our friendship still means anything to you, you have to keep quiet.'._   
_'Okay... Okay. I won't say a thing to anyone.'._

'Yeah... We always keep our promises...'. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> drink responsibly, kids


	52. The Election (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt takes the stand and tells a story. Wilbur learns something about himself.

_'First of all, let's begin with an introduction-'._  
_'Not genuine enough. Try more feeling.'._  
_'How's it going boys, my name is Schlatt-'._  
_'Too casual. You need to be formal, still.'._

_'This is useless.', Schlatt throws down a stack of papers, watching as they scatter about the room. Wilbur sighs, getting up to gather them about the fifth time that day. His friend sits down in an armchair in the corner and rubs his temples. 'I am never getting in. No way.'._  
_'Schlatt, this has been your dream for, like, what? Your whole life?', Wilbur comes closer, taking a seat on a dresser near the armchair. 'And you're gonna give up just because you can't write a speech? Come on. That's not the Jschlatt I know.'._  
_'We're way past the point of normalcy. I mean, I'm applying to the god damn Lunch Club. We used to despise those guys.', as Schlatt speaks, his eyes dart around the room, his leg bouncing up and down. Wilbur has never seen him so stressed before – He's usually pretty good at keeping his cool._

_'I've seen the way you look at them, Schlatt.', Wilbur leans back. 'We used to say we'd never be like them. Proper, high-up, powerful. We didn't wanna be in charge. Being the authority makes going against it harder. But we just said that because it made us feel better, right?'._  
_'We didn't have anything so shitting on the people who had everything made us feel better.'._  
_'And still, you admired them.', Wilbur says, his eyes setting on an old photograph on the wall. 'Even when we laughed about them, even when we talked about how stuck-up they were, your eyes lit up whenever they passed by. Don't think I didn't notice.', the man turns and smiles._  
_'I didn't wanna ruin it for you.', Schlatt sighs. 'But yeah. Every day. I just wished we could be in their place. Never bothered, always in charge. Meanwhile we had to steal most of what we had. Life just seemed so much easier for them.'._

_'And now, life is gonna be easier for you.', Wilbur says, smiling. 'Because you're gonna go up there and give the best speech of your life, and they'll have no choice but to accept you.'._  
_'For us, Wilbur.', Schlatt corrects him. 'If I do get in, I'm not gonna just leave you behind. It's not like those guys are gonna take up my whole life. They'll be business partners – You're my friend.'._  
_'...Obviously.', Wilbur says with a chuckle and punches the other in the arm. 'But if you want that perfect future, we're gonna need to put more work in. Come on, from the top.'._

_'Ugh... Can't I just go in there and make it up as I go?'._  
_'From the top Schlatt, let's go! No time to waste!'._

\---

'Are you a hundred percent sure you can do this?', Wilbur had asked for about the tenth time now as he walked up to the Podium with Schlatt, getting a few concerned looks from the audience as he passed them. The businessman had changed and fixed up his hair, now looking... Somewhat well.  
'Positive.', he responded, although he was still struggling to speak clearly. Wilbur went ahead and introduced him to the crowd, said something about endorsements, spoke about something else... If he were to be honest, he wasn't as drunk as he had been acting up to be. He didn't lie to Wilbur – Most of those bottles by his bed were from the night previous. That morning he only took a few swigs for good measure – And also for a small confidence boost.

And why exactly did he decide the best thing to do the previous evening was to drink until he blacked out? Well, there was one in particular. The vote, of course. The vote that showed Schlatt exactly what kind of person Wilbur was, and how little he had changed from the man he knew back in SMPLive. All his life, from day one, he had been using him. At this point, he was losing hope that they were ever the friends they claimed to be – Maybe, even, those first twenty years of their lives or so, he had been lying, too, before he showed the truth. Or maybe not. Either way, the vote had brought out a familiar pain – Like a claw wrapping around his heart, squeezing and refusing to let go. His mind drifted back to memories filled with fake people who never cared, his mind kept telling him to go and do something awful, only proving himself to be the exact same as the man now leading him up to the stage. It was getting harder to fight back each day.

But he was okay with it. He was okay with that pain.

He dealt with it for decades, after all. Left alone with himself and his thoughts, he had a lot of time to sit in it, let it overtake him, and eventually allow it to become a part of himself. He had grown to be somewhat familiar with it, and god, it would have been so much better if he just stayed alone until the day he finally decided to down any medicine he could find, sit somewhere comfortable with a nice view and call a it life. But no no, he just had to go out looking for revenge and hurt himself more. Seeing Wilbur again, having him act like his friend, it blinded him completely – Brought him back to Schlatt & Co., brought him back to all the scams, climbing the mountain, sitting on the rooftop every evening and listening to their discs like nothing was wrong. And just as he had the first time, Wilbur pushed him away and left him with a throbbing pain that would never fade.

While he'd insist he drank everything he could get his hands on around Wilbur's house just to not write the speech and make life more difficult for his old friend, deep inside he knew it was just because he wanted the pain to stop – If only for one night.

Schlatt looked over the crowd, seeing the large group of people that would be oh so interested in hearing all of the lovely things he had to say about Wilbur – He had no doubt they'd find the speech he had prepared ahead of time interesting. Because of course Schlatt didn't just lay there all evening drinking and staring at the ceiling – Minx had insisted he prepared something. So he did. He may not have written down anything, or looked through Wilbur's notes at all, but he prepared a small message that would hopefully give everyone an insight into “President Soot” - The small bit of alcohol in his system definitely made it way easier to ignore all the good memories and focus on negatives. He stepped up to the stand, tapped the microphone once or twice and grinned.

'...Democracy is overrated.'.

Oh, Wilbur's expression was priceless. As were the confused faces of the crowd.

'Yeah, yeah, that's right. That's right!', he exclaimed over all the murmuring in the crowd, already seeing Wilbur, Tommy, and even Alex rising up from their seats and getting ready to make their way to the stage. 'You don't- You think you need a president? You think you need-'. Schlatt paused. Oh, did he just get a devious idea. Oh, was he already excited. Oh, did he already have a plan. His grip on the podium grew stronger as he looked ahead, three thoughts in his mind.

_1\. To run for president, one required L'Manbergian citizenship._  
_2\. Wilbur had granted Schlatt citizenship the night previous._  
_3\. Write-In Candidates could register until voting night._

'I'll be my own president!', he shouted into the microphone, Wilbur already on the stage and Tommy attempting to push him away from the microphone.  
'No, no! Okay, cut the mic, cut the mic-', Wilbur quickly shouted back at someone nearby, meanwhile his vice-president forced himself near the stand, trying his best to take charge of the whole situation. Schlatt continued shouting over him;

'I-I'll run myself! I'll run myself!'.  
'A-And that was our endorsement from Jschlatt everyone! Unbanned, back forever, everyone!'.  
'Schlatt2020!'.  
'No, no, no Schlatt2020-'.

'You think you need- You think you need-', Schlatt continued stumbling on his words, pushing himself forward to the microphone with all his strength. Wilbur stood aside, barely able to move with the gravity of the situation slowly dawning on him – He was so, so screwed. 'You think you want Quackity as your president huh?'. Tommy tried to step in, but this time... Wilbur stopped him. In a way, he was interested with what the man could have been planning to say.  
'His vice-president didn't even bother showing up!', he screamed into the microphone, his composure completely slipping away as he let himself be carried away by the chaos he was causing. 'You want a no-show vice-president and a president who relies on exploiting others, huh?', Schlatt looked into the crowd. 'Or maybe you want daddy issues and little miss push-over down there, hmm? Do they sound like better fucking choices?'. Wilbur looked at Tommy with a mix of uncertainty and worry – Was he on their side, or was he-'.  
'You think you want Wilbur?!', Schlatt screamed out, and in his moment of rage, for the first time, he hesitated. His eyes widened for just a moment, breathing heavily as he tried to calm himself down. He looked to the side – His old friend, his enemy, his partner in crime, was watching him in silence and awaiting his words, as if daring him to speak.

'He...'.

_'Schlatt... No matter what happens... You have to promise this stays between us.'._  
_'Wilbur, this is- This is fucking insane!- I- I can't fucking do this- I-'._  
_'Schlatt! Please! If our friendship still means anything to you, you have to keep quiet.'._

'He...'.

_'Okay... Okay. I won't say a thing to anyone.'._  
_'Thank you... I promise... I won't let this get worse.'._  
_'…I know you won't. I trust you.'._

'He...'.

_'Partners in crime, right Wilbur?'._  
_'Till the end of time, like we promised.'._

'He took everything from me.', Schlatt spoke slowly now. No artificial slurring to his words, no swaying back and forth. He simply looked at him, a headache reminding him of how he had spent his evening the day previous and a sickness forming in his stomach he wasn't quite sure the origin of. He was addressing the crowd, of course. But he kept his eyes set on Wilbur, making sure he knew he was speaking to him. Making sure he knew that they were way past the stage of friendship, reconnecting, or being “partners in crime”.

That Wilbur and Schlatt died with SMPLive.

'He left me...', he carried on. 'He left me all alone. Let me tell you all a story, ladies and gentlemen.', for a moment, he glanced at the crowd. 'A story from a long, long time ago. Back when me and Wilbur lived somewhere else – Back when we were different people. There was a group in charge of our city called the Lunch Club – Six stand-up guys, is what they were. Kind of like the Dream Team here.', Schlatt looked at three, empty front-row seats. 'But they didn't miss important events.'.  
'...And you see, the Lunch Club had a problem. Six guys voting on everything... There was bound to be votes left split. So they opened submissions for a seventh member. And I got in. It was a dream come true – Being directly in charge of the place that had been my home for so long. But something went wrong. Our city begun being overtaken by a flood. A flood that kept rising, rising, and we knew, eventually, it would reach us.'.  
'The flood went down after the first time, and we all survived. But it would come back. We could see it rising again. And there was no guarantee we would survive this time around. So we decided we would escape into the Nether and find a new dimension to settle in – here came my problem.', Schlatt paused, as if afraid to speak. 'I couldn't go. I couldn't survive in the Nether. We never knew why, but... If I even stepped through for five minutes, my death was guaranteed'.

'The Lunch Club was to vote whether or not I was supposed to be abandoned, or if people would stay.', Schlatt's eyes narrowed and filled with rage. 'But I didn't hear shit about it. It'd be biased if I voted, after all. So they took the vote behind my back – And wouldn't you know it. Three for, three against.'. Wilbur tensed up as he realized where the story was going. 'They needed a seventh voter that wasn't me. So they let Wilbur vote – My friend. My best friend. My partner in crime.'.  
'And his seventh vote was to leave me.', Schlatt said after a short pause. Wilbur wanted to say something, defend himself, but... He didn't remember. He didn't remember how he voted. And what reason would Schlatt have to lie? 'So the stage was set – I would be abandoned. And here's the great part of this story, ladies and gentlemen. Something even our lovely President here doesn't know about – They didn't leave over the course of several years.'.

'It took two minutes and thirty-two seconds for me to be completely alone.'.

'Wilbur told me to go into a garden in the main plaza of the city and listen to a music disc – One of our four. My favourite, back then. He said, the moment the song was over, I could come back to our office and see a surprise he had prepared for me. It was my birthday that day, you see.', Schlatt looked down, pausing. 'Even in our last moments together, this asshole couldn't look me in the eyes and tell me the truth. The truth about what was happening.'.  
'Because while I was sitting there... Waiting... Hoping... Thinking about what my friend could possibly have had in store for me... The whole city had gathered around a Nether Portal and took those two minutes and thirty-two seconds to leave. They shut the portal behind them – And me, knowing nothing about it, would never know how to light it, even if I wished to follow through. I was left all alone in the course of a single day. And in my last few seconds with him, my friend said nothing. That's the true extent of Wilbur Soot's lies, everyone.'.  
'Even when he's about to rip everything away from you...', Schlatt said, turning away from the microphone. Starting at Wilbur, he begun walking closer. 'Even when he's about to tear down everything you ever cared about...', he carried on, with each step making Wilbur's heart beat faster and faster. 'Even when he's about to stab you in the back and laugh about it...'. Schlatt paused, leaned forward, and looked the president right in the eyes.

'Will Gold will never, ever show you his true face.'.

Wilbur was speechless, as was a majority of the crowd. Schlatt didn't even smile at his momentary victory – he had long lost his many reasons to. Wilbur Soot – Or rather, Will Gold, it would seem – Looked down at his hands for a moment, feeling as if his whole world was shattering and breaking into little pieces around him. And as he had in many stressful situations before, he didn't care about what was around him, his mind instead deciding it was-

_-time to finally end it, here and now. With hesitance he speaks;_

_'Just listen to it once. That’s it.', Will tells his friend, who's looking down at the small jukebox in front of him without much thought. The city seems awfully lonely today – There isn't many people walking around as there would be normally. Will knows why. Schlatt does not._  
_‘Just once?’, his partner in crime asks, grabbing the small disc from him. “Stal” is painted on its side with a white paint, smeared on the side lazily. He inspects it for a moment, his fingers carefully tracing its edges as he tries to think about what his friend could have possibly planned._

_‘Mhm. And then you can look.’, Will lies through his teeth._  
_‘You know I hate surprises.’, Schlatt laughs nervously, with hesitance._  
_‘Well, this won’t work any other way.’, the other convinces him._

_‘Alright... Why this one, though?’, Schlatt looks down at the disc, placing it into the jukebox and getting it ready to play. Will grabs his hand to make sure he doesn't start it now._  
_‘Because I know it’s your favourite.’, Will responds with a laugh. The one truthful thing he had said that day – Schlatt does like this disc above the others._  
_‘Hah... Okay, okay. One listen. Then look.’, Schlatt repeats to make sure he got everything right, seeing his friend nod and fix up his glasses. Why does he have a backpack with him?_  
_‘Exactly. Listen once, then you can look.’, Will responds, ensuring everything he has is still on him. As soon as Schlatt is turned away, he'll have to run to the portal, he knows._

_‘...Great... You know what, Wilbur?’, he says. He always liked his title over his name._  
_'Yeah, Schlatt? What's up?', he responds, knowing the other never liked his name, either._

_‘I always liked Stal.’._

_Will chuckles, and as the familiar song starts playing, he runs faster than he ever had before. He has two minutes and thirty-two seconds to get away from here forever. He won't let that opportunity pass him by. He won't let his chance at a better life be snatched away. He arrives at the portal struggling to breathe, seeing a hundred or more familiar faces staring back at him. Some have already gone through, he knows. Only those who want to hear the news first-hand remain._

_'He's distracted. We have to go. Quick.'. People begin entering the purple light, one by one. Someone gets close to him, helps him stand and looks him in the eyes._  
_'We're doing the right thing here, Wilbur.' - It's Connor. He looks about as unsure, melancholic, and as lost as him. 'It's the only way we can all survive this.'._  
_'I know.', Wilbur responds, turning to the portal. 'I know.', he repeats. He looks back for a moment._

_'I just hope he understands that, too.'._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> before people say this is anticlimactic to the "big bad thing" wilbur did, well... let me just say...  
> this isnt even half the story :)
> 
> no spoilers though, just wanna make that clear  
> schlatt lies, lies, lies and lies
> 
> but i can say for sure here - everything he said was the truth  
> he simply omitted one VITAL element of the story  
> a vital element that will change how bad this whole thing REALLY was


	53. The Election (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Schlatt's speech, chaos ensues. Wilbur struggles with his past, Tommy doesn't know who to trust and Quackity makes a bold choice. In the past, Phil explains his trust in the Emperor.

Noise. So much noise. Unnecessary, unending noise.

How did things spiral so much out of control in such a short time? Wilbur wasn't sure. Schlatt's cold and proper demeanour seemed to drop instantly after he stunned his old friend as much as he did, soon returning to aimlessly shouting about his own candidacy and how much he despised democracy as a whole. Tommy tried to cut the whole thing short by insisting on moving on to the debate, alluding to Schlatt being left out of it which only angered him more. Quackity had abandoned trying to stop anything, realizing how much the chaos was benefiting his own case. Fundy and Niki just disappeared somewhere – It would seem they could see the danger slowly coming along and decided to ditch before things got messy. Wilbur just wanted to be able to speak, or move, or anything, but his shock, uncertainty, and a million other emotions were keeping him completely static – He simply watched.

'What the hell is going on here? Is anyone running in this election even legit?'.

_Stop, stop, everyone just be quiet._

'Wilbur! Someone get Wilbur to answer! What was that guy talking about?'.

_Just stop talking, stop asking._

'I want to hear more from Schlatt! How do you know Wilbur's real name?'.

_Don't talk shut up shut up shut_

'Mr. President!'.

'...What?', was the first word Wilbur had managed to get out since everything spiralled out of control, soon realizing there was someone standing next to him. His eyes darted back and forth between the person and the stand – Schlatt was still carrying on with his endless rambling about god knows what. It had been Tubbo, of all people, that now managed to make his way to the podium.  
'Mr. President, are you alright?'. _Not at all, thanks for asking._ Wilbur quickly rubbed his eyes, nearly dropping his glasses as he did so, his hands shaking more than they ever had before.  
'We need to- We need to get him off the- Where's Tommy? Where did Niki and Fundy go? What's Quackity doing? What the hell do we do now?'. From Tubbo's expression Wilbur could tell he was asking far too many questions – The boy simply grabbed his arm and pulled him aside.  
'We need all candidates to get to the White House right now, this place isn't safe-'.

_Whizz. Thunk._

Wilbur's head snapped to the side, instantly noticing the source of the unusual noise. Right next to his head, narrowly missing him, a small bolt had lodged itself into the wooden frame of the podium. The president managed to dodge to the side before a second shot came, barely being able to find the shooter in all his confusion. Schlatt, somehow, had managed to get his hand on Tommy's crossbow, the blonde himself laying on the floor and struggling to stand up. For once, Quackity seemed to be able to put the election aside and decided to help the vice-president. Things only seemed to blur more and more as screams and shouts rose in the audience, people scattering away.

It wasn't long before Wilbur was once more grabbed by someone and lead away, finally being returned some control over his body. He was still in shock, that was for sure, but at least he was somewhat aware of what was happening around him. That had to count for something. Tubbo dragged him by the sleeve and forced him in through the large, wooden doors of the White House, Tommy and Quackity slipping in right before they were shut. The vice-president leaned on the door as he breathed heavily, Tubbo begun nervously checking the windows and Wilbur walked into a corner of the front room, trying to gather his thoughts. He could hear people outside, some enraged by Schlatt's words and supporting him, others simply there to see how wrong all of this would go. There was nothing said between all the candidates at first – But that silence wouldn't last forever. Wilbur wasn't surprised that Quackity was the first to speak;

'What the _fuck_ happened back there?', he shouted out, out of breath and barely able to talk properly. He had this look in his eye – Like he was unsure whether or not Wilbur was even trustworthy any more. With what Schlatt said, he did not blame him.  
'Wil...', Tommy whispered, looking up. 'I... Wh... He must have been lying, right?'. Wilbur didn't know – And that was the most terrifying thing. Even if what Schlatt said had been nothing but lies, he'd never know better. All he knew were his dreams, and they barely ever showed him anything of substance. Why couldn't he just remember?  
'I... I don't...'. Wilbur could hear pounding on the door, and he knew there wasn't much time left. These four had to somehow get out of here – But what even was Schlatt's plan here? First he announces his candidacy, next he tells that god damned story and next he's chasing them with a fucking crossbow? Was Wilbur losing his mind, or was this really happening?

'Let me in the debate, Will! Or are you afraid you'll lose?'.  
 _'Even when he's about to rip everything away from you...'._

'Wilbur, you have to explain! Was Schlatt lying or not?'.  
 _'Even when he's about to tear down everything you ever cared about...'._

'We can't just sit here and pretend he didn't say what he said!'.  
 _'Even when he's about to stab you in the back and laugh about it...'._

'No, no, no, we have to... We have to...', Wilbur Soot struggled to speak, feeling as if everything was about to crash and burn, and he only had seconds left to live.

_'...Will Gold will never, ever show you his true face.'._

'It's not important right now! We have to get out of here!', Will Gold snapped, trying to not let himself slip away as the whole world fell apart all over again.

With how messy everything was in his head, it was hard to keep track of what he was doing, exactly. Tubbo had agreed he would try to distract the crowd outside by telling them to return to the voting booth to start voting early, meanwhile the three candidates could try to slip away in some way. Quackity had lead the two into a rather large room under the stairs he had insisted on constructing during the six months, pushing up a small bookshelf, the only piece of furniture in the room, against the doorway to try and buy them more time. He could hear people gathering outside, loud shouting and speaking, Tubbo's panicked voice, and above it all, Schlatt making more confusing statements and screaming about his presidency. Was he going insane, was he just that drunk, or was it something else? Wilbur would rather not know.

'Just let him run in the election! It's not like he'll win!', Quackity shouted almost instantly, the panic in his voice more prominent than anything else. Wilbur looked around, taking deep breaths and trying his best to not slip away again. He couldn't afford to be taken away now of all times.  
'It's not about the winning! Did you hear the shit he said about Wil?', Tommy stammered for a moment, turning back and forth as he struggled with who to address. 'I mean, he'd never do something like that! And his name isn't-'.  
'Tommy, please.', Wilbur cut in, lifting up his hand. The boy stopped, for a moment, but it was clear he had more to say. 'We have no choice in this any more. If people write him in it's only fair we count the votes. It's not about that, though.'.

More pounding on the door. More arguing. More angry people, asking Wilbur to explain himself.

'...He's... He's got memories, memories that... I...'. Tommy and Quackity, both, for just a moment, seemed to be at a complete loss for words. The older spoke first;  
'You mean to say he's not bullshitting? Like, all that stuff actually happened? And your name isn't even Wilbur Soot?'. The president bit his lip, breathing heavily.  
'I always wondered why I didn't have a title...', Wilbur whispered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else. Tommy carried the argument on;

'And what about the other stuff? The Lunch Club, the vote, the flood? Did that really happen?'.  
'I don't-'.  
'And you left him behind? Wil, why would you do that?'.  
'I have no clue-'.  
'There has to be more to this, right? You're not like that, you're a-'.

'I don't fucking know, Tommy! So stop asking, alright?', Wilbur regretted snapping like that, sure, but with how much was going through his head, he could barely speak normally any more. He knew he had to make some sort of smart move if he still wanted to win – And he could barely think of any on the spot like this. Wilbur pressed his back to a nearby wall, feeling as though the cramped room was only growing smaller and smaller around him. He slid down, sat down, wrapped his hands around his knees and tried to focus. Focus on anything, anything at all that wasn't the noise outside, Tommy's constant questions or everything Schlatt had said. '...I.... I don't... I don't know...'.

There had to be something, anything, that he could do. He could still fix this.

'This... This might sound insane, but...', Wilbur started, slowly gathering himself. He rose to his feet and tried his best to keep stable – He had to hold onto the wall behind him just to be able to stand properly. 'We have to make some bold moves here if we don't want Schlatt to win this.'.  
'What are you saying?', Quackity asked, turning to the side. Wilbur took a deep breath.  
'...If we were to pool our votes and run as one party, that would be the only way for us to be able to outdo Schlatt in votes. He has the public supporting him on this one – But Quackity, you still have voters. And if we combine, we can win this for sure.'. The other, while clearly hesitant about the idea, but was willing to consider it, mainly motivated by all of the noise outside.

'...If it's the only way... But how? If one of us wins, who gets to be president, and who takes the vice-presidential spot?'. Wilbur thought for a moment, trying his best to mute out the sounds outside. Even here, he had to think of a way to spin all of this in his favour.  
'You have no vice-president. So if you get a majority of our collective votes, I will become yours.', Wilbur paused, noticing Tommy's expression. He seemed to understand, but still, appeared betrayed.  
'And if you get a majority of the pooled votes?'.  
'...Tommy is my vice-president.', Wilbur started, already seeing Quackity's face turn sour. 'If our votes are the majority, me and Tommy will take charge as planned. I can guarantee you a definite place somewhere in my cabinet, with direct control over most choices-'.

'Wait, hold on. So if I get the majority you get the vice-presidential spot, but if I get it all I get is some shitty cabinet spot? What do you take me for?', as the man shouted, the noise outside seemed to only grow louder. He wasn't sure if it was his own anxiety, or if the noises were actually getting as out of hand as they were. He couldn't even hear Tubbo trying to calm the crowd down any more.  
'It's only fair-'.  
'Well you know what, President Soot?', Quackity paused. 'Or should I say President Gold, right? You don't even trust your people with your real name?', the man looked around for a moment, and then looked at the door, getting ready to move the shelf out of the way. Wilbur backed up, trying to shield Tommy with his arm, who was insistent on doing the same for him.

'Schlatt still doesn't have a vice-president. And I'm missing a running mate myself.'.

'Wait, wait, Quackity! Don't do this!', Wilbur tried to grab the other's arm, but he was far too set on moving the shelf away to be stopped. 'We don't know what he'll do if he wins!'.  
'Then I guess you need to really focus on winning, Mr. President.', Quackity turned away, watching as the doors shot open with a bang. Schlatt was on the other side, barely being held back by Tubbo, who, shocked by the sudden sound, let go of his arm and let him walked forward. The man still had his crossbow – He lifted it slowly and aimed it at Wilbur without words.

'Schlatt, wait!', Quackity stepped in, making the man hesitate for just a moment.  
'Alex?', as he spoke, it almost seemed like he was snapped out of his momentary angry trance. The man came closer, lifting his hands up as he did so.  
'I have a deal to offer you.', he looked back at Wilbur, who had already given up on trying to stop him. 'You're still in need of a vice-president, right?'.  
'I guess I am.', Schlatt's hold on the crossbow was steady, unmoved. Still aimed at Wilbur, even when there was someone who could have easily disarmed him right in front of him. From the way he spoke, it didn't even seem he took his candidacy all that seriously, and it was only something he wanted to throw in on top of his insults earlier. Quackity's expression turned to a smile.

'Then I suggest a coalition. Our votes pooled together tomorrow – As long as I can sit by your side if we are to win.'. Schlatt's eyes once more wandered to Wilbur, as if bathing in his expression of poor helplessness and panic. He looked back and smiled.  
'...That sounds more than ideal, Alex.', he responded. He then pushed the other aside, rather violently all that, forcing him to hit his arm into the shelf nearby. While he gathered himself and tried to get up, Schlatt once more aimed his weapon at Wilbur, and before he could be stopped by anyone in the crowd, fired a single bolt right into his shoulder.

'Presidency is gonna be a whole lot more difficult if you bleed out, loverboy. See you tomorrow.'.

And as Schlatt turned away, Wilbur found himself so overwhelmed with pain he could barely even stand any more. He collapsed to the floor and felt the pain shoot from his shoulder and through the rest of his body, Tommy and a couple others rushing to his side as he slowly felt himself blacking out. He might have stayed awake if it weren't for the combined strength of the agony in his whole body, the stress of the whole day, and of course, another dream already creeping its way-

_-into the Palace, knowing exactly how it could end._

_He's taking slow and careful steps, the air around him as always piercing cold and the ground below slippery. Even here, inside of the great Palace, everything is still freezing, the air cutting through him like a million little blades and his body shivering more and more with each passing second. He fixes up his coat, as always, wondering how the Emperor, Pete and Phil manage to live in this place and not freeze to death. He turns a corner, every dark corridor seeming the same, only being guided by the map in his hand. He was lucky Pete had handed out maps of the whole place to everyone once they arrived, as he wouldn't have had any hope at finding his way otherwise. He knows there are rooms hidden from the map, ones they are never supposed to even come close to. But, Pete made a mistake. The maps still show the rooms, only leaving them unmarked._

_Wilbur enters one of those very rooms._

_It's confusing – He wasn't sure what he'd expect to be so close to the Emperor's own private room, but a gigantic closet filled with about two hundred bottles of the same, milky white potion was definitely not what he expected. He looks around, trying to figure out what they could be, but eventually gives up and decides to simply open one and give it a good look. He had always had an affinity for potions, never really finding out why. He opens one of them, takes off the cap and moves it up to his nose, smelling a strange mix of something in-between potatoes and gooseberries. Before he can even try to taste the potion, he heard a noise behind him. Or rather, a voice._

_'What are you doing?', the voice speaks, and he recognizes it._   
_'Phil?', Wilbur asks, turning around like a child caught breaking a school rule._

_'Put that down. It's not yours.'. With how stern the man sounds, Wilbur follows his instructions instantly. He puts his hands in his pockets, already feeling his fingers growing numb from the cold._   
_'I was just looking.', he mutters. 'Why isn't this room marked on the map?'._   
_'Because you're not supposed to go into it.', Phil responds, as if it were obvious._   
_'Well what is it? What's the big deal with these?', Wilbur looks around._   
_'They're the Emperor's.', Phil says. 'You shouldn't touch them. Ever.'._

_Phil gets closer. He's still wearing his uniform. The three Antarctic Rulers barely sleep these days._

_'What are they? What do they do? Why is there so many?', Wilbur carries on with his questions._   
_'They're his best shot at helping you.', Phil explains, as cryptic as the explanation is. 'He's been taking these to try and mute out his bloodlust. He found the recipe just a bit before the Saint-Malo trials. That's why he didn't end up breaking out and killing everyone there.'. Wilbur feels a prickle of fear in his heart, his eyes widening. 'Oh, sorry, did you think it was because you actually had a hold on him? No, no. He wanted to be there. He was finally in control – So he wanted to be punished.'._   
_'If only we got the chance to actually go through with the trial...', Wilbur whispers, remembering the traumatizing events of the trial. He turns back, looking at the man._

_'Phil, why do you care so much about him?', he asks, but he feels as though he already knows._   
_'I have no choice.', Phil shrugs. 'And these potions alone prove he's a good man at heart.'._   
_'And I guess... You have another bias, don't you?'. Phil chuckles. He nods._

_'Right. He's my son, after all. And no matter what he does, he always will be.'._

Wilbur woke up in his bed, shoulder bandaged and mind swirling with thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dadza DADZA  
> DAZA CANON


	54. The Election (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The winner of the election is announced and gives their first decree.

Bad handed Wilbur the envelope on the 22nd of September and didn't say a word.

And that was enough.

That was enough to make him squeeze it in his hand and bend it in a million different ways as he made his way up to the Podium, that was enough to make his throat clench up and leave him with no air to breathe, and that was enough to make his head spin as he walked past the large audience and took his spot on one of the three podiums reserved for presidential candidates. Their vice-presidential candidates were to stand by their sides, awaiting the results, after which the victor would remain and all others would leave them to make their inauguration speech. It was a simple system, really. But Wilbur still knew – There would be four people stepping down from this stage, and if he were to be one of them, everything would go horribly wrong.

As he took his place at his stand, he first looked at Tommy.

The two had talked about his dream earlier that day – Phil being the father of the Emperor explained a lot of his behaviour towards him, such as completely seeming to ignore all of his horrible acts and deeply caring about him regardless. They didn't have much time to speak, of course, considering how much they had to think about that morning and how much there was to work out for the election. After all, now there was a chance they'd lose. It wasn't a chance Wilbur wished to entertain, but he knew it existed. So he decided to put his full focus on trying to get a safe exit out of L'Manberg if things got messy – Just somewhere to slip away for a few hours as things calmed down. He was sure whoever was in charge would get off their adrenaline high eventually and let them return to the country under their rule, as different as it would be.

As twenty-one eyes burned into him, he looked at Quackity.

Now standing at someone's side, willing to give up his possible presidency just to take the win in this single situation. George was pushed aside, and after being updated on the events of the previous day, decided to just take a seat with his two friends at the front of the audience. Wilbur knew why Quackity made this move – He had noticed it. Even with how little they spoke before this whole event got started, it was clear. How Quackity looked at Schlatt? That could only be one thing – Admiration. Admiration to a point where he was willing to step aside and allow him to take charge just for the single chance to be by his side. And how Schlatt talked to him? This was something clear to Wilbur, as well. Telling him how skilled he was, how capable he was, taking every word he said seriously. He knew that his vice-president was the local joke, and he'd use this to his advantage. Give him the spotlight and appreciation he wanted for just five minutes, and just like that, he had him wrapped around his little finger.

As his hand traced the edge of the envelope, he looked at his partner in crime.

How did they get here? Going from scamming people every day, with their own company, living together, spending every evening together, surviving the end of the world together.... To opposing each other in some unneeded election. Not only that, Schlatt had finally showed his true nature. He put aside his smiles and laughs, his jokes, his character, and focused in on the pain the Wilbur from his past had caused him. If only he remembered. If only he remembered what he did, if anything Schlatt said was true, and if he could somehow defend himself in this situation. He wasn't the same man any more – So why was he to blame? People didn't understand. They didn't understand how shattered and unclear his memories were, they didn't understand how little he himself knew of them, and they didn't understand that Schlatt was using this to manipulate them into voting for him. But they had spent so much time together, spoken so casually before he was banished, what could have possibly made him turn around and just-

The vote. He got his hands on the vote, didn't he?

Wilbur felt ashamed, that much was true. He had decided to vote against Schlatt on that day for one major reason – He was afraid. He was afraid of his past, the person he was, and the things his old friend could bring back if he allowed him to stay around. He wanted to give everything time, he wanted to let it all calm down, then he could have faced him. How was Wilbur to know Dream would insist on banishing Schlatt into the Nether? That was never a part of the vote. Of course if Wilbur had known he would have had changed his vote. He'd never condemn his friend to the suffering he must have had gone through in those six months. But did Schlatt know that? Did Schlatt realized how unimaginably afraid he constantly was of his past finally catching up with him, just how it did here? Did Schlatt know how much sleep he had lost just thinking about how he'd react if someone familiar had shown themselves, after how Tommy's appearance had changed everything? Schlatt could never understand – And that was the issue.

Schlatt's world was so much different. That was the problem.

While Wilbur saw an old friend next to him, Schlatt saw nothing more than an irredeemable enemy.

'Hello, Mr. Schlatt.', Wilbur said under his breath when he first arrived at the stand, the microphones still yet to be turned on and the crowd below still chatting away about their votes the night previous. There were only two people in that crowd who knew the results of the vote – BadBoyHalo and Jack Manifold, two representatives from both nations that had been elected to count the votes and hand them to Wilbur once things got started.

Neither of them appeared happy.

'Hello.', Schlatt responded rather nonchalantly, his eyes, for just a moment, setting on Wilbur's shoulder. He had hidden most of the bandages over his wound under his clothes, but some were still visible under his neck. How is it that a presidential candidate shot another, and yet still got to run? Thinking back to the debate, the president realized law may have been an important thing to implement before he ran out of his time in charge.

But it was too late now, the results were in his hand, after all.

'I didn't know you were serious about this.', Wilbur admitted, noting how erratically Schlatt had acted the day previous. The other shrugged with a rather forced smile.  
'I came early, Wilbur.', he responded. Something about his expression was... Unnerving.  
'I thought once the bit was over you would... Leave and go home.'.  
'Or die, with how you were acting', Tommy muttered under his breath. Schlatt did nothing more than force a dry laugh, looking at the young vice-president.

'Yeah, you seem to be a lot healthier than you were yesterday.', Wilbur acknowledged, unsure why he was carrying the small talk on. He heard a hiss from the corner;  
'Took his meds, the crazy bitch-'. Wilbur smacked Tommy's shoulder before he said much more.  
'I'm feeling good.', Schlatt ignored the situation completely, turning the conversation back to himself. 'Can we get this started? I've got lots of ideas to implement, you know.'.

Wilbur shuddered. There was no way a write-in candidate won this late in. No way.

'Hello, ladies and gentlemen.', Wilbur spoke into his microphone, putting down the envelope on his stand before he ripped it with all of his stress-induced fidgeting. 'Now, before we start, please remember. We're not just deciding who wins tonight, we are also inaugurating the winner.'. A murmur went through the crowd – A bold choice, sure, but this election had been unusual, messy and outside of the box since the very start. There was no changing that now.  
'Once we announce the winner, all other candidates will step down and allow the new president to make their first official speech. We will then listen to their first decree as president – After all, the first decree is incredibly important.', Wilbur paused. He could hear that he was stalling, but the way everyone looked at him with expectation, he could not put it off any more.

‘...So... Without further ado... I have with me the election results for the four parties... POG2020, SWAG2020, COCONUT2020 and Schlatt2020.’, Wilbur paused, opened the envelope, and looked at it, his eyes moving over the page and slowly growing wide. Tommy couldn’t tell if it was a bad or good thing - So he simply stood and waited.  
‘With two of the votes, coming in last, we have Fundy and Nihachu of the COCONUT2020 Party.’, Wilbur paused, his eyes narrowing for just a moment. ‘With three of the votes, coming in third, we have Jschlatt of the Schlatt2020 party.’, Wilbur looked at his friend, seeing his smile slowly fade.  
‘Now, that leaves two parties left, doesn’t it?’, he finally turned his attention to himself and Quackity, seeing him shift uncomfortably. This was it. This was the final result. Who’d come first, who’d come second? It was right in front of him, but the knot that his stomach twisted into kept him from speaking.

‘Coming in second... With four of the votes...’, Wilbur’s breath was shaky, his hands were unsteady and his eyes kept darting around the audience, as if waiting for an escape. He hesitated, forced a smile, and looked up. ‘Quackity, with the SWAG2020 party.’. Tommy looked about ready to celebrate - His smile grew wide, he jumped up on the balls of his feet, and was about to exclaim something, but he hesitated. Something about the president made him want to stay down, stay quiet, and listen. The whole crowd seemed to realise it, too, holding their celebration back.

Why wasn’t Wilbur smiling?

‘And that leaves me, Wilbur Soot, and TommyInnit as the winners with six votes for the POG2020 party.’, the man paused, his grip on the small piece of paper growing tighter as he tried to keep his breath steady. _Six votes... no, that means.... That can’t be possible!_ ‘Let’s not celebrate early, however. There’s another side to this election, after all.'.

Schlatt begun silently chuckling under his breath, Quackity snickering along with him.

‘Last night, on the night of the election, a deal was struck.’, the president bit his lip. Tommy could practically hear his own heart pounding, the sound pulsating in his ears. _No, no, no, this can’t be. There has to be another way!_ ‘A deal between Mr. Quackity and Mr. Schlatt - A deal to pool their votes together when results were announced and to form a new running party.’.

Schlatt’s chuckle became a cackle, meanwhile Quackity started giggling.

‘And so... the coalition government of Schlatt and Quackity is up to seven votes... Which puts them one vote above the POG2020 party, making them the winners of this election, with Jschlatt as President and Quackity as Vice-President.’. Tommy felt about ready to break down - His whole world spiralling, slipping from under his control. He heard clapping and cheers, seeing as Wilbur, Niki and Fundy all stepped down from their stands. Tommy, in his shock and confusion, remained still, staring at Quackity and Schlatt as they celebrated.

'Hell yeah! That was too easy! Too easy!', Schlatt begun shouting, his cackle turning into full on maniacal laughter, supporting himself on the podium as he tried to compose himself.  
'First day back baby! First day back!', Quackity urged the other on with his comments, taking his place on one of the two now-abandoned stands. Tommy continued standing still – No matter what he did, his body refused to make a move. Eventually, he felt a tight grip on his shoulder, soon turning back to find Wilbur standing by his side. He tilted his head and spoke, voice calm and reserved. How was he able to keep it together in a situation like this?

‘Come on Tommy.’.  
‘No...’.  
‘We’re citizens tonight. Just listen to Schlatt.'.  
'This isn't right-'.  
'Just come on already-'.  
'Let go of me!'.

‘Tommy?’.

A chill went down the boy’s spine as he saw the current President turn to him. His voice was cold, slow, calculated. No room for error, no room for mistakes, no room for hesitation. He leaned forward, his eyes glowing with a greed and anger Tommy had never seen in a single man before. His lips curved into a smile, clearly bathing in the fear he had manage to cause the boy to feel. He said a single phrase, but one the ex-vice-president would never forget;

‘Get off my podium.’.

Tommy, angered, ashamed, fighting back tears, panic and the urge to snap and attack the President right then and there, walked back around the Podium and down into the audience. He sat down in one of the four empty seats reserved for whoever didn't win the election, feeling Wilbur place his hand on his arm for a moment, as if trying to reassure him everything was alright. Tommy wasn't sure why he was so afraid – What's the worst Schlatt could do right now? If anything, they could always revolt, right? It's not like everyone would follow if he ordered people to be killed or something of that degree. There was nothing to be worried about. He'd simply be in power, it would all slip from under his control, and people would come begging for Tommy's and Wilbur''s leadership once more when everything went to hell.

Yeah. Everything would be fine.

Schlatt tapped his microphone once or twice, turning to the audience with a proud smile painted across his face. How did he manage to snatch this victory so easily? How did he manage to just slither in without issues? From his demeanour, you'd almost think he didn't even try, expecting this result from the first moment he announced he was running. It was so... So incredibly frightening, how much confidence in himself that man had.

'Well...', the President spoke without much care. 'That was pretty easy.'.

'And you know what I said.... The day I got unbanned, from the DreamSMP... And the day I said I was running... An election that I won, by the way.', Schlatt added as an almost side-note, a grin coming to his face as he did. Tommy looked around the audience – Did anyone there seem happy with the result? With how stressed he was, it was impossible to even recognize the faces of the people around him, not to mention their expressions. He turned his attention back to Schlatt – He was the only one he could truly focus on, even Wilbur starting to fade and blur away. It was as if his whole world was shattering and fading away, and at the centre of his universe was the new President of L'Manberg – And his speech.

'I said things are gonna change. I looked every citizen of L'Manberg in the eyes and I said “You listen to me... This place will be a lot different tomorrow”.', Schlatt paused, listening to the whispers and the gasps in the crowd as if it were music to his ears. 'Let's start making it happen.'. This time, Tommy found enough strength in himself to speak. He turned to the side, to the former president, and with a weak voice, he asked;  
'Wilbur- Are you-', he stammered, unsure what exactly to ask. Wilbur's eyes were set on the stage, void of life and unmoved as he listened, his fingers tugging at the edges of his sleeves nervously.

'My first decree... As the president... Of L'Manberg...', Schlatt spoke slowly, enjoying the uneasiness of the crowd that showed itself through the deafening silence of the audience any time he paused. 'The emperor! Of this great country!'.  
'Yes sir!', Quackity carried on with his constant praise of Schlatt, blind to the panic in the crowd.  
'Wilbur surely not- Wil- Wil?', Tommy kept asking his friend, hoping for guidance, for some sort of help here, for reassuring words that could make all his panic fade away. The president responded with nothing – He simply watched on.

'Is to revoke...!', Schlatt screamed into the microphone, pausing before he carried on. 'The citizenship... Of Wilbur Soot...!', the President shouted out, causing the former ruler to flinch, as if finally snapped back to the reality of things. '...And TommyInnit!', Schlatt added on, the boy himself gasping and getting up from his chair, panicked and lost on what to do beyond belief.

'No! No you can't-', Niki screamed instantly, her eyes filling with tears.  
'Yes! Let's go!', Quackity shouted on, oblivious to the suffering his running mate was causing.  
'Wait, what? What?!', King Eret rose to his feet, ready to fight Schlatt himself if he had to.  
'Get them out of here!', Schlatt yelled, pointing into the crowd. 'You're no longer welcome!'.

Tommy was stunned. Speechless. His heart seemed to stop beating, for just a moment. He saw Tubbo turn back, he wanted to scream something, shout for help or... Anything. But no matter what he did, it were as if his whole world froze. Everything moved slower than ever as some people in the audience, some who had taken a liking to Schlatt, lifted their weapons and aimed them at the two now-exiled, former L'Manbergians. This time, it was Wilbur that finally took charge of the situation, grabbing his right-hand-man by the arm.

'Tommy, run! Tommy, we have to run!'.  
'Wilbur, we can't just-'.  
'Go! Come on, we have to go!'.

Arrows whizzed past, people screamed, and the two ran as fast as they could as Schlatt carried on;

'Until further notice... Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are merely a memory... Of L'Manberg.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> banishment time....
> 
> in-between this and vilbur, there is a lot i have to get through, so expect a bunch of filler chapters before we even get started on the festival... sorry!  
> but this also means... schlatt backstory reveal.... closer with each day....


	55. The Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Banished from L'Manberg, Wilbur and Tommy are forced to make their escape.

Yelling, laughing, arrows whizzing past, screaming, people-

_-gather around, the crowd growing larger with each second. Wilbur is standing alone by the side of the stage, he’s with someone. He helps him fix up his tie, he watches as he makes sure his hair is in place, checking himself in the mirror on the-_

No! No, no, no! He had to stay awake! He had to hold on, he had to do it for Tommy, for himself, for everyone. He had to stay focused. He had to stay grounded. But it was getting harder and harder, everything slipping away, everything blurring. He was running, running as fast as he could, someone shooting at him, someone else nearby with a sword. People who thought they’d get a favour in with Schlatt if they caught them - He couldn’t give them that win. He couldn’t afford to give them that satisfaction. He had to get himself, and above all, his right hand man, to safety, they had to get away, they had to-

_-make such a big deal out of this. Does everyone have to know I’m the seventh member?’, the unknown figure speaks, turning his head. As he has been for the past month now, he looks stressed out of his mind. Wilbur pats him on the back._   
_‘You’re a celebrity now. Get used to the spotlight.’, he tells him with-_

-an inhuman, maniacal laugh echoed from behind them as another arrow just narrowly avoided Wilbur’s head, Tommy managing to push him out of the way before it did. They turned the corner, right around the great walls of L’Manberg, a nation once belonging to them, and just like that, snatched away in a matter of seconds. There they saw him - Tubbo, waving them over towards his house with panic in his eyes.

Before the crowd could track them down again they quickly slipped inside of the house, the young boy shutting the door behind them and locking it quickly. He didn’t waste any time - In a rush filled with a mix of panic, worry, fear, he ran across the room and removed a chest from under his bed, removing two, slightly greyish potions that he passed to both the former President and his former Vice-President. He could barely speak with how heavily he was breathing, but even with the crowd raging outside, he managed;

‘Invisibility. It won’t last long, but it should get away from here.’. Before Wilbur could even speak, Tubbo cut him off. ‘Don’t thank me, Mr. President, just go! Please, get out of here before you get-‘.

The doors shot open, followed by-

_-a round of applause, thundering, deafening, goes through the crowd. Wilbur managed to snatch a seat somewhere up front with Connor, the two ceasing their brief conversation as six people finally step up to the stage. Six, untouchable people, six people in charge of everything, six people who could make a single order and the whole city could come crashing down._

_They all stand on the stage, and one of them, an incredibly tall man in a milky white suit, steps forward to the microphone at the centre of the stage. He clears his throat for a moment, looks through his notes, and allows the crowd to calm down. He forces a smile, but something about it seems dishonest._

_‘Alright, calm down, relax. Thank you all for coming today. It is, after all, a very special and unusual occasion.’. As Wilbur listens, he looks to the side of the stage. He can’t see him any more - He was taken somewhere else. ‘We won’t stall for long. Let’s just get this over with. We’re all here - Let’s not waste everyone’s times.’._

_Wilbur looks around. Indeed, everyone is there. People he knows, people who’s faces are unclear. He sees Pete, he sees The Blade, he even sees Phil, the Captain, and of course, in the corner of the stage, hidden away behind a curtain, he sees-_

-Schlatt sends his regards.’, Wilbur heard from above, and before he could even react, an arrow was fired and lodged itself into his right leg, pain so overwhelming shooting through his body it forced him to the ground.

‘Get away from him!’, he heard somewhere above. Slashing of swords, a struggle, and suddenly, a hand grabbing him and forcing him to his feet. ‘Take the potion and run, Wil! Tommy is already gone! Meet up with him in the woods!’, the figure turned around, deflecting another attack with their sword. Wilbur looked closer - and he recognised them.  
‘Niki! I’ll come back for you! I promise!’, he shouted as he quickly opened the bottle and drank all of its contents, watching as his hand slowly begun seemingly fading away.

‘I have no doubt about that, Mr. President.’, she responded, dodging another attack and turning around, stabbing her sword into someone’s armour. There were about three people in Tubbo’s house alone, the boy himself keeping a window in the back open for Wilbur. The former president gave Niki one last look - He swore he saw her smile, for just a second, before she was once again distracted with her fight.

With a throbbing pain in his leg he rushed to the window, jumped out, and ran as fast as he could into the woods, the invisibility potion fully overtaking him and cloaking him. He had to keep running, he had to stay awake, he had to keep himself grounded. Tommy was out there, alone, most likely hurt, same as him, and they needed to find each other, now more than ever. But that ache in his leg, only growing stronger with each step he took made it harder and harder to hold on. He tried to calm his breathing, tried to focus on everything around him somehow, but no matter what, things just seemed to spiral more and more out-

_-here, Schlatt!’._

_No applause. No cheers. He steps onto the stage accompanied by stunned silence._

_‘The newest member of the Lunch Club’, the tall man carries on. ‘Jschlatt. A capable businessman and a man who knows what he wants and how to get it. After all, that is why he’s here. It’s an honour to have you with us, Schlatt.’, the man lowers his voice, placing his hand on the other’s shoulder and squeezing tightly. Wilbur can see he whispers something into the other’s ear but he can’t hear - He wonders what it could have been._

_‘Hey. What’s up.’, he says, rather casually, and Wilbur can already feel stress overtake him. Oh god, they had practised this speech for hours and he’s already going off script... Never a good sign. ‘I can see you’re all a bit disappointed. Fair enough. I’m not exactly a beacon of virtue in any way. But you know what?’, Schlatt pauses, relaxes his shoulders and grins. Oh no. Wilbur knows this specific persona of his quite well. He knows what he’s about to say, how he's about to say it, and how wrong all of this will go._

_‘Fuck you!’._

_Oh god, there he goes._

_‘Fuck all of you for assuming the worst of me. I’ve worked hard to get where I am, you know that? I don’t care what kind of warped ideas you have about me, because I’m up here and the twenty of you who applied are down there, so clearly I did something right.’._   
_‘You keep giving people like me or Wilbur shit for our pasts, because you were all lucky enough to have everything to start with. Well guess what, bitches? I made it up here from the bottom. I came from nothing, and here I am at the top!'._   
_‘Maybe, for once, consider why we are the way we are. Maybe, just maybe, if you had been a little kinder and bothered to step down from your high horses you’d realise where I was before I got here. Maybe, if you guys stopped being assholes, I wouldn’t be one today.’._

_‘Jschlatt, Seventh Member of the Lunch Club, suck my dick and balls, fuckers!’._

_You know what? Wilbur doesn’t care. While everyone watches in shock, while the Lunch Club sits in silence and reconsiders their choice, he stands up and claps. No, cheers. No, both. As loudly as he can, showing everyone he doesn’t care any more. They’ve made it - they deserve this. Connor joins in, as do a few who understand where they’re coming from. Schlatt flashes him a smile for a moment - He turns back to the Lunch Club with an incredibly proud expression on his face. And strangely enough, they seem satisfied. They even seem happy with how he handled himself. The crowd starts whispering between one another, and as the noise stars rising, Wilbur-_

-lay alone in the middle of the forest, his head spinning.

The sky above was starting to turn a grey shade now, with small droplets of cold water falling down, one by one. They hit his face, his glasses, soaked through his bloodied and torn uniform and left him shivering from the cold and struggling to move. His leg was still the dominant source of his pain, but all the other scratches and cuts on his body begun making themselves known now.

The rain only grew stronger and stronger, but no matter what, the former president could not find the strength to stand. He would have slipped away again, his pain, his temperature, and the distant noise muting out the world, but he was soon snapped back into reality by a familiar voice calling out to him, keeping him tied to reality for just a moment.

‘Wil! Wil, are you okay? Can you hear me?’, Tommy was suddenly leaning over him, stopping some of the rain from falling on his face. Wilbur moved his hand to his face, as if trying to check if he himself was still there - Sure enough, the back of his hand soon met the rim of his cracked glasses, and the impact alone made him somehow return to himself.  
‘Tommy... I can’t walk... My leg, I was...’, Wilbur looked down. The arrow was still there, firmly lodged into his right leg, only inches above his knee. He groaned in pain, seeing the wound seemingly making it hurt twice as much.  
‘We have to go, they’re still- they’re still searching- Wil, please, don’t leave me, please, just hold on-‘. Wilbur felt something grab him, slowly being lifted up. He soon realised that Tommy was now supporting him on his shoulder, and as soon as Wilbur stood again, he felt some focus return to him.

_I can’t leave him. I can’t leave him alone, not now. I have to hold on._

So he did.

He held on as they walked through the forest, as far away from L’Manberg as they could. He held on as the group finally gave up on their hunt and turned back to go to the Podium. He held on as they finally stopped somewhere in the forest and tried to take care of their wounds. He held on as he wrapped a bandage around Tommy’s arm with a shaky arm, and he held on as he built up the courage to pull the arrow out of his leg. He held on as he stopped the bleeding, bandaged it, and once more focused on his right hand man. He held on until they lit a fire after the rain passed, he held on as they shivered from the cold and huddled around it, and he held on as Schlatt’s voice returned in the distance for yet another speech.

And as he listened, finally, he let go.

_‘Just went straight for the f-bomb, didn’t you?’._   
_‘Did you expect anything less of me?’._   
_‘Fair... Gotta say, you gave them all something to think about.’._   
_‘That was the plan... Hey, Wilbur, you there?’._

_As fingers snap in front of him, the man looks up, dazed._

_‘Oh... Sorry... Must have spaced out.’, he responds, playing with a Schlattcoin in his hand. Funny things, caused them more trouble than he’d ever hope to admit. And now all they are are worthless tokens and reminders of their past... Really makes you think._   
_‘Oh come on, Wilbur. This is our start to something new. Something better. Maybe try to celebrate a bit more, huh?’, Schlatt comes closer, wraps his arm around his shoulder and laughs. Wilbur jerks away from him and sits down on a nearby stack of boxes with a sigh._

_‘Start of something new for you, Schlatt.’, the man remarks. He’d been trying to hide his true feelings about all of this, but all the celebrating is making it harder and harder. ‘For me and Connor it’s gonna be the same old.’, he looks at the mentioned man, who glances aside uncomfortably._   
_‘Yeah... You’re the one getting a fancy new apartment and more money you could ever spend in a lifetime. We’re gonna have to keep getting... uh... creative, at Schlatt & Co. for our funds.’._   
_'Do you guys actually think I’m gonna accept all those grants?’, Schlatt turns with a laugh. ‘Come on! I’m not leaving you! I’m gonna go to their meetings, sure, and maybe do one or two public stunts to show how cool the seven of us are but that’s it. Schlatt & Co. is my- No, our home, and it’s always gonna be. Alright?’._

_‘You can’t be sure. You don’t know how much work those guys actually do behind the scenes.’._   
_‘Well, I guess I’ll find out.’, Schlatt says with a shrug. ‘And if I don’t have time for you two any more, I’m not gonna waste any time ditching those guys. You two are my priority, alright? Now come on, let’s have a drink. You guys don’t want to see me if I’m forced to drink all this champagne on my own...’._

_As Schlatt turns away, Wilbur stops him, for just a moment. Connor walks ahead._

_‘Promise me you won’t change.’, Wilbur whispers. Schlatt, for just a moment, appears confused. He looks back, one hand holding some sort of drink, and the other playing aimlessly with one of those worthless coins. He looks at him for a while, considering what to say next. It's as if he's trying to make up a lie on he spot, but trying to force himself into honest, too._

_'...People change all the time, Wilbur.', Schlatt responds with a smile. 'But if you mean we're gonna stop being partners in crime, that's bullshit, alright? We've been through too much to turn on each other. We swore to each other when we were kids that we'd figure this shit out together... But why should we stop now that everything is fine?'._

_Schlatt comes closer, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder._

_'Do you remember?'. Wilbur hesitates._   
_'Remember... What, exactly?', he asks with a confused laugh._   
_'When we made this promise. And why.'._   
_'...We were kids, right?'._   
_'More than that, dumbass. You wanna start doubting me, you better have a good reason to.'._

_'Ugh... Fine... We were both ten, right?'._   
_'I was seven, you were ten.'._   
_'Right, and... You didn't have anywhere to stay.'._   
_'My parents skipped town. Assholes.'._   
_'So I asked my dad if you could stay with us.'._   
_'Your older brother scared the shit out of me.'._   
_'He still does. Don't bullshit me.'._

_Schlatt laughs._

_'Fine, fine. Yeah. He's still scary as hell.'._   
_'And we were on the floor of my room... And you asked me why. You asked me why I went out of my way to give you somewhere to stay.'. Schlatt looks down and forces a sad smile._   
_'And you told me it was because we were partners. And partners don't leave one another behind.'._   
_'Yeah... And then we made that creed. And we said we'd follow it forever.'._

_'And we will, Wilbur. That's never gonna change.'._   
_'Yeah... Yeah, I hope so.'._

As Schlatt watched the sun set on his first day of presidency, a familiar memory came to him, urging him to speak under his breath;

‘Partners in crime, right, Wilbur?’.

And somewhere deep in the forest, cold and in agony, Wilbur felt himself compelled to respond;

‘Till the end of time, like we promised.’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HES COMING GUYS  
> NEXT CHAPTER  
> HES COMING OH BOY  
> IM SO EXCITED FOR HIM TO FINALLY USE HIS ACTUAL NAME LMAO


	56. The Stranger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alone, cold, and hurt, Tommy and Wilbur are miraculously saved by a stranger.

It had been hours before Wilbur could think clearly.

Schlatt spoke for a long time. Long after the election, into the night, and seemingly never even getting close to stopping. The microphone he was standing by projected his voice into everything around L’Manberg, being heard throughout the DreamSMP, and managing to even be understood deep into the forests surrounding the two nations. Once he finally stopped talking, though, Wilbur felt... Alone. Until that moment, he had been sitting in a daze, slipping in and out of memories with Schlatt’s voice being merely a muted accompaniment to his confusion. Now, with his thoughts clear and given the peace and quiet they needed, he begun losing himself more and more. This time, not in between his dreams and his memories, but instead, in his own fears and worries.

He first had to ground himself. He knew that much. He had been nothing more but a shadow, a projected element of himself and nothing close to being... There. He focused on his body - His right leg still hurt, but the arrow was gone and the bandage around it was still holding on. One of his hands was reaching out - It was warm. The only warm part of his body, compared to his rain-soaked clothes, which made him shiver and feel as though there was a million little knives stabbing into him, over and over. His other hand - He was confused as to where it was. He followed it with his eyes, for a moment, and eventually found it sitting on a light blonde tuft of curly hair.

Right - Of course. How could he forget? Tommy.

Tommy was curled up by his side, his gaze lost in the flames. He was shivering from the cold, holding onto a large cut across his stomach and trying his best to not doze off. Wilbur knew, if the two of them fell asleep here, now, in drenched clothes and open, constantly bleeding wounds, they'd die. If they got up to move again, or tried to go back to L'Manberg, they'd die. All they could do was sit by this fire, in a silence that had lasted hours now, and hope for some sort of miracle. Unsure why exactly, Wilbur moved his hand through Tommy's hair, slowly, back and forth, as if wanting to remind him he was still there, still awake. As if reminding him he still had someone. As if reminding him that even with how everything went, they still had each other.

As if reminding _himself_ that he wasn't alone, either.

He left so many people behind. So many more turned their backs and left him in turn. Sure, Niki and Tubbo helped them. But what about everyone else? Fudny letting his own father be chased out of their nation, Jack standing aside and letting it all happen, too afraid to intervene. And countless others chasing them with weapons, screaming and laughing, as if pleased to see L'Manberg crumbling before them. Wilbur, for a while, had believed that he had friends in the DreamSMP. This event alone had showed him it was a foolish belief – He was as hated as he was when he first settled it, when he first started the war, and when he first declared himself president. That never changed... Underneath the surface, it had always just been Tommy and Wilbur against the world, and no one else. The only person with him in this woods was the boy – And that was enough.

He was just a kid – And that was what hurt the most. Tommy had been through a war, a political struggle, and now had to run for his life as his home, family and friends were all torn away from him. He hadn't said a word since they lit the fire – And Wilbur hadn't found the strength in himself to say anything, either. It were as if the whole day had only now truly settled in with them, and having had finally found time to react, they could do nothing but sit by each other's sides and think about everything in their own, different way. Wilbur had no idea what was going through Tommy's head as he looked down at him – Eyes empty, void of emotion, staring into the fire. One hand wrapped around his cut and another steadily laying on an axe he managed to grab form Tubbo's house before he ran, ready to lift it and attack anything that came too close. He was fidgety, like an animal sneaking through a field, ready to jump at the slightest noise.

He was scared. Panicked. Traumatized, even. He had gone through far too much that evening.

It wasn't fair. None of this was fair. His mind constantly flashing back to the screams and laughter surrounding him as he ran through the forest with his leg aching and his whole body trembling from a mix of fear and cold, jumping and taking in sharp breaths any time the memory got too real for him to handle. He wanted to say something – He wanted to talk with Tommy, knowing that he was hanging on by a thread, and talking was the only guaranteed way for him to stay somehow grounded. But he also didn't want to push on him – They were both dealing with this in their own ways. If the blonde was not ready to talk yet, he wouldn't force it. He could hang on a little longer... It wasn't like they had anything better to do, anyway.

'Wil...', about half an hour passed before Tommy whispered, his voice coarse and worn-out. 'Wil?'.  
'Hey.', Wilbur whispered as softly as he could, seeing the delicate state the other was in. 'I'm here. What's wrong?', he was finding it just as hard to speak as the other – his mouth was dry and there was blood at the edge of his lips he didn't even know the origin of any more.  
'What are we gonna do now?', he asked the question the former President feared most. He had tried to avoid asking it until now – What were they gonna do, with how close to death they were? They'd need shelter, medical supplies and guaranteed safety from Schlatt for one night if they even wanted a chance at survival. In the situation they were in, they didn't have a single one of those.

'I don't know, Tommy.', he whispered back, as honestly as he could. In the distance, the lights of L'Manberg and the DreamSMP alike lit up the sky – He didn't think he'd miss that brightness as much as he did in that very moment. 'But we have each other, right?'.  
'Right...', the younger one muttered in response, his words getting unclear and turning to a mumble. Wilbur shook him slightly, seeing him flinch and sit up right as soon as he did.

'Hey. Stay awake. You have to stay awake, okay?'.  
'Okay.'.  
'We'll figure this out. Just focus on staying awake.'.  
'Okay.'.  
'And if I fall asleep, you have to wake me up, too.'.  
'Okay.'.  
'We're gonna be fine, okay?'.

Tommy looked into the fire once more, sighing.

'Okay.'.

The crackling of the fire, the distant hooting of owls and the rare whistle of the wind was all the noises of the forest, and Wilbur was surprised. He knew how lucky they were getting, not running into any monsters out here yet. He had prepared the fire just as Niki always did – Throwing in a specific part of a tree bark and some grass to create that smell the creatures despised. To the average human, it barely smelt like anything. For Wilbur, it were as if Schlatt's cackle, accompanied by Quackity's constant cheering was still there, ever-present, echoing through his mind like a broken record, repeating the same thing over and over and over until it drove you insane. He would have lost his mind if it weren't for another auditory distraction – A shuffle in the bushes.

Wilbur was first to react, with one hand snatching the axe Tommy had brought along, and with another, putting his arm in front of the boy as if to protect him, or make him stay back. He couldn't find the strength in himself to stand, but he managed to get up on one knee, lifting his other leg and getting ready to jump up and fight if he had the need to. His right-hand-man, while his face scrunched up in pain as he did, similarly got ready to stand and run, still grasping onto his stomach with all his strength. For a moment, the two waited in complete silence, watching the trees in front of them. Still, barely seen, but still, quite clear. The outline of a person, unmoved in front of them. If Schlatt, or someone working for him, had found them now, they were as good as dead.

'Who's there?', Wilbur shouted out, receiving no answer. 'I said, who's there?!'. Still, nothing.  
'If you work for that tyrannical bastard just know we're not scared of you!', Tommy screamed out, but his inability to stand and his constant voice-cracks made his threat incredibly underwhelming.

'Schlatt? Oh, trust me. I'd never even consider working with him.'.

The figure moved forward into the light of their fire, and finally, they were clear – And they were the single strangest person Wilbur had ever seen. It was a man, one with a deep, strained voice that made it seem like he rarely spoke these days. His hair was long, reaching to around his waist, mostly dirty and unkept, and the strangest of all, pink. A light, faded shade of pink that didn't seem to fit in with his face – One covered in old battle scars, the most significant one being a cut across his right eye. His eyes were sharp and focused, a shade of ruby red. He had bandages on his arms and legs, and wore a loose, white shirt tucked into baggy brown trousers. It looked like it had been a nice, proper one once, such as the one King Eret often wore, but had been torn and long covered in dirt.

Now, with all this, he’d look like anyone you’d expect to be living in these woods - But it was two other features that made him stand out. One, his pig-like features. First his ears, being those of a pig, alongside hog-like tusks at the edges of his lips, sticking out from his mouth ever so slightly. Another was the crown on his head; old, broken, but presumably made form a once rich material and dotted with once pristine gems. It lazily rested on his head, slipping off slightly, clearly tailored for a completely different man, many, many years ago.

‘Don’t worry. I’m not gonna hurt you.’, while the stranger’s hands were raised and empty, the unusually sharp diamond sword on his back didn’t ease them in any way.  
'Who are you?', Wilbur exclaimed as loudly as he could, something more resembling a whisper escaping him. His hand trembled from pain as he tried to lift his weapon up at the stranger – The other didn't even flinch. He simply stepped closer.  
'Who I am doesn't matter.', he blew some of his hair out of his face. 'You two will die if you stay out here. You need somewhere to stay the night – And I've got a place. Just trust me, and come with me. I know it's difficult after what you've been through today... But do you have any other choice?'.

Wilbur looked at Tommy – He was fighting back the pain in his whole body, tears already building up in his eyes as he tried his best to stay sitting up somewhat tall. His bandages were already slipping off and were soaked in his blood, and he was shivering from the cold. For his sake, and his sake alone, Wilbur turned back with a nod.

'Please help us.', he whispered to the stranger, making Tommy's eyes grow wide.  
'Wilbur, we can't-', the former President cut him off before he could speak.  
‘We have no choice.’, he looked back at the stranger, his expression unchanged. No smug grin with an ulterior motive, no bloodlust. Just a blank expression with a hint of pity hidden behind it.  
'Come with me.’, he turned away, looking into the woods. ‘And put that fire out before you do. We can’t risk anyone finding us out here.’.

Wilbur and Tommy did as the stranger asked, the younger one supporting the older as he struggled to walk with his leg still mostly damaged. They followed the stranger through the dark woods, from time to time having to stop and allow him to get rid of the monsters around them. Whoever he was, he was unmatched with a sword. He did not speak – No name, no reason to help them – He simply appeared, saved them miraculously and said nothing else. It was suspicious, sure – But any chance at surviving right now was welcome. Finally, the two arrived at a rather small cave, with a campfire already lit at its centre and a bedroll laid out inside. Tommy helped Wilbur sit down somewhere, and soon joined him right by his side, too uncomfortable with the stranger to get far away.

The cave was warm – Much warmer than the outside, which made it a hundred times better already. The stranger entered last, turning to the entrance of the cave and moving a sheet of leaves and vines over the entrance, creating the illusion of no cave being there at all. He didn't speak to them as he passed them – He simply looked through his supplies, which was nothing more than two or three bags of items, and removed a pouch filled with bandages, stitches, and some other tools. He placed it in front of Wilbur, who picked it up and started going through it instantly.

'Patch yourself and the kid up. Also, make sure to take those jackets off. The less wet clothing you have on the better – I'll get a place to sleep ready for you.', the stranger paused, for a moment, looking saddened. 'You two look like you've been through hell.'.  
'We just got back.', Wilbur remarked under his breath, turning his attention to Tommy.

'Do you think he's on our side?', the boy whispered as the stranger walked into the other side of the cave, where he turned a corner into a small corridor that seemed to lead into another room of supplies. Wilbur shook his head as he begun replacing Tommy's bandages.  
'I don't know, Tommy. But he's our best chance at making it through tonight.'.

'Who even is he? Why does he live out here?', the former Vice-President continued asking questions, trying to keep his voice low as to not be noticed by the unknown man. Wilbur instructed Tommy to take his jacket off and started working on the large wound around his stomach.  
'I have no idea.', he muttered as he bandaged the cut. 'But... He must have been living out here for years. He's not like us. He seems... More adjusted to this life. How Niki was when we first met her.'.

'I...', Tommy suddenly sniffled, quickly wiping his eyes with his sleeve. 'I miss... I miss Tubbo...'. Wilbur's heart was pricked by fear for just a moment. After Niki and Tubbo helped them escape, what possible punishment could have Schlatt carried out on them? They had to get back and check on them soon – But definitely not that night.  
'And I miss Niki.', Wilbur responded, honestly. Normally, he would have said his son. But with how he looked at him? How he cheered Schlatt on as he screamed at them to run? They were way past the point of missing each other. Niki's smile kept flashing through his head – Even in their last moments together, she did everything she could to protect him, even if it meant she was in danger herself. Why did he have to be so kind? 'But we'll go back home eventually. We'll see them again.'.

For a moment, it were almost as if Wilbur was reassuring himself over Tommy.

It was then that the stranger finally returned with two sleeping bags in hand, handing them out to Tommy and Wilbur and letting them set them up around the fire themselves. He, himself, moved his own bedding away at a slight distance, sat down on it, and crossed his legs. He removed his crown, very carefully, and set it down on a folded, red cloak he kept nearby carefully, as if handling some sort of ancient treasure, and finally closed his eyes, staying silent in what Wilbur could only assume to be meditation. Both the former president and his vice-president lay down, looking up at the ceiling of the cave without anything said. Tommy drifted off in seconds, far too tired to even say goodnight. Wilbur, unable to let the small voice in the back of his head quiet down, shot up and tried to ignore the pain in his whole body as he looked up to face the stranger.

'Tommy is too dazed to piece it together, but it's pretty obvious who you are.', Wilbur said in a whisper, trying his best to not wake the teenager up. He really needed rest now.  
'Is that so?', one of the stranger's red eyes opened, burning into Wilbur.  
'You're The Blade. Or... That's what we started to call you. Weird guy with a sword living out in the woods – Who else could it be?'. He avoided bringing up The Emperor for now – He was far too tired to explain himself if the man in front of him happened to know what he was talking about.  
'...It's almost been a year. I didn't think you guys would still remember me.', The Blade confirmed with a dry laugh. Now that Wilbur knew who he was looking at, many painful memories seemed to rush back to him. His smile, in a single second, went from genuine, to chilling.

'W-well, what's your title?', he asked, inching closer. 'Surely you've got a name different to what we've given you. There's got to be more to you than that sword.'.  
'I'm...', the man hesitated. 'Technoblade. That's my title. Most call me Techno, though.'.  
'I guess we weren't far off then!', he noted with a laugh. He reached out with his hand and watched as Techno, very hesitantly, shook it. 'I'm Wilbur. Wilbur Soot.'.  
'It's... A pleasure to finally meet you in person, Mr. Soot.', the man told him, but something about his voice was... Strange. As if he were hiding some other feeling underneath his words.

'Thanks, Techno. For saving us, that is.', Wilbur turned away, lay down, and finally, let himself be taken away by sleep. Right before he did, though, he heard the other mutter rather quietly;  
'Don't worry. I'd never let anything happen to you two.'. And although confused by the statement, the former president was far too tired by then to stay awake long enough to think it through.

Techno, himself, didn't sleep much that night. He rarely did, of course. He tried to move as silently as he could, walking into his supply room, forcing another tear out of his eye, creating another potion and drinking it instantly. Now, more than ever, he had to make sure he got into a routine with those. Another thing keeping him awake, of course, was that he had far too much on his mind to rest. He was glad he saved those two from the night, of course. Two innocent people, now alive for another day thanks to him. Nothing to compare to the thousands he killed, but it was a start, was it not? There was another feeling though – Frustration. He was disheartened, angry, melancholic. He was most simply disappointed.

He was disappointed Tommy and Wilbur couldn't remember him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it has been 51 chapters since his first appearance and techno finally introduced himself by name  
> well done buddy your social anxiety totally isn't showing
> 
> FUN FACT ABOUT THIS CHAPTER
> 
> originally titled "part ? - the stranger", this was the first chapter i ever wrote of this story, before even creating chapter 1 or coming up with most of the lore INCLUDING wilbur's dreams, which ended up becoming the main point of the story  
> of course what you just read is a rewrite of that very chapter, but most of it is very similar to what it was the first time around
> 
> i wrote the chapter two or three days after the original election stream, imagining a rewrite of the entire story and what it would be like  
> a few days later, i made a post on tumblr asking if people would be interested in the idea  
> and today, the story stands at 160k+ words and 16k hits
> 
> i guess this would be a good place to thank you all for your support, since i don't do that enough  
> this is my single most popular fic on ao3 and i could not be happier with how it's turning out  
> there's still a lot ahead of us in this story - but i'm glad i finally got to rewrite this chapter in particular  
> it's like everything's come to the point i planned originally, and whatever is ahead... well, it's a surprise i suppose
> 
> i look forward to it, though  
> and i hope you all do too
> 
> <3


	57. The Right Hand Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Wilbur and Tommy escape, Niki and Tubbo are left alone with Schlatt and his unpredictable plans.

‘Stop! They’re gone!’.

Swords slashed, metal on metal, as Tubbo tried to scream over the noise.

‘They’re not here any more, leave her alone!’.

Niki fell, someone put their sword up to her chin.

‘Get away!’.

Tubbo pushed into them, knocking them over. Finally, there was silence.

He quickly turned away to Niki and helped her stand, the woman instantly grabbing his arm and pulling him behind her so she could easily protect him with her sword if need be. About ten people watched them carefully, some with raised weapons, some with concerned looks. The crowd would have probably moved or done something if it weren’t for the two figures that entered the house, causing instant silence. People moved aside and allowed the two - President Schlatt and Vice-President Quackity, to step through.

Niki stayed still, her weapon still grasped tightly in her hand as the man approached her, but even with her stance she could not hide how much she begun trembling from fear. Schlatt stopped right in front of her, leaned forward, and put on that usual, forced and menacing smile he had been dawning since that morning.

‘Where are the former President and Vice-President, Ms. Nihachu?’, he asked, his voice sending a chill through her whole body. She gulped, looked aside and tried to avoid eye contact. Those bright yellow eyes with black slits were burning right through her.  
‘...They’re gone. They got away.’, she looked back at the man for a moment, a smile tugging at the edge of her lips. They got Tommy and Wilbur away – That was one step closer to victory. ‘They’re in the woods now. If you kill them out there, that’s a murder on your hands.’.  
‘And you let them get away, Ms. Nihachu?’. This time, Niki found herself unable to respond. Tubbo stepped closer. When she noticed he was about to cover for her, she stepped in before he even got the chance to speak;

‘Y-yes. Yes I did.’, she quickly said, feeling her grip on her sword getting loose.  
‘...That’s no good.’, Schlatt muttered to himself. ‘But I like to believe that was just... A silly lapse in your judgment that can be forgiven, am I correct?’. For a moment, Niki looked at Tubbo - Whatever Schlatt planned for her, he would most likely carry out on him, too. So she simply nodded, trying to ignore the deafening pounding of her own heart.

‘Yes, sir.’.  
‘And you’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again?’.  
‘Yes, sir.’.  
‘Good, good... One more thing... It’s not “sir”. Address me properly.’.  
‘I won’t-‘.  
'What was that, Ms. Nihachu?'.

Schlatt lifted his hand, two or three people in the crowd lifting up their crossbows, aiming them at Niki and Tubbo. The woman hesitated. She could see the boy next to her trembling with fear, grasping onto her sleeve with all his strength. She had to put her pride aside and prioritise her, and above all, Tubbo’s safety. She took a deep breath, her oncoming words feeling like venom on her tongue as she spoke;

‘...My apologies, Mr. President.’.

The man chuckled, turned away and begun heading out of the house.

‘Come back to the Podium, everyone. I’ve got another important announcement to make. Tubbo, I need you especially to be there.’.

Niki grabbed onto the boy the moment he was mentioned - He, on the other hand, shoved her hand away and marched forward, forcing a look of confidence. Niki hesitated before she followed everyone else - She knew there was no way for sure to predict what Schlatt was about to say, with how his first speech as President went. Either way, she had no choice. She sheathed her sword and let herself be lead out of the house and to the Podium, taking her place on her seat. Wil wasn’t by her side any more - And that alone made her feel more lonely than ever, despite Fundy sitting close to her left side. He wasn’t her friend by any means any more - Not with how little he did to protect Tommy and Wilbur. Not with how his eyes lit up when he looked at Schlatt. Not with how he laughed under his breath as he watched his father run for his life.

She didn’t care about Fundy. Not any more.

Schlatt approached the microphone as he laughed on about something, ignorant to the shock of the crowd watching him. It was here that Niki saw something... unusual. Only for a split second, in the corner of the stage, a figure. A figure of a purple-haired, horned woman with black wings and a black tail. She hid herself away behind one of the many pillars before Niki could even get a good look at her face - She barely believed she even truly saw her, and wasn’t just hallucinating. She knew for sure it was the same woman she saw when she took care of Schlatt on his first day in the DreamSMP, the one unanswered question she had been thinking about endlessly since. She didn’t have much time to ponder this time, either, as the President was already getting in place in the middle of the three stands, tapping his microphone a few times before speaking.

‘Alright, a nice bit of exercise there, gets the blood pumping. Now that that liar and his little lap dog are gone, let’s actually get down to business.’, Schlatt came closer to his stand as he spoke, looking over the crowd below him. ‘Tubbo, why don’t you come up here? Come on, don’t be shy.’.

Niki looked at the boy, seeing him stammer.

‘I... Uh, me? But...’.  
‘Come on. You wouldn’t wanna make me angry.’.  
‘Listen to Schlatt, Tubbo.’, Niki whispered to the younger, trying to force a smile to reassure him. ‘I’ll be watching your back. Don’t worry.’.  
‘Alright... Right... Okay...’, Tubbo slowly got up from his seat, looked back at the silent crowd, and then focused on the Podium, slowly making his way up to Schlatt and Quackity.

‘Here, Tubbo, take the third stand, there you go. Look at him go, god I love this guy!’, Schlatt laughed to himself, his unusual tone of voice and how completely out of nowhere his comments seemed suggesting he was slipping into a similar state he was the day previous when he originally announced his presidency.  
‘Tubbo, let me tell you one thing - You are an incredibly bright young man with a future ahead of you - Which is why I want to take a similar risk to what Wilbur did. Mine will be a lot better calculated, of course, picking you over that other kid...’. The boy felt his heart drop as he thought of Tommy, running away, bleeding, struggling for his life-  
‘And so I want you to be my Secretary of State - And my right hand man. I want to see what you’re capable of, Tubbo.’, the president turned, his yellow eyes cutting right through the young boy. ‘Unless, of course, you have other plans. And trust me. There won’t be much for you to do around here if you say no.’.

Tubbo did not, but he did not say yes, either.

‘And I have my first task for you. There’s something I need you to do for me.’. Tubbo shut his eyes, trying to push away all his fears, anxieties, and the pain growing in his heart. He had to stay strong and hold on. All of this would pass eventually.  
‘Yes, Mr. President?’, he asked, his lips stinging as the words escaped them.

‘I need you... To find Tommy...’, Schlatt removed a sharp, diamond sword he had kept sheathed until now, passing it to the boy. He picked it up, slowly, its weight startling him. He nearly dropped the weapon as he tried to hold on. Where could Schlatt have gotten such a pristine weapon? He could already feel his heart fill with terror as he stared at its edges, seeing old, dry bloodstains in the material, barely visible in the sun.

‘...And I need you to show him the door. Do you understand?’.

_No, no, no, please, don’t make me do this-_

‘Yes, Mr. President.’.

_I won’t, I won’t, I’m just trying to protect myself I promise I won’t-_

‘Great! This is great!’, Schlatt clapped his hands and turned to the crowd. ‘I’ve got Alex as my VP, I’ve got Tubbo as my right hand man, I mean, this is amazing, this is wonderful. I’ve got some big plans for L’Manberg - But we’ve got time, let’s take it easy. Tonight is a night of celebration! A celebration for a new era of peace, prosperity and freedom!’.

A cheer. A cheer went through the crowd. How? How could people support this psychopath?

Were they blind, or was Schlatt really...

No, no. He just told Tubbo to kill his best friend. There was not a single bit of good in that man.

There was, as always, noise. Great amounts of noise as Quackity and Schlatt stepped down from the Podium and begun answering questions from the eager audience, Tubbo even spotting Jack and Fundy among the crowd of many admiring the new rulers. Tubbo looked down at the sword he had gotten from Schlatt - He knew that if he were to leave it somewhere, or lose it, the consequences could be grave. So, as little as he wanted to carry out the task he was given, he quickly slipped it into a sheathe attached to the back of his uniform. Before he could do much else, he suddenly felt someone grab his arm, and without any time to react, was pulled into a tight hug.

There was one tear. Then two. And before he knew it, he was sobbing into Niki’s shirt, holding onto her as tightly as he could.

He had been trying to keep himself together ever since Schlatt’s first speech, a mix of whatever bravery he could muster up and his overwhelming shock keeping him from breaking down. Now, with the President distracted and everything done and over with, Niki pulling him close like this and providing him with a slight bit of comfort was exactly the thing that he needed for his flimsy wall of fake confidence and uncertainty to be broken down and reveal nothing more than the broken, lonely and impossibly afraid boy he was at his core. He wasn’t sure why, but before she finally let go of him, he almost felt as if Niki herself had shed a few tears of her own, too. By the time the two had managed to gather themselves, the crowd around Schlatt had gone down to nothing more than five or six people.

‘We’re gonna be okay, Tubbo. But we’ve gotta stick together now, okay?’, she asked him, her voice shaky and unsure in her own statements.  
‘Okay.’, he nodded along, wiping his eyes,  
‘We’ve only got each other. We have to watch each other’s backs.’, she carried on, quietly.  
‘Okay.’, he responded, less and less tears escaping him.  
‘Now. Keep it together. Put on a brave face. We won’t let that guy break us.’.  
‘And we won’t let him break our L’Manberg.’.

Hearing Tubbo’s voice fill with hope, Niki smiled.

The two made their way down the Podium and were forced to accompany Schlatt as he made his way into the centre of L’Manberg. He had proclaimed that, instead of moving into the White House, he would take the place of the “scheming, lying, backstabbing” previous President, giving Fundy a choice to stay or move. Fundy, strangely enough, had no problem continuing to share the house with the new President. Niki didn’t even have a comment to make on that - That man was too far gone. Same as Quackity, he was blinded by Schlatt’s empty promises and lie-ridden speeches and could not see the real pain he was causing. How was she and Tubbo the only ones who-

By Schlatt’s side walked a purple haired woman.

The purple haired woman, just as she had two times before now, passed by Niki and left her stunned, no one else seemingly taking note of her. The purple haired woman, just as the last two times Niki had seen her, was by Schlatt’s side, clearly following him but completely impartial to what he was doing and avoiding him completely. And the purple haired woman, just as she had the last two times, was about to get away from Niki and leave her asking another thousand or so questions as she walked away and disappeared for god knows how long. No, no.

‘Hey! Hey you! Excuse me?’.

Niki had had enough. Everyone in the crowd turned back as Niki rushed closer, Schlatt in particular seeming worried... Or rather, fed up, with what possibly this woman could want from him.

‘Stop! Hold on! Who are you?’.

She needed answers. The woman didn’t even bother looking back, as if used to never being addressed. Could no one else truly see her? While everyone looked at Niki as she approached as if she were a madwoman, Schlatt appeared.... Concerned.

‘Hey! Stop!’.

She pushed past the crowd, grabbed onto the woman’s arm, and looked into her eyes as she turned back, just as shocked to be noticed as Niki was to see her in the first place.

And with their eyes meeting, it was as if the whole world froze.

Those eyes, those lips, that nose, even those little specific bends in the shape of her face, everything about them was so, so familiar. Niki’s head almost begun hurting with how well she knew this woman but with no name to place on it, trying her best to come up with something before she ran out of time. But the shock of that day, the way he eyes still hurt from crying, the way everything blurred around her as the crowd started asking questions and Schlatt glaring right through her kept her from thinking straight Everyone else was confused, clearly not seeing the same things as her, but Schlatt... There was something else to him. The way he looked at them, the way he looked at the woman... He could see her, too. And he knew exactly why this whole encounter was so strange. The woman’s eyes filled with something... Unusual. Anger? Sadness? Grief? All of those at once? Niki wasn’t sure, but she was sure when she spoke;

‘Niki?’.

And the woman spoke with impossible relief.

‘Ms. Nihachu, is there an issue?’, Schlatt stepped in between the two, grabbing onto the woman’s arm and pushing it away just quickly and suddenly enough that the people around them could never guess what they were seeing. The woman and Niki continued staring at each other. Meanwhile, Quackity cut in.  
‘I think she’s...’, he stepped closer, the woman being forced aide as he passed her. ‘I think she’s a little tired... Confused, maybe?’. He waved his hand in front of Niki’s face, and yet still, she kept her gaze focused on... Well, Quackity saw nothing she could possibly be looking at.

‘Tubbo, how about you take Niki home?’, Schlatt came closer, placing his arm on the woman’s shoulder. The tightness of his grip made her flinch. ‘I think she needs to rest. She’s seeing things that aren’t there.’. Niki shuddered. From his tone of voice, she got the message. She gave the woman one last look, grabbed onto her sleeve, and allowed herself to be lead away from the crowd by Tubbo after he gripped her shirt and pulled her along.

As she walked, with each step, it were as if another memory was coming back to her. She completely ignored Tubbo’s questions, her mind swirling with far too many questions to even consider what he was trying to say. He eventually lead her to her house, but she gently pushed him away, instead making her way to the small dock her house was connected to. She sat down at its edge, looking over the nearby sea and letting her legs freely sway back and forth. She sat in complete silence, with Tubbo by her side, having had long given up on talking and instead offering his support by holding onto her hand and letting her think. And eventually, those memories, that face, and that voice all pieced themselves together - And she gasped.

Her head snapped back towards L’Manberg, and as the sun begun setting, she whispered weakly;

‘Minx?’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooooh the angst is so painful  
> but i can write nothing else  
> this story is way too sad for that


	58. The Walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy wakes up and meets Techno. Schlatt gives his second speech. Wilbur feels everything being torn away from him.

The morning after everything was... Strangely calming.

Tommy wasn’t sure how long he had slept - Normally, he’d have his clock to instantly remind him he had slept in way past another meeting with Wilbur, as per usual, but as of that very moment, all he could find around him were the stone walls of a cave and old bandages scattered around him. The fire at the centre of the cave was long put out and left behind nothing but charred wood and a cold wind travelling through the camp. Tommy could see that the stranger’s cloak and crown alike were missing - He must have had gone out.

Come to think of it, Wilbur was nowhere to be found, either. The boy was all alone, the pain in his wounds slowly resurfacing and making themselves known. He got up, rubbed his eyes, and tried to keep his mind away from flashing back to the events of the previous night - With the silence around him and no one around to distract him, it proved to be pretty much impossible.

Before his thoughts could overtake him, Tommy forced himself to stand and crawled out of the cave. He found his jacket, spread out and laying in the sun, alongside Wilbur’s, still coated in dry blood and covered in rips and cuts. He eventually noticed the former President, as well as the stranger, sitting together over a small fire with a cooking pot hanging above it.

The stranger continued placing ingredients in, meanwhile Wilbur ensured the flames carried on burning properly. The stranger had his cloak over him, silky and ruby red, hanging down from his shoulders and as ripped and worn as the rest of his outfit. Something about that cloak seemed... Familiar. But Tommy could barely place his finger on it. The former president looked up, eyes tired, and forced a pained smile.

‘Hey, Tommy. Good morning. How’d you sleep?’, he spoke with a low, patient tone, and the former Vice-President was grateful, his headache already bothersome enough without someone shouting at him. The stranger remained silent, not even looking up from his work. ‘Techno’s making breakfast. Come on, sit down.’.

‘Techno?’, Tommy repeated as he slowly took his seat on the grass next to Wilbur, the pain in his legs making it an impossible task. He glanced up at the stranger, seeing the focus in his eyes.  
‘Technoblade. Or, as we know him, The Blade.’. The moment Tommy heard the words, he felt panic overtake him. The desert dream, all over again. The helplessness, the fear of death, the Captain, he could see the Captain falling down the blood everything going wrong and _I can’t breathe everything is closing in on me and I can’t breathe-_

Wilbur grabbed his hand.

‘It’s okay.’, he whispered, unheard by Techno. ‘He won’t hurt you.’.  
‘How can we be sure?’, he asked in turn, looking over at the man. He knew that, most likely, he could hear him, but chose to stay silent on the topic. ‘You’ve seen those dreams.’.  
‘Tommy.’, Wilbur warned in a hushed tone. Techno, for the first time since the boy left the cave, actually appeared interested. One of his ears perked up for a moment, and he watched with the corner of his eye. ‘Keep it down about the dreams for now, okay? We don’t need more trouble with how everything has been going. We can figure that out some other day.’.  
‘Right...’, Tommy agreed, watching as Techno lost interest and returned to whatever it was he was preparing. ‘Right, sorry, Wil.’.

For most of their breakfast, they ate in complete silence. The meal Techno prepared was something resembling a stew, but with an unusual taste. Tommy probably shouldn’t have had high standards for food that could be made out in the woods, but with what Niki used to come up with when supplies were low in L’Manberg’s early days, he at least hoped The Blade knew some of her techniques. Clearly, he did not.

As he tried to keep his mind away from the almost deafening silence, Tommy turned his focus to his surrounding areas. The three seemed to be by a cave right at the meeting point of a forest and a large valley, with mountains at a far distance and the walls of L’Manberg and the tallest buildings of the DreamSMP visible just above the tips of the trees they were surrounded by. There was a river running by the cave, with a fishing net in it patiently waiting for some fish to finally go past and be unfortunate enough to get caught. Stuck, trapped, with no way out, inside-

_-a small box, struggling about and trying to push his hands out of the cardboard. No matter what, he remains trapped, looking up helplessly as two people laugh above him. Tommy, above all. He can barely breathe with how much he’s cackling._

_‘Guys! This isn’t funny! I’m stuck!’, Tubbo says as he turns his hand, trying to break out. No matter what he does, he remains squished into the tight space._   
_‘Oh my god... Oh my god, I can’t breathe-‘, Tommy laughs on, nearly falling over._   
_‘Leave it to Tubbo to get stuck in a cardboard box of all things.’., Wilbur comments, his laughter a bit less strong that the other, but still quite prominent._

_‘Tubbo... Tubbo in a box... Tubbox! Oh my god it’s a Tubbox!’, Tommy practically screams as he starts wheezing again, his friend unable to stop himself from giggling, too._   
_‘Guys this isn’t- this isn’t- okay, maybe it’s a little funny, but...’, Tubbo carries on, overtaken by laughter creeping up on him out of nowhere._

_'You want a carrot? Tubbo, want a carrot?’._   
_‘I swear to god-‘._   
_‘Tubbox- Feed Tubbox carrots-‘._   
_‘I’m at my snapping point here-‘._

_And the four laugh on-_

-his sobs only getting louder and louder with each passing second.

‘Tommy. Tommy, what’s wrong?’, Wilbur asked, getting closer. Tommy looked down, tears in his eyes... Where did they come from? _What was that? Why did it feel so real?_  
‘I...’, the boy hesitated. ‘I don’t know.’. Techno looked up from his food for a moment, giving both a look that had a mix of pity and confusion in it. He cleared his throat.

‘You two can stay here, as long as you want.’, he muttered, trying to lighten up the situation. While Wilbur helped Tommy gather himself, he carried on. ‘...I’d be glad to take one problem away from your many. A roof over your head is probably something that would be helpful.’.  
‘Thank you, but... Why are you helping us? You barely know us. You’re putting yourself in danger protecting us.’, Wilbur turned to Techno, who simply shrugged.  
‘I’ve hurt a lot of people in my past.’, he said, seeing the eyes of both of his guests widen. He knew, they knew, why couldn’t they just talk about it? Why did they keep dancing around the topic? ‘I suppose I’m just trying to make up for it, that’s all.’.

Techno suddenly stood up, heading back into the cave. Tommy and Wilbur, left alone with their thoughts, found themselves in a strange situation. As if they wanted to talk, but no matter what, their bodies refused to listen p to what they wanted. Wilbur looked around, taking in the beauty of the distant mountains. Tommy, on the other hand, was still trembling from the sudden, incredibly real memory he was pulled into seemingly out of nowhere seconds ago. It was in this very silence that the screech of a microphone snapped them out of their trance, an all-too-familiar voice echoing from the direction of L’Manberg. Chilling, calculated, powerful. With how loud the speech was, they had no choice but to listen.

And from the inside of the cave, as he had for a long time, Techno listened, too.

\---

‘Good morning, good morning, I’m not gonna stall here. Let’s get right to the point.’.

Quackity stood on the stand next to Schlatt’s, just as he had during the election. Tubbo, unwillingly had to join them, after having had been asked to stand on the other side. Not only that, Schlatt privately ordered him to change out of his uniform, leaving him in a loose dark green shirt and brown trousers. He had given a similar order to the rest of L’Manberg - Claiming the uniforms to be a thing of the past - And everyone but Niki followed his instructions. The woman, quite proudly arrived to the speech with her uniform as pristine as ever, on display for everyone to see. Quackity was conflicted - Technically, his suit was made to be in the L’Manbergian colours. But it also didn’t resemble the uniforms in any way.

As always, he was left out of something. Deep inside, he never felt at home here.

‘These walls... I was looking at them last night, you know.’, Schlatt carried on, his gaze setting on the centre of L’Manberg to his left. ‘They’re so... Proper. They just... Keep everything so tight and enclosed. I don’t like it... I don’t like feeling trapped. Do any of you?’.

The crowd that had shown itself, Quackity noted, was all the L’Manbergians, as well as a mix of DreamSMP Citizens who had been looking to join for quite some time. Apart from them, the strangest listeners of all were King Eret and Dream - Did they not have their own nation to worry about? The man once more looked at Schlatt, practically feeling himself fill with motivation the moment he did. He was brilliant... How he spoke, how he carried himself, how he figured everything out. Finally, someone who understood him and appreciated him for all the hard work he did. He was more than happy to stand here by his side, knowing that they were doing something good for this nation. Wilbur and Tommy never cared about him.

Wilbur didn’t accept him into L’Manberg because he saw his skills, he was just using him. Tommy didn’t actually want to learn anything from him, he was just making fun of him. They were just lying. That’s what Schlatt said.

And Schlatt knew everything. Schlatt was always right. Schlatt cared about him.

Right?

‘I think we should take these walls down.’, the President carried on, seeing as Niki and King Eret alike practically stood up, ready to fight him over the point. ‘Knock them down. Open the walls. Maybe chop down some of these trees and make space for some real builds. Some actual useful stuff. Like offices. Hotels. We need to start bringing more people in here.’.

Tubbo had managed to keep it together that whole morning. And now, on a stage in front of so many people, he wasn’t about to break down. No way. He took a deep, shaky breath, trying to ignore the pain in his heart growing stronger and stronger as Schlatt carried on with his endless mumbling about how useless the walls were. Did he not understand? Did he not understand the history they held? Did he not understand how important the uniforms were? Did he not understand any of this? He came out of nowhere, snatched their home away, and was now doing whatever he wanted with it. That wasn’t right. None of this was right. But then again...

Schlatt was elected democratically. People voted for him.

So who was in the right here?

‘Let’s get to work right now, how about that? Everyone, grab a piece of dynamite, maybe a pickaxe. And you DreamSMP people can join in too! Let’s go, a new era, a new era without some needless walls! Tubbo, come on, I want you by my side when we do this. Come on, come on. Let’s get going everyone, no time to waste!'.

Both Quackity and Tubbo looked at the President, for just a moment.

And in that moment, they could both swear they started second guessing themselves, just for a single second.

\---

‘I have to see it.’, Wilbur shot up before Schlatt even properly stopped speaking, Tommy grabbing his arm and trying to stop him.  
‘Wil, wait, are you sure-‘. The man turned back, snapping;  
‘I have to, Tommy! I can’t just sit here!’, Wilbur turned around and begun heading into the forest. Tommy glanced back at the cave - Techno was watching both of them, as always, silent and doing nothing but observing.

The boy turned away and followed his friend into the woods.

There was about ten people total surrounding the walls, some getting on top of them, others standing below it, slowly chipping away at the stone with pickaxes, explosives, and various other tools. As the former President watched on, he was speechless. Tommy came to his side, grabbing onto his shoulder, trying his best to somehow calm him down. The man looked on in silence, completely lost on how to react to the situation. While no words came out, something else did... And that something was a quiet, barely heard song;

 _‘I heard there was a special place, where men could go and emancipate...’,_ he started, his voice breaking as he tried to keep his tears at bay. He watched Fundy, his own son, laugh along with something Schlatt said as if it were nothing. The President pointed to the country's flag, followed by a mischievous smile coming from both. What could they have been possibly discussing about the flag to warrant such a reaction?  
 _‘The brutality and the tyranny of their rulers...’,_ Tommy joined in, his voice equally low. Tubbo was following Schlatt everywhere with a strange, sharp sword on his back, talking to him and nodding along with everything he said. It was almost like he was... Listening to him. And when passed a pickaxe, he begun chipping into the wall without much thought.

 _'Well this place is real you needn’t fret, with Wilbur, Tommy, Tubbo-‘,_ the man carried on, his voice getting slightly stronger. Tommy, although tired beyond belief and torn to shreds by what he was watching, still cut in with his personal favourite part of the song – A part he had always remembered to insert whenever the anthem was sang around him;  
‘Fuck Eret.’, he hissed under his breath.  
 _‘It’s a very big and not blown up L’Manberg...’,_ Wilbur felt about ready to break down, dropping to his knees as he watched the walls be torn to shreds. Tommy knelt down next to him, trying to give him some comfort of just... Being there. With everything happening, that seemed like enough. The song, silently continued between the two former rulers, carried on;

_‘It’s L’Manberg...’._

Fundy was breaking down the walls Wilbur built to protect him.

_‘My L’Manberg...’._

Tubbo was standing by Schlatt’s side, following his every order.

_‘It’s L’Manberg...’._

Even Niki, although forced to do it, begun breaking down the stone.

_‘My L’Manberg...’._

Tommy and Wilbur stood alone, watching everything they’d ever worked for break down in front of them. They only had each other. They had to stick together.

For L’Manberg.

Their L'Manberg.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh god the angst never stops  
> and it probably won't for a while, sorry not sorry


	59. The Resistance (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Techno, Tommy and Wilbur talk and decide to stand up for what they believe in.

‘Tommy?’.

Tubbo listened to Schlatt.

‘Tommy? Are you okay?’.

_Tubbo listened to Schlatt._

‘Tommy, can you hear me?’.

**_Tubbo listened to Schlatt._ **

‘Tubbo listened to Schlatt.’, Tommy whispered under his breath, stopping suddenly. Him and Wilbur had just made their way back to Techno’s camp, the man himself handling some of the fishing nets by the river and paying his guests no mind.  
‘Tommy...’, Wilbur came closer, placing a hand on the other’s shoulder. This time, though, he pushed his hand away. ‘He was just trying to keep himself safe. We don’t know what Schlatt will do to him if he doesn’t listen.’.

‘He helped break down the walls. Our walls.’, Tommy carried on, rubbing his arms as he tried to keep himself breathing steadily. With each second that passed it seemed harder and harder.  
'Tommy... You can’t turn on him. He’s your friend, remember?’, Wilbur looked aside and smiled as a fond memory returned to him. He came closer, grinning.

'He’s your Tubbo, Tubbo in a a Box! Tubbox! ...Remember?’, Wilbur tried his best to put on a cheery voice, seeing an unusual, blank and empty look in Tommy's eyes. The other didn't look at him. Instead, he focused his gaze on Techno's pickaxe, stuck into the outside wall of his cave. The former President's voice went quiet, watching his friend. '...Tommy?'.  
'...I remember.', Tommy responded, practically in a whisper. He looked at the pickaxe, picked it up, and walked inside of the cave. Wilbur followed him, watching and wondering what he could have had planned. The boy's face filled with sudden rage as he raised the tool above his head, slamming it down into the wall and breaking into the stone.

_Slam._

'Tommy, what are you doing?'.  
'It's not fair. None of this is fair!'.

_Slam. Crack._

'Put the pickaxe down, you might make the cave-'.  
'I don't care! I don't fucking care!'.

_Slam. Crack. Crunch._

'What are you two doing in here? Hey, put that down!'.  
'Tommy, put that down before you-'.  
'I'm gonna make him pay! I'm gonna make that bastard pay!'.

_Slam._

'For taking away our walls!'.

_Crack._

'For taking away our home!'.

_Crash._

'And for taking away my friend!'.

With his final swing of the pickaxe, the cracks in the wall all finally connected, pieces of the stone wall collapsing and creating a pile of rubble right in front of Tommy's feet. He dropped the pickaxe, breathing heavily, the clattering of the tool hitting the ground filling the silence around them. Both Techno and Wilbur came closer, looking into the hole that the younger one had made. Strangely enough, it didn't seem to just be an extension of a cave. Right behind the wall, barely seen with how little daylight managed to creep in, a gigantic ravine could be found. The three all stepped forward, too surprised and confused to speak, putting their full focus on their find.

The ravine stretched a good distance both ways from where Tommy had accidentally dug in, with their entrance being at the top of it. Below, they could see a small water stream running through most of the ravine, with various ores of coal and iron lining the sides of it. Techno was first to react, pushing past the other two and leaning over the edge of the ravine, eventually finding a nearby stone shelf he could jump down to without hurting himself. Before he did however, he quickly dropped his cloak, put his crown aside, and put his sword on his back, finally dropping down to the lower level without another word.

'Wilbur, go get me a torch from the storage room. Light it and toss it down here.', Techno looked around, stopped himself, and then looked back up. 'Uh... Please.', he added, continuing his slow descent to the bottom of the ravine. While the former President walked away to follow the warrior's instructions, Tommy leaned over the edge and watched him carefully.

'Can I come down?'.  
'Hold on. Let me make sure it's safe.'.  
'I can handle myself, y'know.'.  
'I know. Just hold on a second, can you?'.  
'Fine. But not because you told me to. It's 'cause I wanna be up here.'.  
'Sure thing, Tommy.'.

Wilbur had only seen Techno's storage room once before, but it was already one of the most impressive things he had ever seen. He had dug into the walls of the cave and used them as shelves, mainly separated into three sections. On one level, he had weapons and armour, most of it old and broken but most likely left over to be repaired and re-used. The second shelf had more general items, like fishing nets, firewood, and various tools. It was here he grabbed a torch from.

The third shelf was the most unusual. All it had was a large pile of potatoes, ones he knew Techno was harvesting himself from a farm he had set up by the river, a large pile of lavender flowers, and huge piles of some sort of ground-up purple and black material. Alongside these items, he also kept empty bottles, bowls, and a pestle and mortar.

Wilbur heard Techno calling to him from the ravine, and was quickly distracted from his search.

'Here.', the former President lit the torch and leaned down, passing it over to Techno. The other grabbed it, turning around and watching it light up the ravine. For the most part, it seemed empty. With the light source in hand, the man continued making his way down the ravine carefully, finally landing at the bottom and slowly standing up. He moved some of his hair out of his face and looked around, lighting up everything around him with his torch as he did.

'This place is huge.', the man commented under his breath. 'How have I not found this before?'.  
'Is it safe?', Wilbur called from above, and after getting a nod, allowed Tommy to go down.  
'This place is so cool!', the teenager called out, looking around. 'Can we move down here?'.  
'I... I wouldn't be so hasty...', Techno muttered under his breath, touching the walls. 'We don't know what kind of things live here.', he slowly moved the torch towards the darkness, as if awaiting for something to jump out. 'We don't know what's hiding in the darkness.'.

The three looked around a bit more, and eventually agreed to bring more firewood down and try to light the place up. From its overall size and shape, even Techno agreed moving down to the area could prove to be a good idea, giving him more space as well as providing a place for Tommy and Wilbur to settle, as well as anyone else who they may bring out of L'Manberg. It was here that the three found themselves once more standing around without a plan on what do do – And about a million questions to ask. Sometime after moving their bedrolls and most of Techno's things, Wilbur and Tommy found themselves getting into an all-too-familiar argument again.

'So when are we gonna ask him about the dreams?', the younger hissed under his breath, watching The Blade organize all of his supplies in the distance on three stone shelves incredibly similar to what he used in his previous storage room.  
'Tommy, this really isn't the time-', Wilbur tried to say, but was interrupted.  
'Then when is?', the boy snapped, getting Techno's attention almost instantly. 'I don't wanna sit here and pretend nothing is wrong! I did that back on the Antarctic, and what did that lead to?'.

'Tommy, keep it down!'.  
'You made me pretend I was okay with everything! And guess what? I snapped!'.  
'Tommy, please, we don't need to do this right now-'.  
'And I almost died because of it! I could have died in that fight with him!'.  
'I wouldn't have let you! Do you really think I'd just stand aside and let that happen?'.

A gentle laugh echoing through the ravine made the two instantly stop fighting.

'You two haven't changed a bit.', Techno muttered under his breath, looking back. 'It's good to see. I knew Nether Portals replicated your personality in the next life, but I didn't think they were so good with it.'. Both the former President and Vice-President looked between one another before speaking, a look of understanding passed between them over how strange this situation was.

'You... remember us?', Tommy whispered, feeling the helplessness in his heart grow stronger and stronger, slowly taking a grip on his heart as it always did in those nightmares.  
'Obviously.', Techno paused for a moment, looking into his own reflection in a sword he was placing on one of the shelves. 'I guess you two forgot what I'm like, specifically, right? Your memories usually aren't very intact.'. Once more, Tommy and Wilbur passed around nervous glances. This man's behaviour was more than unusual.

'So you have the dreams too?'. Techno laughed, coming closer.  
'If only it were that simple. Let's give it a think, shall we?', he paused, clearing his throat. 'Tommy, you only remember things when you sleep. Isn't that correct?'. The boy nodded. 'Wilbur, you remember things both in your dreams and sometimes during the day when you disassociate. Do I have that right?'. The former President nodded. 'Well, if our ways of remembering things are... A spectrum, let's call it, what's the next logical step?'.  
'God, Niki was right when she said you love talking in riddles.', Tommy whispered under his breath, instantly regretting his words when he noticed the glare Techno shot him.

'I'm not... I'm not sure...', Wilbur mumbled, scratching the back of his head.  
'How about this? Think back to the Captain's journal. The Captain himself remembered things differently, too. We all do. That's how it works.', Techno looked aside. 'He mentioned one particular group of people who remember the previous worlds in one very, specific way.'.  
'Wait... Hold on...', the former President whispered, something clicking in his mind.

 _Some never forget in the first place,_ the Captain had written.

'You... Never forgot... You remember everything as if it happened in this life.', although Wilbur was glad to get the answer, Techno seemed less than pleased.  
'That's it.', he muttered. 'From the moment I was old enough to form memories, I had memories of being an adult in a multitude of other worlds. Isn't that unusual?'.  
'And you remember... The Antarctic Empire?', as Tommy asked the question, the man flinched.

'...Yes.', he answered after a short pause. 'I remember everything in that world. From the moment Phil, Pete and I first started the Empire to the moment we all stepped into the next Nether Portal and ended up here. I am cursed to remember all that and so much more... ', he lowered his voice. 'But don't think I live without regret.'.  
'Can you tell us about it then? And SMPLive, too?', Wilbur was instantly interested, a million questions about the previous worlds instantly coming to him. Techno sighed.  
'Dumping memories on you like that could have horrible results. Besides, you two have something else to worry about, don't you?', he looked between the two. 'Schlatt isn't gonna sit back and let you guys listen to some stories. You need to prepare.'.

'Prepare for what?', Wilbur whispered, sitting down on a nearby boulder. 'It's not like we can do anything. We haven't fought anyone properly since the war last year. I don't think I could even hold a sword right if I tried... And it's only me and Tommy here. We can't fight like this.'.  
'Who said it's just you two?', Techno turned around, and for the first time in a while, there was a smile painted across his face. Tommy and Wilbur looked between each other.  
'You'd... Help us?', the younger asked, unsure if he was hearing right.

'I could train you. Just like I did in the previous world.', he crossed his arms. 'Schlatt is keeping my friend in that country. I'm not gonna let him hurt her.', Techno paused. 'And hey, an excuse to overthrow a government? Sign me up any time.'.  
'The crazy Emperor is an anarchist? That's a surprise...', Tommy said with a laugh.  
'But we also need to know more about the previous worlds.', Wilbur cut in, narrowing his eyes. 'How about we make some sort of deal? Half training to fight Schlatt, half you telling us about the previous world... And SMPLive, too.', Wilbur paused, seeing Techno's eyes turn to an unusual nervous expression. 'Yeah, I know you were there. And... Do you remember what I did to Schlatt?'.

'I do.', Techno passed him, grabbing onto his shoulder. 'You don't wanna know.'.  
'What does that even-', the former President turned around, but by the time he did, the other had grabbed a torch and begun making his way down one of the many caves that sprawled from the ravine, checking it for monsters. '….Mean...?'.

'So... We're hanging out with the Emperor again.'.  
'Yep.'.  
'With how it went last time, that might... Not be a good thing.'.  
'Yep.'.  
'Well... As long as he helps me keep Tubbo safe, whatever.'.

Tommy turned away, grabbing onto a rope the three had let down and climbing back up to the cave above to get more things to bring down. As he did, Wilbur found himself wandering to the corner of the ravine just for a moment, his hands tracing the edges of the wall as he did. Techno was a strange man, but he could see, at heart, he deeply regretted his actions. Just as Phil had told him in their meeting in the Antarctic Palace, he had tried his best to change himself to protect those around him. That had to count for something, right? In a way, he trusted him. He trusted that they could somehow figure all of this out, and with Techno's help and guidance, there could still be a chance at taking back L'Manberg.

His L'Manberg.

\---

_'Technoblade, VoiceoverPete and Ph1LzA. You stand before SMPEarth to answer for your crimes. Thousands of villagers died at your hands. You took land that did not belong to you. And you, Technoblade, took the life of another Leader. An unforgivable sin.'._

_The crowd whispers between each other. Many look at Kara Corvus. She remains silent._

_'Today, in Saint-Malo, the three Antarctic Rulers stand before us. They will be judged, and a punishment will be carried out. I, Wilbur Soot, will take place as the judge. Anyone who wishes to may step up as a witness. We will take a vote for their punishment at the end.'._

_Wilbur is standing on a small stage. The three sit below. An audience watches from behind him._

_'To begin, I want to-'._  
_'Make him talk! Make that fucker talk!'._  
_'Who was that? Please, can we-'._  
_'Why did you kill the Captain, you crazy bitch?'._  
_'Everyone, keep it down, we can't-'._  
_'How can you live with yourself?'._  
_'You're a monster! Do you hear?'._

_Techno doesn't speak. He tries to look away. And then, he notices it._

_He notices the figure in the distance._

_'...Hey... Phil... Who's that?'._

_And that's where it all goes wrong._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i finally included the saint-malo trials!!!  
> and techno will start explaining the smpearth timeline, finally  
> and uh.... tubbox :(
> 
> thank you all so much for 17k hits <333


	60. The Resilience (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt makes changes to L'Manberg that Niki is not a fan of.

The walls were gone. Just like that.

With so many people helping, it took a mere hour or two before everything Niki and every other L’Manbergian had ever worked for was completely destroyed with a single order from the new President. The whole time she “worked” (although it was a loose term, since she would refuse to do anything unless directly told to and threatened with punishment) she kept glancing over at Minx, who seemed to be avoiding her gaze completely. She had to talk with her, somehow - But with Schlatt getting in-between the two, they had to find another way to. But how? Why did she keep following him around? What even was she? Why couldn’t anyone see her? Why-

Right. She shouldn’t have had asked questions. She should have kept them until she got a chance to speak to Minx - Whenever that was. Right now it was better if she focused on her nation... And everything going wrong in it. Tubbo kept following Schlatt around, trying to switch topics any time the President brought up seeking out Tommy and Wilbur. Quackity was much the same, trying to express his concern about taking down the walls but ultimately either being ignored or just giving up himself, as if changing his mind. Fundy and Jack, on the other hand, seemed to have no problem whatsoever with Schlatt’s new policies, the former President’s son eagerly awaiting more changes. Niki was shocked - She just couldn’t comprehend it.

How could the people of this nation, people who knew what kind of sacrifices were made to bring it to where it was today, just turn around and allow this tyrant to ruin everything they stood for? How could they just stand aside and let things like this happen as if they were nothing? It made no sense - None of it made any sense. Their whole world was falling apart and spiralling into something uncertain, strange, and horrible. And the worst part of it was this - Niki was alone in this. Niki was completely, utterly, alone.

Tubbo needed someone strong to support him, especially with how Schlatt had latched onto him and insisted on pushing him to his breaking point. She couldn’t just dump all of her fears on him - That wouldn’t be fair. He needed someone to look up to, someone strong he could trust to watch over him. Wilbur and Tommy were both gone, and she hadn’t seen Techno since the year previous. They were completely off the grid as far as help went. She couldn’t speak to Minx, not right now at least, and she couldn’t rely on Jack or Fundy any more. In all of this, standing up to Schlatt, she was completely on her own. There was no one else who would-

‘You’re going to make some dangerous enemies with these changes, Schlatt.’.

Now, King Eret was an unexpected factor in everything.

‘What was that, Your Majesty?’, Schlatt asked with a rather condescending tone, turning around. The King was standing by his side, refusing to help with taking down the wall but being there to witness the whole process regardless. The man rearranged his cloak and spoke again;  
‘I said you’re going to make enemies, Schlatt.’, he paused. ‘No one respects a tyrant. With orders like these you’re begging for some sort of resistance.’, Eret glanced over at Niki for a moment. ‘These people are resilient. They won’t let you beat them down.’.  
‘You talk about respect, King Eret.’, the President came closer, narrowing his eyes. ‘But let’s not forget how you got that title and crown. It’s not like you deserve it, either.’.

The King fell silent. But Niki had heard enough. She knew now.

She had an ally in all of this.

‘As long as you respect the Treaty I can’t care less what you do with your country.’, Dream cut in, looking about ready to leave. ‘But if you ever even come close to threatening my nation... I won’t go easy on you. I never do, on anyone.’.  
‘Don’t worry, I’m not one for war.’, Schlatt quickly reassured him. ‘I think I’d rather go home and get wasted than get on the battlefield if I ended up in one, somehow. But I would like to discuss the Treaty a bit more... What are your thoughts on me expanding my land?’.

As the two carried on their distant conversation, Niki took the chance to take care of the situation. She needed to put everything in order.

‘What the hell is wrong with you?’, were her first words, directed at Fundy. The man turned around, seemingly shocked. ‘How can you just follow his every order? You know what we sacrificed to get here. You've been here longer than me! Why are you acting like this?’.  
‘I’m simply supporting progress.’, the man responded, turning away. ‘You wouldn’t get it. Wilbur and Tommy were never the right rulers for L’Manberg. Schlatt is bringing about the changes we need. He's actually trying to move this place forward.'.  
‘He banished your own father into the woods! Fundy, he might be dead!’.  
‘So what?’.

The woman stammered, speechless. Fundy turned away.

‘I suggest you change out of that uniform soon, Niki. Schlatt was complaining about you earlier. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.’.

And with this, he walked away.

‘Tubbo?’, Niki quickly turned around, trying to distract herself from how Fundy was acting. She could always go back to that later. ‘Tubbo, how are you feeling?’.  
‘...He keeps telling me to start looking for them.’, Tubbo whispered, looking up at her. ‘Niki, I don’t- I don’t wanna hurt them-‘.

‘Hey. Hey, hey, come on. Keep it together.’, the woman placed her hands on the boy’s shoulders, looking into his eyes. ‘You don’t have to do that stuff, okay? You can just pretend. Even better - Once you find them, just stay with them. How does that sound?’.

‘I... What if Schlatt finds out? What if he-‘.  
‘I won’t let him hurt you. Ever. Understood?’.  
‘Y-yeah...’.  
‘Come on, give me more confidence!’.  
‘Y-yes ma'am!’.

Tubbo, called over by Schlatt, gave the woman one last smile and turned away, forcing that demeanour in himself he had developed to be able to stand by the President and look somewhat strong. Quackity was gone with the two soon enough, and the crowd around the nation slowly begun fizzling out. Niki found herself wandering to Wilbur’s house, as well as office, a beautiful home built right where the caravan had once been. Right at the side of it was the pole that held up the L’Manbergian flag - The one thing remaining from the old nation and keeping some degree of normalcy in whatever was left of it. She sat down by its side, rested her back on it, and looked up at the sky above.

She knew things would get better eventually. But it was difficult to believe it in the moment.

\---

‘You know what? I’d say we’re making some good progress here. We’re moving away from the past and into the present. You’re all doing great work. All of you except Niki. She’s just... Kind of there. But that's fine, not everyone needs to contribute.’.

Quackity looked down. He could practically see Niki’s face flood with rage. As always, he was standing to Schlatt’s right, meanwhile Tubbo timidly stood on his left. And as always, they were on the Podium. He knew Schlatt had a lot of policies to introduce - But did he really need to do two speeches in one day? It seemed excessive to him, sure, but he simply assumed it was necessary. Most of what Schlatt did was. And Schlatt knew what had to be done to whip a nation into shape - He knew everything. And he wanted Quackity by his side - Just as he had told him during their talks with Dream, he was capable, smart, charismatic and a lot better than the “backstabbing, idiotic, lying, thieving” President before him. And Quackity liked that - Scratch that, he loved it. He loved being appreciated. He adored finally having someone who saw him for what he was capable of.

Why was Niki angry again? Everything was fine, after all.

‘Anyway, we need to continue this. The walls are gone, and most of these trees here are gonna be, too. The uniforms are outlawed now - Wearing one is grounds for arrest.’.

Schlatt looked down and gave Niki a look she couldn’t quite place between genuine rage or something of a child’s mischievous glee. Truly, this man had zero maturity to him as far as his policies or how he carried himself went, as much as he had the crowd fooled into him being some sort of smart, cold and calculated businessman with a plan for everything. He just wanted to make the place awful - And that was it. He didn’t have L’Manberg at heart in any way, he didn’t care about its people, he just wanted to create something to ruin Wilbur and his people - But why did he despise Wilbur so much? What did Wilbur do to him?

Wilbur wasn’t a bad person, right?

‘So let’s keep moving forward. The last large change of today - The last of my policies. I think that if we truly want to escape from the useless, tyrannical and lie-ridden past of the Wilbur Soot Administration we need to give this nation a new name.’.

‘No! Schlatt, you can’t do that!’, Niki snapped almost instantly, getting out of her seat and screaming as loudly as she could.  
‘I think... Manberg? How does that sound?’, the President carried on, looking around. The crowd, as with everything Schlatt had said for his first two days of his presidency, was completely torn on how to feel. Some agreed, some were nervous, and others simply did not wish to be there.  
‘You don’t understand the history in that name! Its significance! You can’t just change it! You can’t just-‘, Niki kept shouting as Schlatt continued attempting to ignore her, eventually giving up completely and snapping;

‘God, can someone shut that bitch up? She’s getting on my nerves.’.

Niki didn’t speak. She kept standing, staring the President down, as if challenging him to do something about her. The whole crowd watched on, equally stunned and unable to say anything as the Vice-President and the Secretary of State up above.

'Don’t you dare talk about her like that!’, Minx shouted out, but was mostly ignored by Schlatt, and unseen by everyone else, as per usual. Niki kept standing tall. She wasn’t afraid. Or, at least, she tried to convince herself she wasn’t.  
‘Ponk! Alyssa! You two were looking for a trade deal, were you not?’, the President suddenly exclaimed, the owners of the Lemon Tree being startled by suddenly being called out. ‘Well let’s make a deal right now. Take Ms. Nihachu to her house and make sure she doesn’t come out until she changed and that uniform of hers is drowning at the bottom of the ocean! Is that clear?’.

Niki looked back at the two - Alyssa had been her friend once. Ponk, she knew vaguely, but she knew he was a man of business, just as his partner. She thought she could trust them, to an extent - Until they both removed their swords from their sheaths, moved forward, and urged her to walk on. Niki and Tubbo exchanged a look of uncertainty - This time, it was him urging her on to go along with whatever it was the President had ordered. As she was lead away, she could hear Schlatt’s voice carry on from the Podium, cackling about something and getting the crowd to laugh along with him. He then spoke, a sentence that made her shiver and lose most of her hope for the future of the nation;

‘L’Manberg is no more. Now, only Manberg remains. To a new era!’.  
‘To a new era!’, the crowd cheered the tyrant on, ignorant to his actions.

Niki walked on, unable to hide her panic any longer.

\---

‘We were friends once Alyssa! Remember?’.  
‘I don’t see why that has to change.’.  
‘You’re working for Schlatt! Why?’.  
‘It’s business, Niki. You can’t take stuff like that personally.’.

Niki once more banged on her door, Ponk holding onto the other side relentlessly and keeping her from getting out. Alyssa was by the window, looking in and trying to talk her friend down from insisting on wearing that uniform of hers despite it now being practically illegal. She slammed her hand on the door, screamed something about trust, and then turned away, sitting down on the floor of her living room where Alyssa could see her fine and see exactly how angry she was. The businesswoman rolled her eyes with a sigh.

‘Niki, come on. It’s just a uniform. Stop acting like a child and just change out of it. What’s the worse that can happen if you don’t have it?’.  
‘You don’t get it! It represents our nation, our freedom! And Schlatt is trying to take that away, so if keeping my uniform on is the only way I can keep that freedom, I’m gonna do it!’.  
‘Then I guess you’re going to be stuck in there all day.’, Alyssa turned away, leaned on the door, and started having a private conversation with Ponk. Niki groaned, stood up, and started looking around her house.

If she sneaked out a window, she’d be as good as dead. She didn’t have the tools to survive out in the woods any more, she had no idea where Wilbur and Tommy were hiding, and as far as she was aware, Techno left last year and was yet to return. If she just sat around here, she’d have no way of going out and ensuring Tubbo’s safety, or to talk to Minx. There was only one way out of this situation - To put aside her pride, her beliefs, and step down like she had with everything else now and prioritise her and her friends’ safety above everything else. Hesitantly, she walked into her bedroom, looking around as she took a deep breath.

Outside the window, she could see the sea gently moving around, islands in the distance sitting lonely, untouched, undisturbed. The wind was blowing, bringing in a pleasant breeze. She always liked that unusual smell of the sea – Living so close to it, it had become a source of comfort, signifying that she was home. She turned to her closet, pulled out a small pile of clothes, and laid it out on her bed. Next, she turned to a large mirror in the corner of the room and took another deep breath, trying her best to put on a brave face.

She took off her jacket, carefully removing some old, crumbled and withered flowers from its pockets that she must have had put in there months ago. She recognized one as lavender – She always liked those. She had a whole vase of them by the side of her window, always filling her bedroom with a calming smell. She carefully folded the jacket and set it aside. She unbuttoned her shirt, took it off and slipped on a light pink sweater Wilbur had gifted her with when they first initially settled L'Manberg, noticing she didn't have a lot of clothes with how she used to live out in the woods. Her trousers she replaced with a beige skirt, the same beige skirt she had worn on Tubbo's birthday so long ago. She put on socks, the first shoes she could find, and finally, put her uniform into a clean pile and returned downstairs with it. She showed herself to Alyssa through the window, who nodded to Ponk, and finally, she was able to open her door.

'You heard what Schlatt said.', the man reminded her, pointing with his sword to the small pile of clothes the woman was holding. 'Into the water they go. Don't make this needlessly difficult.'.  
'…I know. Don't rush me.', Niki turned away, walked to the edge of the dock her house stood by, and looked over the water, taking in the smells and the sounds of the sea. With a bit more hesitation she moved the clothes over the water and dropped them, watching them slowly being taken away by the waves. Neither Alyssa nor Ponk spoke to her – They simply turned away and begun walking their own way. For a moment, Niki just watched.

She silently watched the symbol of her freedom float away, further and further. But she would not give up so easily. She waited for Schlatt's two new-found workers to leave, turning back to the sea and looking at her uniform, now a large distance away, as she did.

And the moment she was out of their sight, she dove into the sea.

This war was far from over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two part 1 chapters in a row? uhhh i promise that will make sense as soon as the next chapter comes out-
> 
> anyway, just wanna make some stuff clear:
> 
> before we get to the festival, there is going to be A LOT of filler  
> i mean like, a minimum of 20 chapters or so???? most of it is just gonna be schlatt's backstory tbh theres A LOT  
> i need to build up the sleepyboys relationship, reveal all smpearth lore/put the timeline together, schlatt and quackity need to get properly set up, reveal schlatt's entire backstory (which will be a multi-chapter retelling, very excited for that one), and a few other chapters i have planned of mcyt stuff i want to include, these including the dream vs techno duel, the drista & tommy meeting, and tubbo getting goat horns (aka non-canon things i REALLY wanna include)
> 
> wilbur's villain arc will happen somewhere in between all that, but for the sake of certain story beats, the festival will have to come after
> 
> i guess what i'm saying is- sorry if the story goes WAY off the retelling for a while, but like-  
> i really REALLY wanna write all this stuff
> 
> hope yall dont mind :P


	61. The Resistance (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While training with Techno, Wilbur and Tommy learn more about SMPEarth.

'Do we really need to start training... Today?'.  
'You said yourself you felt capable.'.  
'Well... My head still hurts a little-'.  
'Too late. Should have dropped out like Wilbur when you had the chance.'.

Tommy was watching, engaged as ever, as Techno slowly folded his cloak and placed aside his crown, grabbing onto his hair and gathering it all into a single ponytail. He quickly tied it with a hair-tie he kept on his wrist and tightened it, soon moving on to fixing up all of his bandages and tightening his laces. The younger one, realizing the Emperor was serious and would not just let him get away with a sloppy fight, begun doing the same. He moved all of his limbs and stretched them, ensuring he was in the right state to fight, and then picked up the small wooden sword Techno had provided him with for training. He himself had a much similar one – Old and battered, clearly not something he used often. He picked it up and spun it around, his mastery of the blade showing clearly through how he carried himself with great ease.

'You wanted this, Tommy!', Wilbur exclaimed from the distance. He was sitting under a tree nearby, holding onto a book Techno had given him and leaning against the tree bark. He had decided he would postpone his training until his leg recovered from that arrow he had stuck in it only the day previous – Tommy, on the other hand, insisted on ignoring his injuries and going through with getting started as soon as possible. 'You told Techno you could handle it and now he's gonna beat the shit out of you until you realize you need to recover more!'.

'I'm not gonna just beat him up, y'know.', Techno muttered, but was mostly ignored with how quietly he spoke. Tommy turned his attention to the former President.  
'Because I _can_ handle it!', the younger insisted. 'I've only got a few cuts and bruises. I've had worse! And Techno said himself, Schlatt isn't gonna just sit around and let us talk it out. But...', Tommy hesitated, already feeling a strange helplessness come back to him.  
'But...?', his teacher asked him, cocking an eyebrow. Before Tommy could even think of an answer, the man sighed. 'Tommy, I won't hurt you. I just want to see where you're at. These swords are made out of wood. They can't do anything but bruise you at worse.'.

He relaxed slightly. Only slightly, though.

'Alright. I'm gonna move in with a strike and I want you to try and dodge or block. Don't attack yet. Let's test your defensive first and foremost. Okay?'. Tommy nodded quickly.  
'Yep. Yep, totally. I get you.', he started muttering nervously, getting into something that somewhat resembled Techno's own perfect fighting stance. He took a deep breath. 'Come at me.'.

The Blade moved with perfect precision, not hesitating for a moment as he moved his whole bodyweight from one foot onto another, gaining impossible speed in a short amount of time. Just as instructed, Tommy prioritized his defensive and dodged to the side, dropping to one knee and rolling away on his side, getting up swiftly onto the tips of his feet before Techno could even fully finish his attack. The man stopped, smiled and blew some hair out of his face.

'Good. Now, can you try blocking?'.  
'Sure. Hit me, big man!'.

Another swift move came from Techno, but this one was clearly more hesitant and prioritized strength and focus over speed. As his sword came crashing down, Tommy quickly bent his knees slightly and moved his own weapon up, meeting the other's half way and managing to knock him back just slightly. The Blade stepped back, not even losing his balance, but still, seemed impressed. Tommy looked back at Wilbur who couldn't hide his proud smile – And as soon as the boy looked away, Techno swiftly ran up to him and knocked him over and down into the grass with the handle of his sword. The blonde looked up, angry.

'Don't get distracted during a fight, Tommy.', Techno said with a grin. 'That's how you fail.'.  
'Oh come on! That's not fair, I was-', the boy looked at the former President, now finding him practically losing his mind from how much he was laughing. 'Hey! Wil! Don't laugh at-'.  
'Why do you always make that face when you get angry? You look like a little kid.'.  
'I'm not a kid! Techno, tell him something about virtue or good ethics or some boring shit!'.  
'Nah, you're a child. He's right.', the other waved him off, laughing. 'Tiny, angry child.'.  
'I hate it here. I genuinely hate it here.', Tommy muttered under his breath, brushing off his clothes. That was when something clicked with him – He looked up for a moment.

'Hey, we haven't named this place yet.'. Techno looked down with a confused glance.  
'My... Camp?'. Tommy rolled his eyes and picked up his sword, playing around with it.  
'No, obviously. The ravine. I mean, we're starting a revolution in there. We might as well give it a name, right?'. The younger looked at the former President, who shook his head.  
'I named our old nation... I'm gonna leave this one up for someone else to name.', although Wilbur spoke with a somewhat joking tone, the pain behind his words was still clear. Tommy turned to Techno, who hesitated with his response. He scoffed slightly and looked away.

'I settled an Empire on the Antarctic and just called it the Antarctic Empire. Unless you want this place to be called the “Ravine Revolution” or something like that, you should pick the name.', he muttered under his breath, nodding at Tommy. 'Go on, get-'.  
'Pogtopia.', the boy stated proudly, moving his hands to his hips.  
'Pog... what?', Techno repeated, instantly regretting handing the naming over to him.  
'You sound like you had that ready.', Wilbur admitted with a confused laugh.

'I wanted to name L'Manberg that when we first settled it.', Tommy admitted, shrugging. 'And hey, if a ravine full of anarchists and depressed ex-presidents gets the name, that's good enough for me.'.  
'Anarchists?', Techno looked around. 'There's more than one?'.  
'I'm not big on governments myself.', Tommy said with a shrug.  
'Tommy, you were literally the government until like... Two days ago.'.  
'Oh shush Wilbur, whatever.', the boy waved his hand.

'So. Pogtopia. How's that?'.  
'I don't mind it...'.  
'It's better than _The Antarctic Empire,_ that's for sure...'.  
'Okay _Business Bay._ '.  
'Hey! No fair! I don't even remember picking that name...'.

There was a short moment of silence between everyone, Wilbur and Tommy giving each other understanding glances. The two didn't speak, but Techno already knew what they were going to ask. He sighed, stuck his sword into the ground, and sat down.

'A bit early for a break, but whatever. How about I teach you some things about the past you keep dreaming about?', he asked, instantly getting a response from Tommy, who practically dropped down to the ground to sit down by his side, grinning as he did so.  
'Hell yeah! Tell us more, Blade!'.  
'This thing is boring anyway. What do you got?'.  
'Boring?', Techno asked Wilbur who approached him with his book, instantly snatching it out of his hand. 'It's not supposed to be entertaining! It's educational! This guy was a genius!', he looked at the book, his eyes reading over the faded title. 'Have some respect...'.

_The Art of War_

'Now. I'm just going to give you the basics about what you guys call the “Previous World”. We called it SMPEarth. And you better call it that from now on, or I swear I'm gonna lose my mind...'.  
'Alright, alright. Whatever! Tell us about the Empire! Oh, and Phil! Him too!'. Techno, for just a moment, appeared saddened. He didn't let it show for long, however, turning his head away.  
'All in due time. Let's start with the basics. We left SMPLive, which no, I won't talk about right now, and went through an already lit portal. As always, we were all reborn, alongside new people from other worlds or locals. Wilbur, you and I were from SMPLive. Tommy, I'm unsure where you came from... But I know that was the first world we ever interacted in.'.  
'Alright.', Wilbur said with a nod. 'So... What was it like?'.

'Let's start at the beginning.'.

\---

I'm sure you know how Nether Portals work at this point. When we crossed over from SMPLive, we lit our portal there and went through, and then walked for a long time until we found another. Some of us got lost on the way – Others went off on their own. In the end, only a fraction of us stepped through the second portal into SMPEarth – One which was already lit. This was why all of our memories were surrendered to the portal and we were forced to be reborn with them being given back to us at various rates. I, as I do here, remembered everything. We were also born into this world over the course of a large amount of years, which is why we were all different ages. The Captain, alongside my father, Phil, and Pete were some of the first.

The Captain settled the first ever nation, taking charge of most of the known world. SMPEarth was very different to this world, you see – It was an empty land with no settlements at all. Not organized ones, at least. Non-human creatures we begun calling villagers lived there – They weren't intelligent enough to form governments, or in any way organize themselves, have wars, and things like that. With our above-average intelligence, we quickly took charge and created cities for these very villagers to live in. Those of us who were born with these abilities begun being known as Leaders.

The Captain was the first to do this – Together with Phil, Pete, Kara Corvus and countless others he created The First Kingdom. I know you don't remember much of this, but... I grew up in that Kingdom. Wilbur, you were about six when it begun falling apart, if I remember correctly. Tommy, you were born some time after. As you may guess, a kingdom as great as that was bound to fall eventually. But... It wasn't some great break down. It was more as if it... Fizzled out. The Captain carried on being the King, but the land he kept to himself grew smaller and smaller as he begun spreading out his land between those who helped him establish it. The Fallen Kingdom is merely a dramatic name – The Kingdom more... Sat down quietly and let itself enter a new era.

And that was our mistake.

Everyone received equal amounts of land they soon begun separating between friends and family, meanwhile... Me, Phil – my father, and his closest friend, Pete, got nothing less than the Antarctic. Frozen, lonely and useless. No good land to farm, no materials to build with. The Corovian Empire, under Kara Corvus begun thriving more with each passing day, closely cooperating with the Fallen Kingdom. Eret, alongside a few others, begun to grow Ursus. Packle was another strong nation. Tommy, Wilbur, your nations got their starts here, too. Newfoundland and Business Bay. Under different names and different rule of course – But they existed.

And we sat freezing in the Antarctic with nothing.

In this time of progress a union known as the United Nations of SMPEarth had been created – Initially lead by the Captain but handed down to you, Wilbur, it was a union that made us agree on certain elements on how our world would be ran to avoid conflict when possible. For land that had not yet been taken over, you had to make requests. Land had to be granted through talks, agreed by everyone, and bought with materials you'd hand over to everyone involved in the talks. It was here that we also made other important rules. Villagers were expendable – They could be used in war, but a Leader would never step onto a battlefield themselves. Leaders could never kill other Leaders. These rules kept us all running our nations without major issues.

I broke every single one of those rules in the course of one month.

Phil was initially in charge of the Empire, but... It was nothing more than a small village we could barely keep alive day to day. I hated it. I hated every single day I woke up to the freezing cold, no one around to talk to and my father constantly missing and away trying to secure us materials that could actually keep us alive. So one day, I asked the Antarctic Nation to be handed down to me – And as soon as it was, I created the Empire. I established myself as the Emperor, appointed Phil and Pete as my right-hand-men, and begun working on a world where I could finally live somewhere where I wasn't constantly afraid for my own life or had to ration every piece of food I had. I sneaked into Africa, stole every material I could find, and slowly but surely built up my arsenal. But it was when we first begun our conquest that I realized something...

I realized how sickeningly good it felt to take a life.

\---

'...But I think that's a story for another day.', Techno suddenly paused his story, as if he, himself , had gotten lost in it and didn't realize how much he had revealed. 'I hope it makes sense. The Leaders system was always a complicated one.'. The man looked up, finding two shocked faces staring back at him. Tommy was the first to snap;  
'What do you mean... It felt good to take a life?', the boy shot up, his eyes filling with rage. 'Are you some sort of psychopath? How can it feel good to... Kill someone?'.  
'I already said, dumping that many memories on you might break you.', he sighed. 'Tonight you might have some nightmares. Whenever you become aware of the past, memories resurface soon after. How did you sleep after Schlatt first showed up, Wilbur?'.

The man flinched upon being called out.

'I... Barely. I kept waking up constantly. I kept having more and more dreams I never really even saw before... They were completely new.'. Techno nodded along.  
'A similar thing might happen tonight. Be careful. Now, Tommy, we should get back to our training.'. The boy didn't even flinch as the man carried on. He sighed. 'Please, we don't have the time to dwell on the past. I promise I'm explaining these things as quickly as I can. But you have to give me time. It's not all as it appears.'.

'Whatever.', Tommy picked up his wooden sword, giving Techno a suspicious side-glance. 'Come on. I'd love to smack you a few times with this right about now.'.  
'So we're testing your offensive now?'.  
'I guess so. Give me all you got, Your Majesty.'.

Wilbur walked away from the two, picked up The Art of War, and sat down under the tree once more, hearing Techno and Tommy get back to their training. His eyes moved over the words, and slowly but surely, with the gentle breeze washing over him and the sun warming him up from above, the former President felt himself drifting away. His eyes opened and closed, his head fell down and jumped back up a good three times, until finally, he leaned back and gave in, hoping to god Techno wouldn't catch him having this small nap while he was supposed to be reading. The world, for a split second, went dark, and then, there was colour once more...

_Techno is reading. As always, that annoying kid is bothering him._

_'Why do you read stuff like this? It looks borin''._   
_'It's 'bout war and stuff. You wouldn't get it.'._   
_'Yeah I do. I've seen wars and stuff.'._   
_'No you haven't, stop lyin'.'._   
_'Well neither have you, so... What's this for, then?'._

_''Cause there's gonna be a war soon, Wil.'._   
_'War? As if. Everyhin' is fine.'._   
_'Nu uh. Some people don't like King Jordan any more.'._   
_'Why? He's cool.'._   
_'Nu uh. He put himself into power with no vote. That's not cool.'._   
_'Well, like, who else would rule?'._

_'...My dad could.'._   
_'He's too nice for that.'._   
_'I could.'._   
_'You're too young.'._   
_'One day I will.'._

_Techno looks down at his book again._

_'You'll see.'._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so much lore to get through,,,, im trying to sort it out and plan it but THERES SO MUCH  
> this chapter was a definite tho, so i took a quick break from planning and wrote it  
> hope yall enjoyed :)


	62. The Resilience (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niki gets an unexpected guest. Minx wonders about things.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

With how things had been going for Schlatt's first two days as President, Niki had no idea what to expect to find at her door an hour or two after the sun went down. She got up from her chair slowly, having had been stitching together some old clothes. The President insisted he'd have work for everyone to do in the morning, so as much as she didn't want to do it, she had to get something ready so she could show up and be somewhat comfortable. Her bets were on either cutting down the trees or laying foundations for new homes – Either way, she had no choice but to come along. She arrived at her door, opened it, and was shocked to find... Tubbo?

The President's right-hand-man was standing alone, holding a small bag of things in his right hand and playing around with his sleeve with the other. He glanced up at Niki like some sort of lost puppy – A timid look of nothing but fear and wanting someone to else to show him the way for once. Instantly, Niki assumed the worst. She got closer, leaned down and spoke in a quiet voice.

'Hey. What are you doing here? It's late.', she said with a look of concern in her eyes. The boy looked away, avoiding her gaze completely and clearing his throat.  
'I... I only just got done with work. Schlatt needed help with something.', he paused, passed his bag from one hand to the other, and looked down. 'Uh... Niki?'.

'Yes? What's wrong?'.  
'Can I... Stay with you for a bit?'.  
'What about your house?'.  
'It's fine, it's just... I don't... I don't wanna be alone.'.

Right. Tubbo used to live with Tommy. Now he was on his own.

'Sure. Come on in. You can stay in my room. The couch is comfortable enough.', she told him as she allowed him to pass her, shutting the door behind him. She made sure to give the area a quick look – The last thing she wanted was Schlatt catching wind of the whole situation.  
'I... I wouldn't wanna kick you out of your own bedroom like that.'. The woman giggled.  
'It's okay. This room has a nicer view from the window. I like sleeping here.', she lied, of course. But she didn't want the boy in front of her to feel in any way uncomfortable. He at least deserved some peace and quiet in the evenings after all that he had been dealing with.

As the two entered the woman's bedroom, the boy instantly shuddered. It was awfully cold. Niki quickly walked to her window, moved something aside and closed it. Tubbo looked over – She had her uniform, the one which Schlatt ordered she threw away, laying by the window. She quickly folded it and put it away into her closet, at the same time removing an extra blanket and placing it on her bed. She put her hands on her hips and smiled.

'Sorry. I was drying that uniform out on the window and forgot to close it. It was drenched after I fished it out of the sea.', Niki explained as she turned back, finding her friend standing awkwardly in the doorway and not moving much. 'Well come on then. Unpack your things and make yourself at home. I'll be going to sleep soon, too. I've just got...', the woman stopped, looking aside. 'Something else to do. Don't worry about it too much.'.

Niki left the room for a while, allowing Tubbo to change in peace as she continued her work. She stitched a few more holes in her old working outfit, one she used back when she was building the walls with everyone. With Tubbo, Tommy, Wilbur, Fundy and Quackity. Things were a lot simpler back then, were they not? No elections, no wars, no unexpected factors in everything. They lived from day to day, just getting by with enough food and a place to sleep each night. And that was all they needed. Why couldn't have things stayed like that? Why did Quackity even decide to run in that election? Why did she, and Fundy, decide to run? Without their two votes wasted on themselves, Wilbur and Tommy could have won, even with the coalition.

Niki felt her heart fill with dread. Was she to blame for all this?

'Niki?' - She did not get much time to think about the idea, however. She was snapped out of her working trance by Tubbo, who was now standing behind her, changed into something he could sleep in. She turned around, trying to hide the thought that had just hit her.  
'Yeah? Do you need something?', she spoke with a gentle tone of voice, trying to push aside the ever rising feeling of dread in her. She could feel her stomach twisting into a knot already.  
'I... I can't sleep...', he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. 'I keep... I keep thinking about everything, and... I... I don't know.'. Niki got up, forced another smile, and walked into the bedroom with Tubbo. She told him to lay down, and soon after, sat down by his side.

'My friend struggled with sleeping sometimes.', the woman started, laying down by the other's side and looking up at the ceiling. 'She was a warrior, you see. Sometimes she saw some really horrible stuff. And usually, the best way to help her was singing.'.  
'Singing?', Tubbo repeated, turning to the side so he could face her. 'What do you mean?'.  
'Well... I'm not the best at it, but...', the woman closed her eyes. 'I'd always sing to her. Songs we knew, songs we made up. Any gentle melody you could lose yourself in and allow yourself to rest to. She'd never sing along, though. She was always too tried to...'.  
'Can you sing for me?', Tubbo suddenly asked, his eyes lighting up. Niki hesitated, stammered, and reluctantly, nodded. It was the least she could do for him. She cleared her throat and begun singing a familiar tune, unsure why it felt so special to her in that very moment;

_'I heard there was a special place...',_ she begun, herself turning to the side and getting comfortable on the bed. She knew she couldn't fall asleep with her plans for that night – But she deserved a little break. As she sang, Tubbo listened in silence.  
 _'Where men could go and emancipate...'_ , she carried on, her voice barely heard over the waves crashing into the shore outside and the distant noises of the forest. It was nice living out here – Even with everything happening, Niki found comfort.

_'The brutality, and the tyranny of their rulers....'._

She just wished she wasn't so alone.

_'Well this place is real, you needn't fret...'._

She just wished they were here.

_'With Wilbur, Tommy, Tubbo-',_ she sang on, feeling herself getting lost in the song.  
'Fuck Eret...', Tubbo whispered under his breath, his weak voice signifying he was drifting off.  
 _'It's a very big and not blown up L'Manberg...'._

_'It's L'Manberg...',_ she sang on, despite knowing the boy had already drifted off.  
 _'Our L'Manberg...',_ she continued, as if singing to Minx all that time ago all over again.  
 _'It's L'Manberg...',_ she didn't change the lyrics, even though she knew that name was long gone.  
 _'Our L'Manberg...',_ she finished the song, for Tubbo, but most of all, for herself.

The woman rubbed her eyes, slowly got up, and sneaked out of the room as quiet as a mouse.

Now, finally, she could get to what she had been planning to do for the whole evening.

\---

Minx, as always, was alone.

Being a Dreamon was fun, sure. It was fun until your host shared a bottle of something with his Vice-President, sent him home, and then downed another one all by himself and passed out in his bed before even properly changing. In a situation like this, you were suddenly reminded that without alcohol of your own to knock you out cold, you would have to sit around until you got tired enough to sleep. And even with that, it wasn't like Schlatt of all people gave her enough thought to prepare somewhere to sleep for her. She sat alone by the window, looking up at the sky, wondering how she had gotten where she was today.

Wondering how different things would be if she had just let that drunken cunt die.

_Tap._

Minx suddenly looked down, noticing something. There was a figure under the window – A figure picking up small pebbles and throwing them up, some hitting the glass, and others narrowly missing and making a _thunk_ sound as they hit the wooden frame of the home. She narrowed her eyes, slowly adjusting to the dark, and eventually recognizing the person.

'Niki?', Minx hissed as she slid open the window and leaned over, looking down. She looked back at Schlatt for a moment – No way he'd wake up, even if she started screaming right now.  
'Hey! Hey, can you come down here?', Niki shouted with a somewhat loud whisper, as if wanting to shout but knowing what could happen if she did.  
'I... I could try...', Minx looked around. Well, about time she put those wings to use. She climbed onto the edge of the window, gave Schlatt one last look, just to make sure, and jumped forward, moving her wings slightly to cushion her landing. She stood up, slowly, and now stood face-to-face with Niki, unsure if it were real. It had been so long, did she even remember her? Were they still the friends they used to be? Would she even care-

Minx was pulled into a tight hug, and all of her worries melted away.

'Minx...', Niki whispered into her ear as she pressed her head into her shoulder, tears pouring out her eyes as she desperately tried to stop herself from breaking down crying.  
'It's... It's been a while, hasn't it?', the Dreamon responded, unsure what else to say. She couldn't hide her smile as she heard Niki laugh, that familiar laughter she had missed the most out of everything about her. The two remained like this for a long while – Looking at each other in disbelief and silence, giggling, tearing up, trying their best to keep their heads on their shoulders despite how overwhelming the whole situation was.

'I... Where did you go?', Niki suddenly asked. 'After we got separated in the woods - What happened to you?', she gave the other a better look, her eyes focusing on the unusual wings, horns and tail of the woman. 'Why... Why can no one else see you?'.  
'Well, I-', Minx sighed. If there was one person she was going to be honest with, it was Niki. 'I got stuck in the Nether. And... I ended up becoming a Dreamon.'.  
'A Dreamon?', Niki repeated, completely dumbfounded by the statement.  
'Like... a thing. From the Nether. They posses people. I'm possessing Schlatt.'.

'Then kill him! Or, I don't know, make him leave!', Niki paused, her eyes widening. 'Wait, don't tell me you're making him do all these things?'. Minx gasped.  
'What? No! Of course not! I'd never!', the Dreamon paused, taking a deep breath. 'Possession is a weird thing. It's like... You become tied to your host, in more ways than one. If he's tired, I'm tired. If we get too far away from one another, we get headaches. If he gets hurt, sometimes, I can get hurt too. And if he dies...', Minx didn't finish her sentence, but Niki got the message.

'...So you have to keep Schlatt alive. Even if you don't want to.', the woman concluded, her friend nodding along. 'And that's why no one else can see you. He's the possessed one... But then...'.  
'Before you ask, I have no clue.', Minx cut her off. 'He's supposed to be the only one who sees me. But... You're exactly like him. I guess this would be a good time to confess that I don't exactly know everything about being a Dreamon... There might be something I was never taught.', Minx muttered and sighed, growling in frustration. 'God, this is all such a fucking mess.'.

'Hey. It's fine.', Niki came closer. 'At least... We're with each other again. We can figure it out from here. There's got to be some way to get you away from Schlatt without getting you hurt... What's the best way to learn about Dreamons?'. The purple-haired woman thought about it for a moment.  
'Old books or other Dreamons. Dreamons don't cross over into Overworlds as much as they used to, so there isn't a lot of research done into them these days. Some old library would be our best bet – If you could find one. Or, another Dreamon.', Minx leaned on the wall of the house, playing with her hair as she carried on; 'But I doubt there's either of those anywhere in the DreamSMP or Manberg.'.

'...You never know.', her friend claimed. 'A lot of stuff goes unsaid in this place. There might be something the previous President kept hidden from us... Has Schlatt changed his office much?'.  
'Just cleared out his liquor cabinet, that's about it.', Minx said with a scoff.  
'Well then... You should look around. See if there's anything there. I'll do my best out here, too. And... Hopefully we can find away to get you away from him.'.  
'Why... Why do you want to help me so bad?'. Niki appeared confused by the question.  
'Because you're my best friend. Duh.', she responded with a laugh. The two stayed silent for a bit.

'It's good to have you back.', Niki suddenly said, pulling Minx into yet another hug. This time, with a lot less shock keeping her body still, she returned it.  
'Same here.', she quietly whispered. 'We're gonna figure this out, right?'.  
'Right. I mean, we found each other again. So... What's another challenge?'.  
'Yeah...', Minx's eyes suddenly widened, and she looked back up at the window.

'Shit, I think he just woke up.... I'm getting dizzy.', she rubbed her eyes. 'Can't that fucker slow down? He's gonna get a fucking heart attack at this rate.', the Dreamon outstretched her wings, and with one swift motion, was once more sitting up at the window. She quickly waved her friend goodbye – And with a grimace, turned back and slipped into the room.

Niki begun getting home – It was probably best if she got some sleep in before the morning.

\---

One shelf. Two shelves. Old letters, files, and broken pencils. God, Wilbur's office was a mess.

'Come on...', Minx muttered under her breath, opening another desk drawer. 'He's got to have something here. Come on...', she continued searching, losing more hope by the second. After Schlatt fell asleep again (which wasn't that long, with the state he was in), and Niki left, Minx decided to put her full focus on searching Wilbur's office. It was hard getting around there, Schlatt having had made a mess of the place looking for things he could find useful.

The one vote was still laid out at the centre of the desk.

'Ah! This looks good...', Minx slowly lifted an envelope, untouched, that Wilbur had stashed away under his desk. She looked at the side, but found no name. She moved her finger nails to the top, carefully opened the envelope, and removed the letter from the inside. She unfolded it and allowed her eyes to scan the page, trying to make sense of the message on it;

_President Soot,_

_This is an unusual way to communicate when we are so close to one another, I understand, but I think it's best if we avoid anyone overhearing this if it were to be a conversation. As promised, I ordered George and Sapnap to take care of the End Portal, and the wall has been completed. Unless someone seeks it out directly and knows where to look for the passage, they won't even know there is a room behind it._

_As for the Library, I have been looking through some of the books there and have deemed them mostly harmless as far as public information goes. I know you've been looking into translating the texts there and making them available for everyone, so if that's still your wish, you're free to do it. I've left everything untouched. You can come in as you please, but please don't bring anyone but only those you deem necessary and trustworthy._

_If any of the books happen to have sensitive information in them make sure to contact me before you do anything with them. After all, it's both of our nations that are at risk here if that Library were to hold secrets we cannot quite understand._

_Or secrets we are not meant to uncover._

_I wish you luck in the upcoming Election – I'll be watching closely._

_\- Dream_

A smile spread across Minx's face – She had found exactly what she was looking for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they finally talked :')
> 
> i have about 5 chapters ahead planned, and planning for everything else is.... ongoing  
> it will be a while before all this lore is figured out, but we're getting there  
> so, so much lore...


	63. The Resistance (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In need of supplies, Wilbur and Tommy make the choice to visit L'Manberg again. Tubbo seems unusual. Niki expresses her concerns on who she can trust. Fundy has reached a snapping point.

'I don't get what the big deal is! We need to talk with them eventually!'.  
'It's only been a week, Tommy. You're gonna get yourself killed.'.  
'And since when is Mr. Emperor in charge of us? You're not our dad!'.  
'Well I'm older than both of you, so I'm in charge.'.

'That makes literally zero sense.'.  
'You make zero sense.'.  
'Well you- You have pig ears!'.  
'And you wear braces. Your point?'.

'God, you two are like children.', Wilbur looked up from 'The Art of War', still forced to read it until he proclaimed himself healthy enough to start his training with Techno properly, giving the other two rebels a glance. They were both, as per usual, facing each other with wooden swords.  
'Wil, don't tell me you don't agree!', Tommy turned back. 'We have to get in contact with L'Manberg! We've been wearing these uniforms for a week... Let's at least ask someone to get us some fresh clothes. Is that too much?'. The former President couldn't hide that he agreed – He was just worried about Techno's opinions on everything.  
  
'...If Techno says there's a risk, we listen. He's been living out here far longer than we have.', Wilbur flipped a page, his eyes once more returning to the book. 'We could put someone at risk if we were to go. I'm sure Niki has more to worry about than us.'.  
'Niki?', suddenly, the warrior appeared more than interested. 'You could talk to Niki?'.  
'Her house is by the shore. She'd be the easiest person for us to talk to without risking getting seen.', the former President explained. 'She's also probably one of the few people we can trust in there. Way too many people have turned to Schlatt's side of everything...'.

'Go then.', Techno suddenly changed his mind. 'Tell her to not bite her nails. She'll understand.'.  
'Wait... You mean... We can go? Just like that?', Tommy asked, receiving a nod.  
'Sure. Be quick, though. The sun is gonna go down soon.'. The boy gasped.  
'Right now? We can go right now?', the boy exclaimed as he stuck his sword into the ground.

'Tommy, one more question and I'll change my mind.'.  
'Right! Right, come on, Wil, let's go! Come on, come on!'.  
'Hey, hey, my leg still hurts, not so fast!'.

\---

Coming back to L'Manberg after a week away was a strange experience. The walls were completely gone, and most of the trees around the area had been cut down. Foundations started being laid out for more buildings and pathways were created between the already existing homes. The Podium had the letter “S” inscribed into the front of it, as well as large banners with a similar symbol. If it weren't for who brought about these changes and with what intentions, Wilbur would even say the place was starting to look quite presentable. The only familiar thing that remained was the flag – Still the same dirty, tattered rag that Tommy had stitched together more than a year ago now... It was nice to see that one symbol of familiarity around here after everything that had happened to them. Finally, they arrived at Niki's house near the shore.

'...Niki?', Wilbur said quietly as he approached the woman, who was standing by one of the windows of her house and watering a small flowerbed. She turned, her eyes widened and she dropped her watering can, on the verge of tears as she approached the two.  
'Wilbur!', she shouted out almost instantly, wrapping her arms around the former President. She then turned away, pulling Tommy into a similar hug. 'Tommy! You guys are alright.'. She backed up, nervously looking around. 'You haven't shown yourself since... I thought you were...'.

'We're okay, Niki.', Wilbur reassured her. 'We've got someone helping us out in the woods. Someone you might know.'. The woman gasped, for a moment looking into the forest nearby.  
'You guys met... Uh-', Niki hesitated, as if unsure if he should say what she wanted to.  
'Technoblade. Yeah. He told us his title.', Tommy reassured her, and the other smiled, probably for the first time in a while. She let out a sigh of relief.

'So he's okay... Can I go see him? Where are you guys hiding out?'. Wilbur frowned.  
'I'm sorry. We can't risk bringing too much attention to ourselves with the state we're in. I can barely walk and Tommy is still training – We have to stay secluded for now.'.  
'Right... Well... Why are you here, then? I'm guessing it's not just because you wanted to visit me.'. _Ouch. She looked right through us, didn't she?_

'We want to know what's been happening.', Tommy cut in. 'And... Where's Tubbo? Is he doing okay?'. Niki hesitated and bit her lip – She shook her head.  
'Everything is... A mess right now. The walls are gone, and Schlatt changed the country's name to... Manberg.'. Almost instantly, the former Vice-President shouted;  
'What? He can't do that! What the hell is his problem?'.  
'Most of us have refused to call it that, but we have to around him... He has a lot of people backing him up.', Niki blew some hair out of her face. 'Ponk and Alyssa for the sake of some trade deal, Sapnap, George and Karl all wanting to slither into his cabinet, Jack and Fundy both seem to be okay with him, and I'm pretty sure Callahan and Punz are starting to slowly lean towards his side too... Oh, and Skeppy, Bad and Sam are-'.

'Right, so he has a lot of allies. That much is clear.', Wilbur cut the woman off before she left him with no hope for the future. 'What kind of changes is he making around here?'.  
'He's turning this place into a full-on city. It's starting to look like the one I ran away from a year and a half back.', the woman's eyes glanced over the pathways, house foundations, and fallen trees. 'He's living in your house now. He doesn't even care about the White House.'.  
'And Quackity is letting him do all of this?', Wilbur suddenly snapped. 'He helped us build these walls, and the White House! Does he not understand how important everything here is?'.  
'Quackity is blinded by all the praise Schlatt is giving him.', Niki sighed. 'Maybe if we weren't such assholes to him when he ran he wouldn't be helping that psycho out right now.'. The former President didn't speak – He knew he agreed, he just didn't want to say it.

'So who's even on our side? Who can we trust?', Tommy interrupted, trying to find out more.  
'Let's see... I hate everything Schlatt is doing, and Tubbo is definitely with me on this. Although... He's been spending a lot of time around him. He made him his right-hand-man. I barely get to talk with him, apart from when he gets back in the evenings...', Niki paused, noticing her friends' confused expressions. 'We live together now. Just... Until everything is back to normal. I guess we just don't want to be alone.'.

'So just you and Tubbo? That's it?', Wilbur asked, leaning in.  
'...Well, there's also...', Niki looked aside. 'Eret. He's been helping us a lot.'.

A chill went down both Wilbur's and Tommy's spines, words echoing in the back of their minds.

_It was never meant to be._

'What do you mean-', the former President tried to ask, but didn't get a proper chance to.  
'Tommy?', came a shocked half-whisper, instantly snapping them out of their trance.  
'Tubbo!', Tommy screamed almost instantly, running at his friend with no hesitation.

Wilbur and Niki both watched as Tommy practically slammed into Tubbo, almost knocking him over as he pulled him into a tight hug. The two laughed for a while, exchanged some kind of short conversation followed by an inside joke, laughed some more and carried on with an all-over-the-place conversation. It was here that Tommy noticed something unusual – Something he had completely looked over due to how overwhelming his joy at seeing his friend again was.

'Why are you... Why are you wearing a suit?', he asked with a laugh, looking down.  
'Oh...', Tubbo tugged at his sleeve for a moment, looking away. 'Schlatt makes me wear it. He says I have to look professional if I'm standing by his side.'.  
'...You're... You're really working for Schlatt?', Tommy stepped back, as if trying to distance himself away from the other in any way he could. 'For real?'.  
'I don't have a choice.', Tubbo whispered. 'He just... Kind of made me work for him. I promise I didn't want to!'. Tommy hesitated. He took one more step back, his shoulders tensing up.

'Maybe we should leave them to talk?', Niki suggested with a whisper, grabbing onto Wilbur's arm.  
'Right... Maybe.', he responded, letting himself get pulled away onto the nearby dock.

'...I... I don't know if I should ask, but...', the former President spoke rather reluctantly as the two stopped at the edge of the dock, looking over the water in the distance. He had always found this place peaceful – He always enjoyed visiting Niki. 'How's... How's Fundy doing?'.  
'Personally? He's probably having a great time.', Niki responded with a rather grave tone of voice. 'But it's clear he's just latching onto the first person who gave him some praise. Schlatt has been really trying to get into everyone's heads – And it's hard to admit, but... He's worryingly good at it. There's barely anyone left questioning him, and it's only been a week.'.  
'So Fundy is on his side, then?', Wilbur concluded, looking away. Hesitantly, the woman nodded.  
'No doubt about it. It's just the four of us that can trust each other – And, well... Eret. If you're willing to take that sort of-'. The man didn't even wish to entertain the idea;

'Eret is a traitor. It's as simple as that.', he spoke with venom. 'He had his chance and blew it.'.  
'Whatever you say. But you can't stop me from getting his help.', Niki warned him sternly.

There was a moment of silence between the two, the waves crashing around them.

'Wil... Schlatt has to have a reason to do these things. And I don't mean to bring up old memories here, but... I still remember what he said on Election Night. How you left him behind. Is it true?'. Niki glanced at the other, noticing an unusual expression of hesitation.  
'...I... I don't know. That's the honest truth. I don't remember any of that. But even if I did leave him, I'm sure I had a good reason to. I'd never turn my back on someone like that.', he sighed. 'And with how he's been acting, I'm not surprised I abandoned him. He's evil.'.  
'He wasn't like that when I took care of him. He was dazed. Confused... Scared. Lonely.', Niki paused, for just a moment. 'When he was asleep, after first getting here, he talked a lot in his sleep. How much he missed you. How much he wished you came back. And how much he hoped you hadn't changed.'. Wilbur wasn't sure how to respond – All things considered, he had changed in more ways than one. He had been reborn as a completely new person, after all.

But Techno insisted him and Tommy didn't change a bit. So what was the truth, then?

'Wilbur... I don't want to pry. And I want to believe you're a good person, I really do. But...', Niki stopped herself before she said something she didn't mean. She grabbed onto her sleeve and looked down. 'What did you do to him? What could you have possibly done to make him the way he is? It couldn't have been the abandonment. It had to be something else, right?'.  
'...Whatever it was, he forgave me. For a short while.', Wilbur's eyes snapped shut, thinking about the vote. The one vote that changed everything. 'But then... The banishment happened. And all of that trust was lost.'. He decided to conveniently avoid telling her he was the single reason behind the banishment itself – He wasn't sure he could look her in the eyes after saying that.

'...Wilbur?'.  
'Yes?'.  
'Can I trust you?'.  
'Where's this coming from?'.  
'I don't know. Can I?'.

Wilbur didn't respond. Before he could, Niki pushed him to the side and made him hide behind a large crate of items. He huddled behind it and calmed his breathing, trying to stay as silent as he possibly could. He waited, unsure what was happening, until finally, voices rose nearby. One was Niki – The other, he soon recognized as his own son.

'Where's Tubbo?', Fundy asked, an unusual confidence and attitude in his voice.  
'Just down the dock by the shore. Why are you asking?', Niki responded, sounding cold and distant. Clearly, she and Fundy had grown apart since the election. Wilbur wasn't surprised.  
'President Schlatt needs him for something. We just got wind of some old library. We want the books translated and sorted out – Tubbo is gonna get put in charge of archiving everything.'.  
'So is his... Previous task... Called off then?'. _Previous task? What does she mean by that?_

'Correct. It's getting handed down to Alyssa, Ponk, Sapnap and George. They've volunteered to take care of the problem, since he doesn't seem very capable any more. You can help him out with it if you want to. Me, President Schlatt and Vice-President Quackity will be overseeing this project personally. Any questions?'. Niki didn't respond for a moment.

'Since when are you Schlatt's personal assistant?'.  
'Use the proper title, please.'.  
'Oh shut up. You know I won't.'.  
'...Whatever. Your funeral. Just get Tubbo to President Schlatt. Soon.'.  
'I'll pass down the message.'.

There was some more silence. Then, a shuffle. Suddenly, Niki appeared above Wilbur, reaching out with her hand and helping him stand. He dusted off his uniform, but the change was barely noticeable, with how messy it was, and fixed up his coat. Niki looked him up and down with pity, eventually tilting her head and sighing.

'I guess new clothes would be a good place to start with you guys.', she said rather casually, clearly trying to keep the conversation away from the elephant in the room. Wilbur didn't wish to avoid it.  
'...So Fundy is with Schlatt? Just like that?'. Niki looked away, her eyes filling with rage.  
'Maybe if you had given him the attention Schlatt is giving him now, he wouldn't be. But I guess his loneliness finally got the better of him and we've lost him.', she looked forward. 'I may respect you, Mr. President – Because that's who you are to me – But that doesn't mean I respect every decision you have ever made. And that includes Schlatt.'.  
'What are you... What are you trying to say?'.

'I will help you. Send you supplies. But I'm not doing it for myself, for you, for Fundy, Tubbo, Techno, or anyone else. I'm doing it for L'Manberg, what it represents, and those who belong in it. Nothing else. Do you get that?'. Wilbur, hesitantly, nodded.  
'Yes. Yes, I think I do.', the former President told her.

'I'll try to get clothes. Do you guys need food?'.  
'All Techno has is potatoes. Something else would be nice.'.  
'Alright. Weapons? Armour?'.  
'Weapons are fine, but he barely has enough armour to outfit all three of us.'.  
'Alright? And anything else?'.  
'I think basic stuff like that will be fine for now.'.  
'Good. Oh, and just so you know.'.

Niki looked back for a moment.

'I'm going to get most of this stuff from Eret. He's the only person I can trust around here these days. If you have a problem with that, you can refuse to take it. But that's your funeral.'.  
'That's...', Wilbur paused, practically swallowing his pride. '...Fine. As long as we have something.'.  
'Good, then. I'll leave things in a chest at the edge of the beach, there. By the large rock.', Niki pointed to the distance. 'And... Tell Techno I said hello, okay?'.

'Sure. Oh- And- Uh... He told me to tell you to... Not bite your nails?', Wilbur said with great confusion, unsure why Techno found the message to be such high priority. Almost instantly, Niki let out a laugh – A laugh filled with joy, familiarity and relief.  
'Typical.', she muttered with a snort. 'Now go. Things might get messy around here soon.'.  
'Aright.', Wilbur turned away, starting to head down to the beach to get Tommy. Before he did, however, he turned around and gave Niki one more look.

'...Good seeing you again.'.

The woman responded with a gentle smile.

'Good seeing you too, Wil.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reunited and it feels so gooood
> 
> i was binging clone high while writing this and holy shit i love jfk id die for he  
> nothing bad ever happens to the kennedys :)


	64. The Resilience (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quackity thinks about his relationship with Schlatt.

Quackity admired Schlatt.

He thought it was quite normal for him to. Why wasn't everyone else absolutely obsessed with him? He was brilliant in everything he did. With the way he conducted himself, for example. How he walked around, how he talked with people, and how he managed to make Manberg something admirable in the matter of a single week. God only knew what he'd turn it into once he was here for a month, or even a whole year. Quackity also admired... Well, finally being recognized.

For once, he was being appreciated. Instead of everything he did being shrugged off as a joke, he was taken seriously. And for once, he could actually contribute to Manberg in some way. He was the one who suggested a renovated library once Schlatt caught wind of that temple Wilbur had kept hidden away during his presidency – And the President had told him his idea was brilliant. And he loved it. He loved every time he told him he was smart, he loved every time he told him he was capable, he loved every time he told him he was charismatic, and most of all... He loved...

He loved...

Him?

Okay, okay. That's a bit strong. But he loved the _idea_ of him. What he represented. What he was. What he stood for and what he did. He adored everything about him, about the way he talked, the things he told him, and most of all, the things he did. That much was clear to him. He didn't need to use any strong words to describe it, put any label on it. He was just fine following him around, getting appreciated, and doing whatever it was Schlatt needed from him. After all, he was doing so much work for Manberg, it was only fair someone did some for him. Schlatt said it himself; He deserved someone to do work for him when he worked so hard all the time.

Quackity, as he often did when it came to the President, agreed.

'...As far as the housing goes we need a lot more space if we want to allow all these people to move in. But first of all, a prison. Or at least somewhere to keep people. I have a feeling I'll need one of those.', Schlatt, as he often did, was talking on and on without any sign of stopping. And, as they had been for the last week, the whole cabinet was forced to listen.  
'What about the Library? When are we gonna focus on that?', Fundy cut in. How he had managed to make his way into the cabinet, Quackity wasn't sure. He just knew Schlatt liked having him around to make some of the choices, seeing as he was so close to the previous President (Which the man himself would deny profusely or avoid the question completely if asked).

'Tubbo! My right hand man! Tell me, how many things do we have in line?'. The boy looked down at a small notebook in front of him, stammering;  
'Uh... So.. The trees have to be chopped down, the pathways have to be laid out, a prison, more housing, a library, a hotel, an office building or two, am embassy for the DreamSMP-'.  
'Right, right. You're so good at keeping track of things, Tubbo!', Schlatt suddenly turned away. 'Alex!'. Quackity flinched. He still wasn't used to his name being used so openly. 'What do you think? What should we focus on first and foremost? You've always got the best insights into things!', as the President spoke, he poured himself a glass of something and slowly drank from it.

'...The trees have to go if we want space and materials for these things. Once we get that done, the prison should be priority. If you want somewhere to put Wilbur and Tommy once we get to them, that is.', Quackity looked aside for a moment. 'Since, ya know. Murder might bring public opinion way down. Imprisonment when the law is clearly broken seems better.'.  
'God, you are so smart, Alex!', Schlatt spoke, sounding somewhat condescending. But no, surely, he just misheard. He cared about him, after all. He was his Vice-President. There was nothing to worry about when it came to him. 'Right then! Full focus on the prison! Let's get some of those assholes who want to join Manberg and use them for labour! Chop chop, Fundy get out of here and get me some people! Tubbo, you go help him out. Not a second wasted.'.

Silence. As always, after a meeting, there was silence. Not for long, though.

'God, they're both idiots.', Schlatt leaned back in his chair, put his feet up on the table, and instead of elegantly pouring out another glass of his drink, instead opened the bottle and started drinking directly from it. Quackity, as he often did after these meetings, simply slouched in his chair.  
'Why do you say that? They seem pretty capable.'.  
'Fundy has a worse relationship with his one parent that I've ever had with either of mine, and trust me, that says a lot, the fuckers left me when I was seven... And Tubbo could not have more attachment problems, I mean look at him. It's been a week and those two are already clinging onto me as if I damn near brought them back from the dead. Manipulating these guys isn't even fun, it's too easy...'. Quackity hesitated for a moment.

'You don't think like that of me, right?'.

'What?', the President looked up, a grin coming to him. 'Of course not!', he claimed, his eye twitching ever so slightly. 'Would I be telling you all this bullshit if I were doing it on you too? That'd be stupid, wouldn't it? Come on. Who do you take me for? I'm not an idiot.'.  
'Right.', Quackity agreed, almost instantly. 'Obviously. You're smarter than that.'.  
'Exactly!', even with his proper demeanour, it wasn't hard to spot the slight slurring in Schlatt's speech. 'So... What do we do next? Once the prison's complete, we can-'.

'Cut back on the alcohol?', Quackity suddenly cut in. The President looked back, seeming shocked.  
'Excuse me?', he responded, narrowing his eyes.  
'You keep drinking like that you'll get hurt. I get that you're celebrating, but come on.', the Vice-President came closer, snatching the other's drink out of his hand with a swift motion. 'Take it easy. You've still barely recovered from the Nether. You don't need to pile onto that.'.

Schlatt considered for a moment and then rolled his eyes.

'Whatever. Come on. I think we should check out that library I uh...', Schlatt looked nervously to the side of the room, as if he had just spotted someone. Quackity didn't see anyone. 'I found out about in Wilbur's office. Yeah, that one. I wanna see it. Come on, I'd be nice to take charge of whatever it is. Control is always useful, is it not?'.

Quackity, as he often did when it came to the President, agreed. He admired him, after all.

And Minx watched. She had watched Schlatt, for a long while now. She had watched how he acted, she had watched how he walked, she had watched how he smiled and laughed. She knew those gestures – She saw them in the Nether, where, for those six accursed months, she trusted him.

'You idiot, he's using you! Why can't you see that?'.

But as always, no one ever heard a word Minx said.

\---

'And then I told him to suck my dick-'.  
'Language!'.  
'Right- Uh- Told him to buzz off, and the fucker shot me!'.  
'Language-... Why do I even bother?'.

Schlatt, on top of being brilliant politically, was also incredibly charismatic. He could get along with, and manipulate, virtually anyone. Quackity had been watching him for the past week in Manberg impressed above anything – How quickly he switched between that guy he was in the silent, empty meeting room after Tubbo and Fundy had left to the President who wanted “the best for Manberg” through some... Questionable means. By that he meant, not questionable at all. Everything he did made sense. Such as, talking to Bad, Skeppy, and their newly-found friend, Antfrost. Now, Antfrost was an interesting man.

He had arrived in the DreamSMP a few days after the election, greeted as an old friend of Skeppy and Bad alike, who had explained to everyone he was from the city that the two decided to move away from a while back, known as MunchyMC. He had decided to move there for a while to spend time with them – He moved into their home and hadn't really done much of interest. His most prominent feature were his cat ears and tail – Much resembling Fundy's fox traits. And as it was with Fundy, no one asked questions. The past didn't exist inside of the DreamSMP.

'That Pete guy sounds a bit... Impulsive.', Antfrost concluded, sitting on a nearby wall and aimlessly playing with the sleeves of his hoodie. His ears flopped down for a moment as he grinned. 'But pretty funny, too. He just... Shot you?'.  
'That he did.', Schlatt carried on his story, laughing to himself. 'He was senile, is what he was.'.  
'I thought you said he was only sixty-one?', Quackity cut in, receiving a pat on the back.  
'Trust me, Alex. If you had known Pete yourself you'd agree with me here.'.

Schlatt, as he often did, had brought Quackity here to “chat with the people”. Even though... Skeppy, Bad and Antfrost were all citizens of the DreamSMP, but either way, he deemed it necessary. And of course, Quackity agreed. He always did. He never said no to Schlatt's ideas, because Schlatt was never wrong, and Schlatt always knew what to do. At some point, he had found himself alone with Antfrost, who was reading a letter with a rather large smile on his face.

'What's that?', Quackity asked, getting closer. He sat down on that same wall the other was on, hearing Schlatt laugh on about something with Skeppy in the distance.  
'...Oh! It's a letter! From my boyfriend!', the man exclaimed, holding up the paper. 'He still lives in our old city, but Bad managed to figure out a way for us to send letters to each other! He's got a pretty important job back there, so... Hopefully he can move here soon.', the man's ears went down fro a moment, his eyes growing saddened. 'Hopefully.'.

'It must be nice.', the Vice-President told him, himself glancing up at the sky. 'Having someone that cares about you that much, right?'. The man laughed slightly.  
'Obviously! It couldn't be better.', he chuckled, putting the letter away. 'You say that as if you don't have anyone. I'm sure there's someone who's looking out for you, right?'.  
'Yeah... I guess.', for a moment, Quackity's eyes wandered over to the man he had regarded as his friend, his main source of support, and someone who'd have his back no matter what. The same someone who told lies wherever he went, and who had everyone he “cared” about fooled.

As Alex looked at Schlatt, he spoke quietly;

'I have my doubts, though.'.

\---

Schlatt didn't care, did he? Schlatt was just using him. That was the real truth Quackity couldn't see.

The way he laughed around Tubbo he laughed around him, too. The way he smiled at Fundy he smiled at him, too. The way he spoke down to everyone around him, every single person he passed by, he spoke that way to him, too. How was he so blind? How did he not notice it? All it took was one day working around the library by himself and things were becoming so clear to him. As he sorted out the papers, as he translated the pages, and as he put things on the shelves Tubbo had shown him – Everything slowly pieced together in his mind, and it was making sense. And yet still, a part of him was clinging on. A part of him was still begging for those lies to be real.

A part of him knew that even that fake affection was better than the empty, cold void he had grown so used to throughout his life.

Being alone in an empty, unfinished library and hunched over a desk all day gave him some time to ponder about how Schlatt treated other people, too. And their reactions. Fundy was first to fall for his tricks – It was obvious. Wilbur had neglected him for far too long, and the moment the next father-figure rolled by, Fundy clung on with all his strength, since he knew nothing else. Tubbo was a bit more difficult as far as all that went – Schlatt had explained this himself. With how much he cared about Tommy, it was hard to convince him to do what he truly wanted him to do. But there was something else shining through – Jealousy. Oh, so much jealousy. Jealousy for being the Vice-President, the right-hand-man, Wilbur's local poster boy for “young, capable leaders”. Schlatt was giving him that – And that was enough.

But... Was any of this a bad thing? I mean, he gave Fundy the attention he required. Even if he turned away the moment they were done talking, Schlatt still showed him more care than Wilbur could ever bother to. And Tubbo? Tubbo was in charge of the library! He got to do important work, show that he was capable, take the spot that Tommy had stolen away from him. Wasn't that... Fair? Wasn't that... Good? And what about Quackity?

Wasn't it nice to be finally appreciated?

No, no, no. That was how Schlatt got in your head. That was how he infected you, how the poison spread, and how you were eventually left with no thought of your own. All that was left was mindless love and admiration for a man that didn't exist – But then again... Schlatt had shown him his true face. After the meetings, in the evenings, laughing, joking, casually speaking of all his methods and- God, he was so conflicted, it wasn't even-

'Hey! Alex! How are you doing, buddy?'.

Schlatt burst into the library, completely derailing his train of thought.

'Oh. Mr. President.', Quackity looked down at his work. He was about half-way through translating a rather confusing book regarding creatures known as “Dreamons”. He couldn't help but feel a chill go down his spine as he read the words. 'Just this. It's not-'.  
'Half way through! Nice work! Tubbo is about done with that other one, too. Listen man, sorry I had to give you this job. You're a lot more fit for more challenging work than that, I get that. I just needed to be alone for today, you get that? Important meeting with Dream and all. I wanted to leave you in charge of something you could handle!'.

_He's doing it again, he's just lying to make me adore him more, I can't let it work._

'No problem, Mr. Pres-'.  
'Come on, Alex. Drop the titles. We're friends, aren't we?'.  
'Right. Yeah. We are, Schlatt.'.  
'More than that! We're like... partners. Partners in crime! Doesn't that have a nice ring to it?'.  
'Hah... It really does, doesn't it?'.

_But he's being so kind, his smile is so warm, it feels like I'm being drawn in._

'And hey, I actually listened to you. Not a drop of alcohol today – And I'm feeling great!'.  
'Really? That's.... I mean, that's great, Schlatt.'.  
'Isn't it? You've really got a good influence on me. I appreciate it.'.  
'It's nothing. I'm just looking out for a friend.'.  
'And I couldn't have asked for a better one, Alex. Truly.'.

_He's so amazing, isn't he? He's everything you'd want from a leader. Why did I ever doubt him?_

'How about you come by mine later tonight? No drinks this time, I promise.'.  
'No drinks? What are we even gonna do then?'.  
'Ever heard of just... Having dinner? Or is alcohol the only way you know how to party?'.  
'I'm joking, I'm joking! Yeah, dinner sounds nice.'.  
'It's a date then! See you at eight, and good luck with the books!'.

_He's a good person. He might not care about them, but he cares about me._

_Why would he go out of his way to make me happy like this?_

_Yes, yes, he cares about me._

'It's gonna be a wonderful evening, Alex!'.

Quackity, as he often did when it came to the President, agreed.

Because Quackity admired Schlatt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and they say romance is dead
> 
> all jokes aside though, this chapter took a while to figure out since i wasnt really sure how to approach it properly  
> it isnt "romantic" by any means, and most likely never will get extremely so (apart from small references at best), but i think its pretty good how i presented it?  
> aka one-sided admiration mistaken for a million other feelings
> 
> idk yall, give me your thoughts on it. theres still a lot ahead of these two and these things may change. for now theyre just broskis mates buddies pals chums with some very confusing feelings towards one another.
> 
> ALSO ANTFROST  
> GOD I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT HIM  
> yes hes here and yes him and velvet are sending letters to each other :)))


	65. The Resistance (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy and Wilbur learn more about SMPEarth from Techno. Pogtopia welcomes and unlikely ally.

‘Wilbur, watch your left, you’re completely open!’.  
‘Hey, no fair, I was gonna use that against-‘.  
‘Tommy, stop getting distracted!’.  
‘Stop dodging! We’re practising your offensive here!’.

Techno, as he often did, watched the two train with a mix of pride and disappointment at the same time. Sure, they had made some incredibly good progress. Wilbur was finally up and fighting, and Tommy had learned multiple of his techniques in the matter of a few weeks. It was impressive, how quickly he picked it up, but he also knew it was partially due to it coming back to him through the dreams. As for the former President, it was a bit more proper and orderly with him. He knew the techniques and he worked on improving them more and more each day, as if it were a delicate art or some sort of instrument. In the end, the two were about on the same level. This meant he could stand aside and watch them fight while observing both of their methods.

And it was... Well, to put it nicely, a little pathetic.

When they fought with him, they kept up their proper stance and used the moves he taught them as if they were sitting an exam. Once facing each other, something of a competitive spirit took over, leaving the two messily swinging their swords with no regard for how to do it properly and with full focus on simply hurting the other. Tommy hit extra hard, Wilbur struggled to block properly as he got too aggressive, and Techno watched helplessly. That sort of anger and energy they had could be channelled into something great, but no matter what, they refused to follow his lead properly. Suddenly, as he watched, Wilbur dropped his sword and grabbed onto his leg, wincing in pain. He collapsed to the ground while the other two came closer, trying to help out.

‘Wilbur! Are you okay?’, Tommy exclaimed almost instantly. He had finally changed out of that old uniform and replaced it with a white shirt with a red patch at the top of it Techno had often seen him wear before L’Manberg was properly settled – It was one of the many things Niki had brought them. He also put a red scarf around his neck - He wasn’t quite sure why, or where it came from.  
‘I... I don’t know... It just started hurting again...’, Wilbur responded, still holding onto the old wound. The man, on the other side, had dropped that yellow sweater completely and replaced it with a white shirt and brown trench-coat, alongside a black beanie. He finally looked how you’d expect a runaway rebel to look - And not just some fallen President, unable to move past his mistakes.

‘I think it’d be good if we take a break.’, Techno suggested, helping the former President to his feet and pointing to the campfire. ‘Come on, let's sit down. It’s about time we have some food anyway. And... of course...’, he paused, looking back.

‘I have a story to get through, don’t I?’.

\---

Let’s see, then... The Antarctic Empire, although renamed and with me as its “Emperor”, was still an old, poor village constantly plagued by the cold, a lack of food, and a lack of supplies. We needed to get things somehow, so we started with taking a ship to Africa and setting up a small camp there. We’d get materials, me, Pete and a small group of villagers that is, sent them back to Phil, and let him use them to make the village better. It was all good until the local villagers got involved - They didn’t know we were Leaders, you see. We didn’t have our uniforms for the sake of keeping a low profile. They were getting bothered by us mining diamonds out of their mines.

Thing escalated... And before I knew it, one of them had my pickaxe stuck into their skull.

It’s not something I’m proud of. I never will be. But it made me discover something Phil had been trying to keep hidden from me - Phil, himself, also retains all of his memories, like me. Back in SMPLive, without my knowledge, he had been keeping me away from fighting, suspicious of this type of thing possibly existing. He knew I had a tendency to get... Fascinated, if you will, with aggression like that. But it was taking that first life that ultimately made me completely slip away, losing control and never hesitating killing another person again. At first, it made me feel powerful. But soon enough, it became quite clear that I wasn’t in control any more. My sword seemed to move on its own accord, and I was left alone inside my mind screaming for it to stop.

But it never did. It wouldn’t, for a while.

With the supplies, the Antarctic Empire finally started growing. More people arrived in and out, we opened trade, and most of all, we begun building an army. Small, at first. Tiny battalions attacking and taking from little islands belonging to insignificant nations. Then, something bigger. A full-on city of our own in Africa, and a great force destroying and overtaking most of the villages there. Small attacks on American coasts, spies and assassins being sent into Europe and Asia. With each day, we became more infamous for our lack of mercy. But it was never Pete or Phil that gave those orders - It was me. Pete simply agreed, meanwhile my father didn’t have the heart to stop me. He simply wanted to help me. Behind my back, he begun working on a potion.

The conquest continued. Leaders begun begging for our mercy, giving up small portions of their land and forming alliances we’d always break. We never trusted anyone, always stabbed people in the back, and never let anyone bring us down. We knew we were breaking the rules - That land has to be traded, that it has to be granted to a nation. We didn’t care. We just wanted to finally have what others got - And once we had it, we were hungry for more. More, more, more, never enough. It was one lonely, cold night, as I was looking over the sea from the balcony of the Antarctic Palace that the greed and anger in the back of my head convinced me of something - An idea.

The Antarctic Empire should take over the whole world.

All for ourselves, every island, every nation, every Leader bowing down to us. We deserved it, after all. Phil and Pete alike helped the Captain settle the First Kingdom, and yet it was him that got to take the throne and rule it all. How was that fair? But then again, how was it fair of me to sit upon a throne and rule over everyone? Monarchies, democracies, dictatorships, every “government” is the same. Someone’s in charge of everything and they’re bound to mess up - Just as I did. But that didn’t make sense to me at the time. My mind was far too twisted with a bloodlust I couldn’t comprehend for me to care for the logistics of it. We would start our conquest from Africa - And I’m sure you know the rest of the story from there.

Wilbur, you, as the leader of the United Nations of SMPEarth, were alerted to everything and wanted to put a stop to it before I entered claimed territories. That’s why you took Tommy and the two of you and visited the Captain - Your plan was to trade his crown, one of the most precious items our world knew back then, in exchange for peace. The crown I have on my head right now is that very crown - The Crown of the Fallen King. It’s not something I wear with pride... It’s more a reminder. A reminder of how little control I truly have of myself. It keeps me in check - Just as much as the potions do. Now, the potions are another important piece of the puzzle - Phil was the one who came up with the recipe. Until a while ago, I myself didn't know it.

Me, Phil and Pete continued our conquest through Africa, next through Europe, and through Asia. Every nation we passed fell. More and more Leaders ran, heading to the most distant point of land that still had a harbour – Tommy's nation, Business Bay. The plan was for Tommy to allow all of the runaway Leaders inside, and from there they’d take a ship to Newfoundland, where Wilbur could keep them safe from us for a while. That was everyone's plan, at least. But you, Tommy, suggested something else. A bold idea no one wanted to support at first, but what eventually became your only chance at ever putting an end to the slaughter. You set up a trap and waited for me, Phil and Pete to arrive - But there was another aspect to everything you didn’t consider.

Phil had finished the potion.

He sneaked it into my food that morning - The morning we planned how we would catch you all with your useless trap and cut you into pieces as we finally took full charge of whatever was left of our known world. And the moment I drank it, that lack of control just... Disappeared. I was finally in charge, and of course, my guilt hit me with an intensity I couldn’t have anticipated. I cracked under the pressure - And I gave my order. We would willingly let ourselves be caught in your trap and answer for our crimes before all the Leaders of our known world. That was the only way I felt like I could make up for everything I had done in that state of rage and lust for power. Once we were caught, or rather, surrendered, me, Phil and Pete were all taken to Saint-Malo - Where the Saint-Malo trials took place, putting an end to our Empire, once and for all.

Everyone was there. Every Leader of every nation, those who had fallen to me and those who were still fighting alike. Everyone was brought forward to serve as a witness, and they would all testify against us. There was not a single person in that crowd that I could trust to take my side - Apart from Pete and Phil, who were both sitting on my left and right respectively. But I didn’t mind. I was happy to sit there and take whatever punishment I deserved - But we could never predict what happened next. As everyone argued over my fate, a figure we did not recognise had shown itself in the distance. It was strange - Like the silhouette of a human, but lacking something that made it like us, or the Villagers. As we looked at it, something just seemed... off.

That figure was the first Hunter.

\---

As they often were after one of his stories, Tommy and Wilbur remained completely silent once he was done speaking. And, as it often was the case with these two, the silence did not last long.

‘So those potions you have in Pogtopia... And the ones you had a whole room of in the Antarctic Palace... They get rid of your bloodlust?’, Wilbur enquired in a low tone, as if worried he would wake the Emperor himself if he spoke too openly on the subject.  
‘They don’t remove it, no, but they make it easier to manage.’, Techno responded. ‘It goes from a direct controlling force to a voice in the back of my head that’s easier to ignore. The potions slightly hinder my reflexes, though. My fighting is a bit faulty if one is in effect.’.

‘Wait, so you’re even better at fighting than you are right now?’, Tommy looked around and stammered. ‘Who trained you, some sort of Ancient Blood God?’.  
‘My father did.’, Techno answered the question with a laugh, ignoring the boy’s outlandish theories. ‘Back in SMPLive, when he tried to keep me from fighting others, he trained me in basic sword fighting to get that urge out of my system. Over that life, SMPEarth and this one I nurtured my skill, more and more. It’s only natural I’d become as good as I am today - I have lifetimes worth of practice in me.’.

‘Your father... You keep mentioning him.’, as Wilbur spoke, something in Techno’s expression seemed to change. ‘If you don’t mind me asking... Did he make it to this world?’.  
‘Yes. Phil is here.’, he confirmed, his eyes turning sombre. ‘He raised me in this world, just as he did in the last two. We decided to go our own ways many years back. Maybe, one day, he’ll come here. I sure hope so... I’d love to see him again.’. It almost seemed like Techno wanted to say something else, but the bushes suddenly shuffling nearby left them startled. All three turned, grabbing onto the nearest weapon, or anything resembling one, and getting in defensive stances they were taught by the former Emperor over the course of the past few weeks.

From the trees, with his hands raised, emerged Dream.

‘How the hell did you find us?’, Tommy screamed almost instantly, getting elbowed by Techno soon after. He had told the boy to never let his emotions overtake him in moments of crisis, and was very aggressive about the rule whenever he showed signs of not following it.  
‘...Relax. No one else knows I’m here.’, Dream paused, his face unseen under his mask. ‘I run away and hide from my friends for sport. I know how to keep track of where people are. And it’s been a good few weeks - You shouldn’t be surprised someone managed to track you down when you’re this close to L’Manberg.’.

He called it L’Manberg. Not Manberg.

‘What do you want from us?’, Techno tilted his head, and as Dream turned to him, he moved up his mask and revealed a grin.  
‘The Blade in the flesh. It’s good to finally meet you in person.’, he turned his attention to Tommy and Wilbur. ‘And it’s good to see you two are okay. I’ve been worried-‘.  
‘Cut the shit, Dream. Why are you here?’, Wilbur speaking up finally made the other leader sigh and step back, clearly only able to take the former President seriously out of the whole group.

‘...I want to help you.’.

Tommy’s well known laughter erupted almost instantly.

‘Oh my god, you’ve got to be joking!’, Tommy screamed and nearly fell over laughing, leaving the other two with their weapons raised and their visitor watching them patiently.  
‘I’m serious.’, Dream insisted, his hands still raised.  
‘No the fuck you’re not!’, the former Vice-President exclaimed, standing up tall. ‘You tried to kill me last year! You literally shot me!’.

‘And I regret it.’, the man carried on, only receiving more laughter. Another elbow from Techno was enough to silence him. ‘And I want to help you. What Schlatt is doing.. It isn’t right.’.  
‘And it’s taken you a month to realise that and come out here?’, Tommy muttered under his breath, this time dodging the inevitable attack from his trainer. Seeing this, Wilbur nudged the other.  
‘He’s a tyrant. However, the treaties I signed with L’Manberg keep me from doing anything about it. As a leader... But, as a person...’, Dream reached behind his head, grabbing onto the strap of his mask and pressing onto a button. With a click the strap came loose, his mask dropping down. He caught it with one of his hands, quickly lifting it up again to show he was unarmed.

With his emerald green eyes he looked at them and spoke;

‘I want to help, as best as I can. I can offer supplies, information, anything you need. But I cannot be public with it. I can only provide small services. War could break out if I’m caught.’, Dream paused with a sigh. ‘And I made a promise to never bring my city to a state like that ever again.’.  
‘You’ve got Sapnap and George. Why can’t you three just use our weakness and let your city grow? This doesn’t make sense.’, as Wilbur spoke, he could see Dream’s expression change. He went from seriousness to... Helplessness?  
‘Many people in my city have begun turning to Schlatt for things. L’Manberg and the DreamSMP are now becoming closer than ever - It’s not a case of just looking out for my city and my people any more. L’Manberg has become a place I need to make better, too. My two companions are no different to everyone else.’, Dream looked up once more and narrowed his eyes.

‘George and Sapnap are no longer my allies. The Dream Team is gone. I’m alone.’.

‘...What can you offer us?’, Techno spoke up, getting an instant reaction.  
‘Techno, we can’t trust him! He’s the enemy!’, Tommy claimed.  
‘As far as I’m aware, Schlatt is the enemy.’, the man turned his head. ‘And the enemy of my enemy is my friend. That’s how we managed to survive in SMPEarth.’, he turned his head to the two. ‘We came together to face a common threat, despite our pasts.’.  
‘That was different! This is Dream we’re talking about! He’s an asshole!’.  
‘I’m... I’m right here...’, Dream muttered, mostly unheard.

‘Tommy, we barely have any allies as is. Niki is overwhelmed with all her work and Tubbo is being watched by Schlatt constantly. This is all we can do right now.’. The boy sighed, threw down his weapon and walked away.  
‘This is exactly what happened with the Emperor! And you know how that ended!’, he turned back, glaring through Techno. The other seemed unmoved, but something deep in his eyes appeared to show the smallest hint of regret.

‘Tommy-‘.  
‘I need to catch up on that stupid book. Leave me alone.’.  
‘Tommy!’.  
‘Let him go. He needs to calm down.’.  
‘Tommy...’.  
‘...So... This revolution is about as stable as the last one?’.

Wilbur watched Tommy walk away with a sigh.

‘Yeah. Just about.’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dream dream dream dream
> 
> also smpearth lore :)  
> lots of it hee hoo :)  
> hope it makes sense
> 
> oh and wilbur has his jd cosplay now  
> uh oh we all know what this means


	66. The Resilience (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niki and Eret witness something horrific in Manberg. Tubbo feels himself losing grip. Quackity continues thinking about Schlatt. Fundy decides to fight for himself.

Everything was slipping out of Niki's control. She could see it, she simply wouldn't admit it.

Firstly, there was Minx. With how little time she spent around Schlatt it was impossible for them to talk in peace, and when she actually got to be close to him, he'd go out of his way to make sure the two were kept apart. Not only that – Schlatt had decided to actually be bothered about his health and drink less as well as working twice as much every night, which made sneaking into his house a lot harder. Secondly, Tubbo. He kept coming back home later and later, every time he was around Schlatt the other seemed to tell him more and more lies, and she could slowly see him reconsidering things. She tried to convince him to try and tune the President's voice out – She hoped he listened.

And with Schlatt came the final issue.

He knew. Oh, he knew. He knew and he would give her side-eyes, little smirks and mutter things under his breath so that she knew, too. He knew about her deal with Pogtopia. Someone must have caught her putting away items and told him – Now, he was keeping a closer eye on her than ever. She had at least one person constantly watching her from a distance, so now she depended on Eret more than ever to deliver the supplies to Pogtopia. Another thing Eret did was get the supplies themselves. As well as provide her with things, with how heavily Schlatt had been taxing her. Come to think of it, Eret was doing everything for her.

And this kind-hearted man was L'Manberg's infamous traitor?

'I'll have those delivered to the chest by this evening. Don't worry, okay?', Eret, now rarely wearing his crown, or even his cape, for that matter, was standing in front of Niki, holding onto her shoulders and looking into her eyes. Eret had been the only person she felt comfortable actually sharing her true feelings about everything with, which also meant he had become her main source of comfort. She nodded her head, although the irregularity to her breathing and the way her lip was trembling was quite clear to the King.  
'Yeah, yeah, I won't. I know you can handle it.', she suddenly came closer, wrapping her arms around the other. 'Thanks for everything, Eret. You don't know how much you're helping me. Really.'. She soon felt his hands around her shoulders too.

'It's the least I can do for L'Manberg after all I've done.', he suddenly grabbed her shoulders and moved her away as gently as he could. The woman quickly fixed up her hair as he carried on; 'You should go now, though. It's best if we're not seen together.'.  
'Right. You're right, okay. See you around, Eret. I better go check on Tubbo.'. Eret smiled to himself as he watched Niki turn towards Manberg, waving at him as he did. He set his eyes on his castle, already prepared to make his way inside and embrace the familiar, cold and empty normality of his life. However, before he could even as much as move, he was cut off by a piercing scream.

Eret turned quickly and ran forward as swiftly as he could, eventually finding Niki on her knees right at the exit of a small tunnel between the DreamSMP and Manberg – Her eyes were wide, filled with tears and focused on something up ahead. The King didn't need to ask her what was wrong – Stepping closer and looking in the same direction as her gave him the answers he needed. He felt his whole body tremble as he watched, gasping and covering his face with his hands.

The L'Manbergian flag was burning.

'No! No, how could he?', Niki screamed as she watched helplessly, the flickering flames slowly consuming hours worth of Tommy's work. Every part of the fabric slowly shrivelled and fell, turning black and charred. Eret came closer, barely believing what he saw.  
'No... No, this can't be... This can't be happening...', he could barely even speak properly, his throat clenching up out of fear and leaving him with no air to breathe. He soon found himself sitting near Niki, the two observing the flames rising and rising, unable to put a stop to it.

'...Eret...', Niki whispered in-between her sobs, her teary eyes still focused on whatever was left of the flag. It was now simply a shrivelled piece of cloth, barely hanging onto the pole it had once found itself on. The King turned to his friend, trying his best to speak clearly.  
'...Niki?', he whispered, barely being able to say much more.  
'We're not safe here. Me and Tubbo. We have to get away. We have to get to Pogtopia.', Niki slowly rose to her feet, supporting herself on a nearby wall. The whole ordeal had made her head spin – She was barely able to breathe, not to mention stand.  
'Schlatt has eyes on you constantly. How do you plan on....', his words trailed off as he saw the woman's intense expression. Her eyes filled with a rage and passion he had never expected from someone as gentle as her – She had a tendency to show this side of her in the most hopeless times.

'Invisibility potions.', Niki responded, lowering her head. 'Tubbo would need the supplies from you, but he could make them. He made some for Wilbur and Tommy. They might take him weeks to prepare – And Schlatt made them illegal after those two got away. We'll need to keep a low profile, but if we make them in my house... We should be fine.'.  
'Get me a list. Whatever you need, I can get it.', the King reassured the other, grabbing her hands. 'I'll get you and Tubbo out of here, Niki. I promise.'. The woman, this time, did not try to hide her tears, more and more pouring out as she let herself be pulled into a tight hug.

Yes, Niki was sure. Things were slipping out of her control. But at least she had someone there to help her sort it all out. So, perhaps all hope wasn't lost yet?

\---

'Oh, would you look at that. Like fireworks. Beautiful, is what it is.'.  
'It's a part of history. You don't burn history.'.  
'What was that, Tubbo?'.  
'Nothing, Mr. President. Just talking to myself.'.  
'I sure hope so.'.

Quackity agreed with Tubbo here – Burning the flag probably wasn't absolutely necessary. Neither was breaking down the walls or renaming the country, but Schlatt had claimed it all to be a part of his plan to “move past the history of this shithole and move into something greater”. And of course, the Vice-President agreed. He had doubted Schlatt far too much already and had been proven wrong, so even he himself believed the burning of the flag to be something that had to be done.

'Isn't this wonderful, Alex?', Schlatt grabbed the other's hand with his right and with his left pointed to the flag. A small piece of the material had burned away and fell down, shrivelling up into a dark pile of ash on the ground. 'A new era for Manberg! Tubbo, do you wanna design the new flag?'.  
'I- No, Mr. President, I'm fine.', the boy quickly responded, trying to hold back his tears as he watched the flag turn to nothing. Before Schlatt could speak, another voice interrupted;

'I could design it, Mr. President. If you'd let me.'.

Fundy suddenly appeared near the two, walking up from the burning flag. In his right hand was a torch – A lit torch. One could only assume what he had used it for. He was wearing a proud grin on his face, and barely paid any attention to the look of horror on Tubbo's face as he approached him. He put out the torch and dropped it to the ground, wiping some soot away from his clothes. He finally looked up and forced another smile.

'I have a few designs in mind. Mind if I give you a little pitch?', the former President's son said as he removed a small journal from his pocket, opening it. Schlatt was quickly by his side, looking over his shoulder with a glimmer of excitement in his eyes;  
'Ooh! I like the colours on this one! We should put you in charge of designing things around here!'. The two walked away slowly, leaving Tubbo and Quackity alone. As soon as the President was gone, the young boy dropped to his knees, sobbing, covering his face with his hands. The Vice-President hesitated for a moment. The right thing to do was to say something, try to make things better for him. But he was the one who approved of Schlatt's order and passed it down to Fundy.

But Quackity had also been a friend to this boy once. So fuck it.

'Hey. Tubbo. Are you alright?', he came closer, his hand instantly being pushed away.  
'What do you care?', the President's right-hand-man suddenly rose to his feet, trying to step away and get as far away from Quackity as he could. The Vice-President watched in silence, letting the other speak; 'You made this happen! You could have stopped it, but you didn't! Why? You could have said something, at least tried! But you're on his side, aren't you? You're on his side because he told you a few sweet things and now you're blind!'.

'It's the best thing for Manberg-'.  
'L'Manberg! That's the name!'.  
'Schlatt said it's called Manberg-'.  
'He doesn't get to decide that!'.  
'Schlatt is the President!'.  
'I don't give a shit!'.

There was a moment of silence. A moment of aggravated, fed-up silence.

'He's doing what he thinks is best for this nation. Can't you see that?', Quackity came closer. Fake smile, fake chuckle, fake cheery tone of voice. Compliments, kindness, sandwich personal attacks in-between. That was how Schlatt did it, was it not? 'Look around at how beautiful this place is. Look at how many new citizens we're getting. Do you want to take that happiness away from everyone? Look at all the new buildings. He even opened a public library! Wilbur kept those books hidden, and Tommy only supported that. They may have been your friends, but they were not good leaders, Tubbo. Why can't you accept that what Schlatt is doing is good?'.

It was, wasn't it? That was what Schlatt said. And Quackity admired Schlatt. So he trusted him.

'You're... No, no, that's not true... He's tearing down everything we care about, he's evil!', Tubbo turned away, but something in his expression seemed... Changed. Schlatt had taught him well, it would seem. Quackity watched the boy walk away, heading towards the library. For a moment, he himself looked up at the flag pole, remembering seeing it for the first time.

God, it seemed like an eternity ago. So much had changed. But life moved forward. Those who couldn't accept change were cowards. That was how Schlatt put it. And of course, Quackity took the President's words to be true. On his way past the pole, he even seemed to... Smile. He admired Schlatt, after all. He loved everything he was. He loved everything he did. He loved every single element of that man, and no matter what his mind convinced him of whenever he was alone, he would not cave. His admiration for Schlatt was unbroken. It had been from day one, he knew.

He remembered how much it hurt seeing him turn away into that portal, after everything he told him. He remembered the unending joy his compliments had brought him, he remembered everything they talked about and how free he felt finally having someone there who understood him. Someone who knew what it was like to be pushed aside by everyone, never taken seriously. Yes, Schlatt had told him a lot about how he grew up, how him and Wilbur struggled for recognition, and how it was all stripped away from him the moment he got it.

Quackity and Schlatt could trust each other. They were so alike, after all.

And most of all, Quackity admired Schlatt.

\---

Fundy closed the door of his room behind him, pressing his back against it and feeling his whole body slide down as he collapsed, every limb in his body trembling. Keeping his head held high was getting harder with each passing day, but he had to stay strong. He stood up, although his legs were quite shaky, and slowly walked to his mirror. He had always said he'd never wear a suit to save his life – And yet here he was in a clean, white shirt and a maroon vest over it. He looked so smart, so clean, so professional, so proper.

If only his father could see him now. Maybe he'd finally feel proud.

His eyes narrowed as he thought of that man. Of that man who had raised him, even with how absent he happened to be, and who had loved him for who he was. That father who had accepted him as he was and didn't toss him aside for being different, that father who had protected him for years. Despite not always being able to fully focus, he'd still get angry at the kids picking on him because of his fox ears. Despite not always being aware or truly present, he'd still let his son sit in his lap as he fell asleep, knowing he often suffered from nightmares. Despite their hardships, the two managed to make it through so much. Because his father was a good man.

Was. But where did that man go?

He slowly sat down at his desk, opening his journal. From the inside, he retrieved a single photograph. A photograph of that very man that had disappeared the moment Tommy showed himself, that man that had loved his son no matter what. And there he was – Fundy. Still a little kid, hair cut short recently by a kind soul from a nearby city and with some old clothes Wilbur had managed to fish out from his things, barely fitting the young boy, but still, better than the skirts and the dresses. He sighed as he lifted it to a nearby candle.

There was something fascinating about fire. About how it melted all your pain away, if used right. About how it could get rid of any problem, but start a million others. It had decimated Tubbo's old flower field all that time ago, meanwhile his current one was way on its way to being eventually destroyed in Schlatt's unending campaign for expanding Manberg further and further out. He watched these very flames first eat up his father's face, then his body, and slowly burn away the young, innocent kid he had once been. But Fundy was far from being a kid now, of course – He was nineteen now. An adult. On his own.

He didn't need Schlatt, his father, or anyone else. He had himself.

And that was why Fundy would think for himself, also. He would not follow along with every plan Schlatt laid out in front of him. He would not run into the woods in search of his father. He would not join Niki's little one-woman rebellion. And he'd never, ever look Eret in the eyes and call him an ally. No. Fundy was alone, and Fundy knew he had to take his own stance. Not for his father, not for his friends, his family, his allies, his enemies, or anyone. For himself – Himself and his nation alone. He wouldn't sit here and watch Manberg fall.

He'd stand for L'Manberg. Even with everything that had happened, it was still his priority.

He grabbed onto his quill, dipped it into a small ink cartridge and heard it scratch gently against the paper, the noise filling the silent night. He could hear Quackity and Schlatt laughing on about something in the room they had now decided to share – The Vice-President practically lived at their home since the Jschlatt Administration was established, so it wasn't that surprising seeing him move in. He tried to focus on his words as he carried on on the page, eventually coming to a stop. He leaned back in his chair and looked down at the journal – With a flame burning in his eyes, just as it burned on the candle, the flag, and the photograph, he read over the words;

_I have decided to infiltrate Schlatt's regime._

_His actions and beliefs are the polar opposite of what I stand for, and I must put a stop to this. Instead of forming a revolution, I will break it down from the inside._

_I have taken down the flag of L'Manberg and pitched a new flag to Schlatt himself. He seemed to like my ideas. Once the flag is complete I will present it to him, hopefully gaining his trust._

_King Eret and Nihachu are against me, but they can't know my true plans._

_I will have to live with their hatred for me, for now._

Fundy closed the journal, put it in a small compartment on the side of his desk, and locked it with a lock he had been preparing for quite some time. Yes, he was angry. He was angry he couldn't say anything, he was angry his father had left him, he was angry Niki hated him and he was angry Eret had her so fooled. He was angry Schlatt's ideas seemed more convincing with each day, he was angry at how Quackity was being treated, he was angry about how they were both pulling Tubbo to their side, and he was angry about being so powerless.

He looked into the mirror, catching a glimpse of a lonely, melancholic boy who seemed a million lifetimes away, completely different to the man sitting in the chair. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked at the shrivelled, burned photograph on his desk.

Yes, Fundy was angry. But he would let that anger drive him forward.

No matter what, he'd never let L'Manberg fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fundy pov :)  
> fundy spy reveal :)  
> fundy :)  
> thats it thats the post :)


	67. The Resistance (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Schlatt missing, Niki visits Pogtopia. Techno reveals more about SMPEarth. Tubbo receives a gift.

'Right. Dodge. Light on your feet. If you know the enemy and know yourself-'.  
'You need not fear the result of a hundred battles! On your left, old man!'.

Swords clashed. They were both breathing heavily. They had been at this for far too long.

'Nice try, don't announce yourself next time. In the midst of chaos-'.  
'There is also opportunity! Holy shit, how did you dot that? Wait-'.

The teacher turned, his student was caught off guard, and fell.

'Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night...', Techno muttered, reaching out with his hand.  
'…And when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.', Wilbur responded, letting himself be helped up.

'Good job. You're getting good at this.', he said in-between deep breaths, putting his sword aside. For training, the three had long moved past the wooden sword, and with almost two months of Pogtopia coming up on them, had started training with actual, iron swords. It definitely caused a few more unfortunate accidents – But at least it helped make the sparring more interesting.  
'Could be better.', the former President dusted himself off and looked around. 'By the way, have you seen Tommy? He said he'd go out to get a delivery from Niki and-'.

'Hey guys! You won't believe who I got!'.

Wilbur's head snapped to the side, noticing two figures emerging from the woods. One he recognized as Tommy – The other, he soon realized to be Niki. She seemed completely out of place, looking around with wide eyes and a huge grin on her face. Firstly she said hello to Wilbur, giving him a quick hug. She then looked behind him, freezing. She met eyes with Techno, both of them remaining still for a good minute of nothing but silence. Eventually, she ran forward and wrapped her arms around him, laughing as she did so.

'Techno! You're okay!'. The man slowly dropped his sword and as hesitantly as a startled animal moved his hands to around her shoulders too, returning the hug.  
'Hi again, Niki.', he muttered rather unenthusiastically, but it was clear he was simply overwhelmed with the whole situation. How did Niki get here? Why was she here? And most of all, he was simply overjoyed to see her again. It all just mixed together and left him unmoved and speechless.

'Now come on! Let's see how you've been!', Niki suddenly pushed him away, grabbing onto one of the swords laying around. She turned back, getting in a fighting stance. 'Your reflexes better be as good as they used to be! Or, maybe, for once, I'll manage to kick your butt...'.  
'Shouldn't you explain how you-', before Techno could speak, Niki moved her sword forward and attacked by his side. He quickly turned away, dodging just in time to pick up a weapon of his own.  
'I'll explain as we fight! Come on, it's been too long since I've had a good sparring session!', the woman fixed up her stance, and as her opponent moved forward, she quickly dodged away.

Techno grinned. Finally, he'd have a good duel.

'So why are you here?', he moved his sword forward, and as the woman blocked it and forced him away, he took a few steps back, awaiting her next move. 'Didn't you say Schlatt has eyes on you?'.  
'Not today.', Niki quickly responded, spinning around on the tip of her foot just in time to hit below Techno's right arm. He barely had enough time to dodge, jumping back and nearly losing his footing. 'Schlatt has been missing all day. All of his goons didn't know what to do so they just kind of did their own thing. So when Tommy came by, I thought this would a good time to visit.'.  
'Ah.', Techno threw up his sword and rearranged his grip on it. 'What's the deal with him?'.

'God knows.', Niki shrugged, her and her friend's swords clashing as they both attacked at the same time. She moved her head closer and spoke despite the effort she was putting into keeping her sword stable. 'If you ask me, him and Quackity are planning something. They've been doing nothing but staying locked up in their house, talking for hours on end and making notes.'.  
'Any theories on what it could be?'. The two were finally forced away from one another, Niki deciding to get more aggressive with her moves. She spun around, tried to strike, but missed and found herself falling to the side. She quickly caught herself with her left foot and regained her balance, looking up at her friend with a smile as she did;  
'Nope! But who cares! At least we get a break from him!'.

'And you? How have you been dealing with all of this?', Techno knew Niki's fighting style well, and could have easily caught her off guard multiple times now. But... It was nice. Practising like this, just like they used to more than a year ago now. He got ready for her next strike, this time with an intention to take charge of the fight.  
'Eret has been a lot of help.', Niki admitted, once more making a strike forward with her sword. This time, Techno dodged to the side, turned back and quickly tripped up her leg, forcing her to the ground. 'He's getting me supplies. I'd stay here if I could, but I won't leave Tubbo. And with how Schlatt has been watching him, there's no way to get him out without potions.', the woman rose to her feet just in time to dodge another attack, breathing heavily as she looked up. 'We're making some invisibility ones. We just need another week or so.'.

'Sounds like you've got it figured out.', Techno suddenly dropped his sword, completely confusing Niki. She tried to find out what his plan was, and as she did, he took her moment of confusion to quickly strike her hand, knocking her own weapon away. She dropped down as he tried to aim with a strike around her face, trying to sweep his legs. He was quick to react, jumping up.  
'I'm doing what I can to keep myself and Tubbo alive. Everything else is just... Secondary.', Niki explained, dodging a kick, another punch, and finally making her move by trying to slam into the other. She felt herself being grabbed, eventually thrown down onto some soft grass. She slowly stood up, dusted off her clothes, and then sighed.

'You're still better than me.', Niki admitted, blowing some of her hair out of her face.  
'Well you still almost got me for a moment there. That's improvement.', Techno commented with a laugh, causing the other to punch his arm.  
'Oh come on. Let me be a sore loser in peace.'. As the two turned back, they found Tommy and Wilbur both looking at them with a mix of confusion and admiration.  
'So you two just... Talk like this? By kicking each other' asses?', the younger asked, without anything else to comment.

And Techno and Niki just laughed. It had been too long since they got to do that.

\---

'I think this may be the last time I'll have to tell these stories... So let's bring it to an end.'.

Techno, Niki, Wilbur and Tommy were all sitting around the camp's campfire, something resembling a dinner being cooked over it. Wilbur was taking care of the pot, Tommy was aimlessly playing with the scarf around his neck, and Niki had insisted she would brush and braid Techno's hair, seeing how messy it had gotten without her there. She wasn't listening to their story all that much, her fingers moving expertly in-between the pink strands of hair as she hummed some sort of melody under her breath. Having her around alone seemed to give all of them a strange level of comfort – They weren't exactly sure why.

'Have you even brushed your hair? It's so tangled.', Niki muttered under her breath as she worked.  
'I... Yes? I mean, I tried... Is it that bad? Can you fix it?', Techno appeared more concerned with the state of his hair than his story now that Niki had pointed it out. Tommy cleared his throat.  
'Hey? Hey Blade? Can we uh... You know?'. The man turned back, trying to ignore Niki constantly pulling at his hair from behind him. She was about half way through her braid, completely oblivious to whatever it was the other three were discussing. She was very dedicated to her work.  
'Oh. Right. Sorry. So... The Saint-Malo Trials were cut short...'.

\---

The figure we saw in the distance approached very slowly, its unusual... Aura, if you will, making everyone go silent. It didn't move, at first. It looked around the audience, its face was... A blank, black void, with two red eyes. That was it. Its whole body was the same shade, colourless. It had a sword in its right arm and a shield in its left, all seemingly a part of its body. It didn't give us time to really react as it lunged at you, Wilbur, and started attacking you. It had you down in seconds, and was about to kill you. Me, Phil and Pete all stepped in, and tried to fight it. That's when we realized we were facing something dangerous.

For the first time in my life, I was defeated.

I ended up in a one-on-one fight with the creature, and somehow, it was faster than me. Stronger, too. And I'm sure it wasn't just the potions. There was something superhuman about the way it moved, how it seemed to predict everything I was about to do. I would have died if so many people didn't help me. Now, you have to understand – Until this point, I had been known as an unbeatable fighter. The fact that it managed to overpower me alone made everyone fear for what it possibly was. We eventually overpowered it by fighting together, managing to make it retreat. From there, things got messy, but I'll try to summarize it as best as I can.

We begun researching the creature, and eventually found out it was named a Hunter. They were rumoured to arrive to mark the end of time, with one new one appearing every few days. Once one hundred of them were present, they would strike at once and kill every living thing in their way. The first Hunter appearing marked us all for death – We had either years or mere months left to live, and there was no way to know for sure. We all ended up splitting into two groups – One looking for an escape, and one looking for a way to fight. It was here that I offered to train the fighting group and provide them with somewhere to stay in the Antarctic Palace.  
  
You know most of the story from there.

We trained in various fighting techniques while trying to fend off the Hunters that had already arrived, every day knowing it could be our last. I started losing sleep trying to come up with some sort of battle plan, meanwhile you two grew a lot closer to Phil. You ended up becoming an... Unofficial double addition to the Antarctic Rulers, helping us make a lot of our vital decisions. The other group of people who didn't trust me enough to train them instead focused their attention on trying to find a way out of our world. They eventually discovered the Nether Portal – The one we would use to get away the day it all went wrong.

Sometime during our training, I begun getting more and more paranoid, eventually making my training far too difficult for everyone to handle. This was when you challenged me to that duel Tommy – And with your victory, I realized my mistakes and improved my methods. You two actually started trusting me for once... Too bad it was so late into the whole situation. By the time we were actually making some progress as far as our training went, it was the day. We spotted the hundredth Hunter and prepared for war... I...

And I…

I...

I don't...

I try not to think about that day much. There was so much that went... Wrong. They were so much stronger than we expected. I barely managed to fend off one by myself, not to mention all of the ones coming our way. Everyone was screaming, most ran, I don't even remember how many we lost that day... All I remember was looking over the battlefield and knowing our fighting had been for nothing. Nothing at all. We never had a chance at winning – We were dead from the moment the first Hunter showed itself. Luckily, we had a back-up plan. The Nether Portal. The Portal some of us had worked on opening. We all met before it, and me and Phil, knowing how we thought those portals worked, made everyone aware of the fact that they'd be reborn and forget everything in the next world...

Everyone agreed. This was the only way.

And here we are.

\---

'So we lost? Just like that?', Tommy spoke up instantly, trying to ignore the pain in Techno's eyes. The fallen Emperor raised his head for a moment, taking a deep breath.  
'Heroes don't always win.', the man responded. 'We lost that day.'.  
'But what caused the Hunters to get there?', as Wilbur spoke, the look Techno gave him was... Chilling. The man shut his eyes for a moment and sighed.  
'...We don't know. Just as we didn't know what caused the floods, we don't know what brought forward the Hunters.' - Techno was lying, that much was clear. But Wilbur and Tommy knew better than to question this man about things. He rarely said anything he wished to keep hidden.

'...Technoblade... Are you hiding something from us?', the former President said rather hesitantly.  
'There are things better left unsaid, Wilbur. Trust me.', the other spoke with a serious tone.

Niki, who had remained silent until then, moved her hands away from Techno's now-completed braid, looking at the three. She quickly explained to them it was better if she were to return to Manberg now that it was getting dark. She left quickly, waving at her friend as she turned away into the woods and giving him one last talk about properly brushing his hair before she did. He, of course, responded with something about her unhealthy habit of biting her nails.

And so, Niki was gone.

\---

The door opened with a creek as Niki slowly slipped into her house, locking it behind her. There was a click as she turned her key and removed it. Before she could turn back and do anything, a nearby lamp suddenly flickered on, lit by someone else in the room with her. Her eyes darted to the side, the woman gasping and dropping her small bag of items as she recognized the figure. She was completely frozen with fear as she tried her best to think up of anything she could say. The figure rose to its feet from the chair it sat in, came closer and leaned forward with a grin.

'You're out quite late, aren't you, Ms. Nihachu?', the President of Manberg spoke.

'Get out of my house!', she screamed almost instantly, grabbing onto a sword laying by the couch and lifting it up. She had been keeping a weapon close-by for a while following the election, knowing she'd need it eventually. 'You may be the President but you have no right to-'.  
'I asked you a question, did I not?', as Schlatt stared into her, she felt completely unable to move, her hands trembling. He walked right up to her and pressed down on her sword, lowering it with no resistance whatsoever from the woman. 'Where have you been all day?'.

'R-running jobs. I was running jobs-'.  
'What jobs?'.  
'T-the ones from... Tubbo- Where's Tubbo? Did you hurt him?'.  
'God, stop screaming, you'll wake him up. He's had a long day. Let him rest.'.  
'What did you do to him?'.  
'Me? I didn't do anything. Some things just happen naturally.'.

Niki, completely ignoring the President's words, pushed him aside and ran to her bedroom, where Tubbo was, indeed, asleep in her bed, as he had been for the past month. He didn't seem hurt in any way, just exhausted, as he often was. She came closer, trying to figure out what Schlatt had meant. She nearly dropped her lamp as she realized, covering her mouth with her hand. She heard the President creep up behind her, leaning over her shoulder as he muttered into her ear.

'You shouldn't sneak out like that, Ms. Nihachu. You've been causing me a lot of grief. So I decided to put some of that grief onto Tubbo. It's only fair, is it not?', the man grabbed her hand, forcibly turning her around in a way that made her look directly into his eyes. 'You're on thin fucking ice here. One more slip up like this and I'll make sure you never see the light of day again. You might think I don't know what you're up to, but I'm not a fucking idiot. No more deals, no more trades, and not a single word to that son of a bitch Eret. Is that clear?'.

All the woman could do was nod.

'That's wonderful, then. Have a good evening, Ms. Nihachu.'.

She looked back at Tubbo, feeling as if hands were wrapping around her throat, keeping her from breathing completely. She gave the boy one last look to make sure she wasn't seeing things – No, it was clear as day.

On Tubbo's head, hidden under a messy tangle of brown hair, a pair of goat horns had appeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh god oh fuck  
> what he do  
> what he do to the boy  
> firgg
> 
> also where was he all day  
> mysteriessss


	68. The Resilience (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things begin spiraling out of control in Manberg. Niki gets caught, Fundy struggles with his alliances, and more and more people take sides. Tubbo recalls his day in the Nether with Schlatt and reconsiders who he trusts.

'So... Are we going to talk?'.  
'Can you pass me that vial there?'.  
'So that's a no then?'.  
'Thanks. And the tulip, please.'.

Tubbo was completely lost in his work, slowly pouring ingredients into a boiling pot of water in front of him. Niki was watching in silence, her eyes constantly travelling between the potions in front of them and the obvious elephant in the room – The horns. From the way he acted that morning, she guessed he was well aware they were there and... Didn't seem bothered? He acted as if nothing were wrong at all, avoiding the topic completely to his best ability.

'Tubbo, please, we can't just avoid this.', Niki looked up at the boy's head once more. She looked as if she wanted to reach forward, touch them, check if they were real, but she was unsure if she could even bring herself to. There was this... Aura around them. She couldn't quite place it.  
'If I tell you the truth you'll give me a lecture about things... I don't want that right now. I want to get you of here, okay?'. Niki hesitated for a moment. Her eyes widened as she moved forward.  
'Me? What about you?'. The boy didn't respond. He simply shrugged.  
'I have a job to do. I can't up and leave. But you can, if you want to. We just need to get-'.

'Tubbo, what are you even saying?', the woman turned the other around, grabbing onto his hands. He was forced to leave his work for a moment, looking up and into her eyes with guilt. 'Talk to me. Please. What did Schlatt do to you? You don't have to be scared of me. Please.'.  
'...Have you considered Schlatt might not be the bad guy here?', Tubbo asked in a whisper, instantly causing the woman to step back. She considered his words, for a moment, and then her eyes narrowed with concern and fury flooding them.

'What? Tubbo, he banished Wilbur and Tommy, how could you-'.  
'Yes, he's done some bad things, but... Think about it. He... He was elected. Democratically. With a vote from the people. They wanted him and Quackity as their leaders.', Tubbo paused, turning back to the potion he was brewing. 'And... Sure, he went a bit far with the banishment, but he... He...'.  
'This isn't funny any more, Tubbo.', Niki grabbed the boy's shoulder, turning him around more forcefully than she meant to. 'What did he do to you? Just tell me. We can fix this, we can-'.  
'He didn't do anything to me, okay?', the Secretary of State suddenly pushed her hand away. 'We... We got stuck in the Nether. And we talked. A lot. And he told me some things.'.

'You got stuck in the Nether? When? How? With Schlatt?'.  
'Why did you think we were missing all day? You didn't even bother checking...'.  
'How did you- And you talked? About what?'.  
'...It's... It's too much to... Just...'.

Tubbo took a deep breath before he spoke.

'Just consider the possibility Wilbur isn't the good person we all think him to be, okay?'.

Tubbo didn't speak, and Niki could see there was no way she would get any more information out of him in the state he was in. She turned her attention to her window, suddenly noticing something. Something that was not supposed to be there at this hour of the day, something that signified trouble and something that meant she was about to make a sacrifice she wasn't so sure she was ready to make. She turned to Tubbo, grabbed his arm and squeezed it tightly as she spoke in the lowest whisper she could manage;

'Tubbo, whatever happens next, I need you to play along, okay?'.  
'What? What are you talking about? What's going on?'.  
'You'll explain that Nether thing some other day, okay? For now...'.  
'Niki, what's going- What's going on?'.

Suddenly, the front door was forced open by someone.

'Please, whatever you do, don't tell Schlatt!', Niki suddenly screamed out, pushing Tubbo away far more strongly than she intended to. The boy stammered, struggling to figure out what was going on. He looked towards the door – And found Schlatt, accompanied by Sapnap looking back at him.  
'Tubbo? What the hell is going on here?', the President came closer. His right-hand-man backed away, trembling with fear as he looked at the pure horror and desperation in Niki's eyes. He knew what she wanted him to do – But he wasn't sure if he was strong enough to do it.  
'No, no, I- Mr. President, I wasn't- Tubbo, please... You have to cover for me here...', her voice, he knew, was full of faked emotion she didn't truly feel. Niki didn't want him to help her – She wanted the exact opposite. She wanted to help him. He slowly turned his head, taking a deep breath.

'Mr. President. I caught Nihachu illegally producing potions.', as much as it hurt for him to say the words, he knew it would be worse for everyone if both of them were to get in trouble with Schlatt now – Especially with the trust Tubbo had gained with the other. 'I was just about to go back and report to you. It's good you're here. She thought she could get away with it because we're... Friends.', Tubbo looked the woman right in the eyes, as if trying to send her some sort of message. 'And even though.... She is... Sometimes it's necessary to take certain steps... To ensure everyone's safety.'.

He could see Niki smile for a moment. He was glad they understood each other.

'Well, I'm glad you understand the importance of such things.', Schlatt cut in as Sapnap came closer and grabbed the woman, pushing her aside and leading her forward with a sword pressed to her back. 'And I was wondering when I'd get to use that prison of ours! We've been working so hard on it, after all. Come on, you know where to take her. I've warned her multiple times.'. The man grinned, narrowing his eyes. 'No second chances.'.

Tubbo watched in silence as Niki was lead away and felt his breathing grow heavy as the door finally slammed shut again. He turned around, cleaned up all of the potion-making materials and threw them into a bag, intending to hand it over to Schlatt later that day. Niki had put herself on the line to allow him to carry on another day in Manberg, and he wouldn't throw that chance away by continuing to make the potions that could get him arrested, too.

He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Those horns matched him strangely well.

\---

_'Are you done yet? I want to actually get back home before sunrise.'._   
_'One more second, Mr. President. We need to make sure this is absolutely safe.'._   
_'Trust me, we'll be safe in there. I can guarantee that much.'._   
_'How... How can you be so sure?'._

_Tubbo looks at Schlatt for a moment. He shrugs, looking at something unseen by his side._

_'I just know. Come on, in and out, quick twenty minute adventure. I just need one thing.'._   
_'Okay. But just... Okay. Yeah.', Tubbo hands the President a potion. 'I've never been in there.'._   
_'Oh, you have. A lot of people have.', Schlatt chugs the potion and smiles. 'That's the thing about the Nether, Tubbo. It has a tendency to make people forget things.'._   
_'I... I'm not so sure I understand.', the boy drinks his own potion with more hesitance.'But... We should get this over with quick, then. Let's go.'._

_And so, the two step into the Nether Portal._

\---

'Hey! Hey, asshole! Let me out of here!'.

Banging on the door wouldn't do much, she knew. But Niki needed some way to vent her frustration, and screaming and kicking seemed to be the best way to do it. The prison wasn't grand by any means – A small, square building with about four cells total. Outside her own, Karl was standing in silence, holding onto a sword and looking aside. Any time she made an attempt to get his attention he'd simply go to another side of the corridor and do something else – She had lost hope on that front. She turned back to the cell, looking out of the small, crated window ahead of her.

She felt her whole body go weak as she fell down to her knees, trying her best to stay focused. She looked around with more focus on detail now, noting the lack of cracks in the concrete walls, the water dripping down from somewhere, and the old, ruined bed pushed into the corner. The only thing new about this prison was the materials it was built out of – Clearly, Schlatt didn't want to spare expenses on new furniture. She covered her face for a moment and tried to calm her breathing. God, she wished someone was here with her. Wilbur, Eret, Tubbo, anyone.

But she was alone. All alone, all over again.

\---

_'How the fuck did it close? How is that possible?'._   
_'I- I don't know! It shouldn't have done that!'._   
_'So we're fucking stuck in here now? This is bullshit!'._   
_'Mr. President? Are you okay?'._

_He's breathing heavily. There's panic in his eyes. That's... Unusual for him._

_'Mr. President? What's wrong? Are you... Alright?'. Why is Tubbo even asking? He's a tyrant._   
_'I can't... I can't fucking do this again, I have to get out of here...'. Right, he's been here before._   
_'H-hey! Don't panic! We can get out of here! I... I can relight the portal.'. Why does he care?_   
_'With what? We don't have any fire, we don't-'. He comes closer, kneels down and smiles._

_'We've got fire everywhere around us. We just need to get it to the portal. It shouldn't be that hard, right?', Tubbo asks, helping the President stand. Why is he being so nice? He doesn't care, right?_   
_'Right... I guess...', Schlatt nervously looks around, as if he were looking for someone. 'I'm just... Worried about other things. Yeah. I'm fine. And don't touch me!'._

_The President suddenly snaps, pushing him aside._

_'I was just trying to help... No need to be rude...', Tubbo stands up, looking around. It's so warm._   
_'I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I'm just scared.'. The boy is startled. Did he just apologize?_   
_'Come on. We can figure out a way out of here. I'm sure it can't be that hard.'._   
_'Right. Probably. Let's go, then. I've done this once before.', Schlatt pauses._

_'I sure as hell can do it again.'._

\---

Fundy came to her a few hours after she was locked up.

'Are you happy?', was the first thing she asked him. He simply looked down at her through the window in the steel doors separating them, seeing her curled up in the far corner of the room.  
'Why would I be? My friend is in a jail cell. Of course I'm not.', the man waited for a moment, stuffing his hands in his pockets. 'Niki, you had this coming. You could have just-'.

'Shut up!', the woman suddenly rose to her feet. 'Just shut up already!'.  
'Niki, you have to understand, siding with Schlatt is the only way to survive in-'.  
'Oh, you'd know, wouldn't you? You had no problem turning on everyone who cared about you!'.  
'You're one to talk, siding with Eret!', Fundy snapped, unsure why he got to worked up.

He couldn't tell Niki. No matter what. The only way to keep a secret was to not reveal it.

'...Eret is the only one who cares about L'Manberg any more. And with the President's son standing right in front of me that says a lot about you, Fundy.'. The man backed away.  
'And you're the one inside a jail cell.', he leaned forward, lowering his voice to a whisper. He knew she was simply angry because she thought he had betrayed her, but he still couldn't help but be hurt by her words. 'So looking at us, I think it's easy to see who's doing better.'.

Niki did not speak. She returned to her bed and sat down, hoping she'd wake up from this hell.

\---

_'Ow... Ow... My head...', Tubbo quickly touches his hair, feeling something... Coarse?_   
_'Here, let me see that.', Schlatt shifts closer, gasping. 'Shit... How fucking low is your tolerance?'._   
_'What? What's wrong? What's up there?', Tubbo looks up with panic rising in his voice._   
_'Goat horns. You're a hybrid with jealousy for someone.'. Like me.'. The boy looks away._

_'We could remove them.', Schlatt speaks, unlike himself. 'Ponk is a good doctor. They're fairly, small... It would take a while, but I think it could-'._   
_'It's fine.', Tubbo says with a shrug. He watches his reflection in a shard of glass the two have started using as a weapon/tool, a smile coming to him. 'I... I kind of like them.'._

_'You do?', Schlatt scoffs. 'That's surprising. They do match you, though.'._   
_'But I better not grow them out as much as you. I wouldn't wanna look like a ram.'._   
_'Hey! What's wrong with my horns?', the President asks with a... Laugh?_   
_'Nothing, nothing, Mr. President, they're wonderful, really!', Tubbo responds, giggling._

_Why are they finding so much comfort in each other? They're supposed to hate each other, right?_

_'Hey, Tubbo?'._   
_'Yes, Mr. President?'._   
_'We're gonna forget about all this as soon as we walk out of here, alright?'._   
_'What? Why?'._   
_'This isn't how things are. You don't trust me. I can see that much.'._   
_'Well I... Not... Necessarily.'._

_'What? You trust me?'._   
_'Well, I... I can see the good you're doing for this nation. Maybe... Maybe if you just admitted that banishing Tommy and Wilbur was a bit of a mistake, and... And maybe go a bit easier on Niki... You could make this place better, you know?'._   
_'I... I admit, it was a bit much. I was still... So fucking angry... About so many things... I just couldn't think straight. I did the first thing I knew would help me get back at Wilbur. That's all. But how he treated you is unfair. I know that much.'._

_'Schlatt...'. The President doesn't correct him on the lack of a title.'What did Wilbur do to you?'._   
_'...Do you really want to know, Tubbo?', he asks, receiving a nod._   
_'Everyone deserves to tell their side of the story.', the boy says. 'I still haven't heard yours.'._   
_'Right.', the President relaxes his shoulders. 'Maybe that's the way to do it.'._

_'It starts something like this...'._

\---

Tubbo's eyes remained focused on the large photograph in front of him – The gigantic picture of the former President and Vice-President, labelled with their names underneath it. He looked at it very differently, having had heard what he did the day he returned with Schlatt from the Nether – The President brought him to his house so he could wash away the blood on the horns and stitch up the cuts they had made. He knew Schlatt would claim he had made them appear as a “punishment”, or something of the sorts. He'd never tell the truth of what had gone down.

He'd never let his moment of weakness show, but that was okay.

Tubbo didn't have a side. He never did. Tommy had always told him, he was more of a follower than a leader. He didn't like to make the choices, he simply liked to follow along with the ones who did. Tommy was gone, and so was Wilbur. So naturally Tubbo turned to the next person who lead – That person was Schlatt. And was there something wrong with that? Was there something so wrong with following the democratically elected leader of his nation? Now, with no alcohol fuelling his impulsiveness and more calculated choices, the President was actually... Capable.

Helpful. Kind, even. In his own, strange way.

Tubbo watched as the picture was taken down and replaced with one of Schlatt and Quackity, one the two had taken only a few days prior. The President’s right-hand-man thought about Wilbur a lot, too - He thought about the things he had heard from Schlatt. He had also thought about what Schlatt did to Niki. In the end, as was always the case, Tubbo found it impossible to pick a side. So, as per usual, Tubbo would simply follow the leader closest to him.

'Ready for the meeting, Tubbo?'.  
'Yes, Mr. President. I'm coming.'.

For the time being, Tubbo would follow Schlatt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> schlatt's and tubbo's nether adventure was supposed to be a whole chapter but  
> i need to speedrun things  
> we gotta get to schlatt's lore reveal  
> i promise it's coming not any time soon but it's  
> uh it's on its way
> 
> a few other fun things before then tho UwU


	69. The Resistance (Part 6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy is visited by Dream and meets an unusual person. Quackity catches Schlatt at his lowest and motivates him to an extreme point.

Tommy felt as if something was gonna go wrong.

He wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was how Techno had been acting recently, since he finished telling his story. He’d look at Tommy and Wilbur with suspicion, as if considering telling them something but finding himself unable to say a word. There was clearly something on his mind, and with how he was, he’d eventually reveal the truth. That day, however, was not today. Wilbur, on the other hand, had become more and more agitated with each day.

He’d wake up from more intense nightmares, discuss them with Techno when they thought Tommy couldn’t hear and he’d usually be given some sort of potion to calm him down. Whatever was going on with him, for once, didn’t directly involve the former Vice-President. He had been dreaming more about SMPEarth, sure, but most of it was just what Techno mentioned. A nightmare or two about the Hunters would show itself, he’d talk it out with the other two and feel fine in under an hour or two. So why was Wilbur struggling so much?

Maybe, he was dreaming about something worse than SMPEarth. But that was only his theory.

That specific day Wilbur had insisted he wouldn’t sleep, instead staying up and reading over The Art of War for about the hundredth time. Techno kept insisting understanding the lessons of the guy who wrote it were necessary for his training - But if they were to be honest, it seemed to be more of his personal opinion than fact. Techno had told him it would be a bad idea to lose so much sleep over the fear of, as the former President had put it, “remembering **_it_** ”, but Wilbur did not listen. The warrior himself was also distracted by that matter that he was yet to bring up with them, struggling with an internal fight on whether or not to talk about it with his fellow rebels. With both of his friends so distant and lost in their own worlds, Tommy felt as though everything was about to come crashing down. He thought it would relate to the two men, but in the end, it all came down to one.

One unrelated man. Dream, to be exact.

‘Dream? What are you-‘, Tommy tried to ask when he noticed the man standing behind a nearby tree, instantly moving his finger to his mouth to make him go silent. He quickly waved the boy over, who, after looking back at Techno and Wilbur silently brooding over their issues near their campfire, decided to come along.

He was pulled into the forestry the moment he was out of the other two’s sight, coming face-to-face with the Dream Team’s infamous leader. He looked nervous, and sick, too. Pale skin, sweat on his forehead and blood running down from his nose. He still had his mask on, but it was moved to the side of his face, revealing one of his eyes staring into him. There was this unusual panic in his eye, something that Dream was rarely willing to show to people he didn’t trust. He got closer, grabbing onto the boy’s shoulders. From how tightly he was squeezing them, he could sense just how stressed he was. Tommy simply looked up at the other, unable to find the right words to put into perspective just how puzzled he was by the whole situation.

‘Tommy, I need you to, for once in your life, listen to me, alright?’, he came closer, squeezing his shoulders even more tightly. ‘And if you tell anyone, and I mean anyone about this, I’m going to grind all of your discs to dust and scatter them in the sea, understood?’.  
‘Uh- Right, yeah, not a peep to anyone, big man!’, Tommy instantly exclaimed, having had forgotten how terrifying Dream could be when he was really fixated on a situation.  
‘Good. Now listen to me, I’ll only say it once. I don’t have a lot of time.’, Dream turned away, wiped his face, and fixed up his mask. He cleared his throat and looked forward, crossing his arms.

‘I’m possessed.’. Tommy instantly snorted, trying to stifle his laughter.  
‘You’re what?’, he instantly asked through his giggles.  
‘I said listen, not talk!’, Dream snapped, making the boy stand up straight again. ‘I’m possessed by a Dreamon from the Nether. She wants to take charge of my body once a month to stay stable. Normally, Sapnap and George would watch her to make sure she didn’t destroy anything. But they’re not on my side any more, and I don’t know if I can trust them. So that’s why I’m here - I need you to watch her for today and make sure she doesn’t do anything. Okay?’.

Tommy blinked a few times. Dream sounded so serious, and yet all the former Vice-President could do was laugh at how ridiculous the statements were.

‘Are you sure you haven’t been stealing drinks from Schlatt? You sound like a complete nutcase.’, Tommy commented, but upon seeing Dream not even crack a smile, he grew worried. ‘Dream, what’s really going on here? Where are you taking me?’.  
‘Nowhere. There’s nowhere I can go this far in.’, the man suddenly grabbed onto a nearby tree, dropping to his knees. Tommy would have asked him if he was alright, but considering the two’s shared past, he didn’t feel completely genuine doing it.

‘You might not believe me now, but at least promise me you’ll watch her once you do. I don’t have much time now.’, Dream sat back, lowered his head, and mumbled; ‘Promise... Promise... Just...’.  
‘Dream?’, Tommy came closer, noticing the other had passed out. ‘Dream? Hey, stay awake. Dream!’, he grabbed his shoulder and shook him, but still, nothing. Then, he noticed something... Unusual. Something very unusual.

Dream’s normally quite short curly hair was peeking out from under his hood, now seemingly longer than ever, reaching to around his chest as he was bent over. As Tommy gripped his shoulder it almost felt... weaker? Smaller in stature, at least, easier to grasp onto. His clothes seemed a bit too big for him, and his mask started slipping down his face. Tommy slowly removed his hood, putting him up against the tree to see his face. That’s... when he noticed it. Dream wasn’t there any more in those clothes and with that mask over his face.

In his place was a young girl.

She slowly opened her eyes, emerald green, much like Dream’s. She shifted the mask away from her face and put it to the side, wiping the blood from under her nose with her sleeve. For a moment she seemed dazed by the length of the sleeve and size of the hoodie, but she quickly grew accustomed to it, rolling up her sleeves so her hands were seen. She looked up at Tommy, for a moment, that look of disorientation still present but with a bit more understanding now. She leaned forward, a smirk spread across her face and with a light-hearted tone of voice she spoke;

‘Hello, child.’.

‘Child?’, Tommy snapped almost instantly. ‘I’m not a child! You’re the child!’, he looked down at the girl’s small stature. ‘How old even are you?’.  
‘Fourteen. You’re still a child, though.’, the girl responded with a shrug as she rose to her feet, tightening the belt around Dream’s trousers and cuffing the bottom ends of them so they didn’t get in the way of her shoes.

‘You’re younger than me!’.  
‘Yeah. But you’re a child.’.  
‘So are you!’.  
‘Well, yeah. But you’re a child too.’.  
‘I- Who- Who even are you?’.

The girl started laughing.

‘I knew that’d make you angry. It always does.’, she tilted her head with a smile. She reached forward with her hand. ‘I won’t tell you my name. Just ‘cause. But I’m Dream’s sister. Pleasure to finally talk to you in person. You were always my favourite to watch from a distance.’.  
‘Dream’s sister? But he said you’re a Dreamon? Why won’t you tell me your name? I am...’, Tommy paused, grabbing onto his head. ‘I am so incredibly confused right now.’.  
‘Well let’s start at the beginning then. I’m Dream’s sister, you’re Tommy. Hello, hello, introductions out of the way, now, question time. One for one. To be fair. I’ll start. Can you bring me to Technoblade? He’s really cool. I’m like, his number one fan. I’d love to talk to him.’.

Tommy was speechless. Simply speechless. And that was very, very rare for him.

‘Okay, fine, fine. Your question first. Come on. Hit me. Not literally. I’m like... Still not used to pain. It’s been a while since I’ve had a human body. So. Question time. Go. Ask anything.’. Tommy stammered for a bit - Never had he ever met someone that overwhelmed him this much socially. This girl just never seemed to stop talking - You’d never guess she was related to Dream with how much information she had managed to give him in such a short amount of time.

‘...You’re a Dreamon?’.  
‘Yup. Evil monster from the Nether. I’ll eat your soul and stuff.’.  
‘And you’re Dream’s sister?’.  
‘Yep, yep, yep. I’ve said that like... two times. Keep up.’.  
‘And you won’t tell me your name? Why?’.

‘Names carry meaning, child.’, the girl carried on with her stupid nickname, only causing Tommy to get more worked up. ‘Especially for Dreamons. Knowing the name of one can, like, help with rituals and stuff. So that’s why I only trust Clay with mine.’.  
‘Well I’m not gonna just call you Dream’s sister. That’s a bit awkward.’, Tommy tried to fix up his posture, getting back into his more confident persona. He had to keep up with this girl, somehow, and being confused wouldn’t aid that much. ‘How about... Drista? You know, like a combination of the words Dream and sister?’.

‘So I’m completely defined by my brother and my relation to him?’.  
‘Uh... Yeah.’.  
‘And you’re going to call me by that nickname and nothing else?’.  
‘If you let me, yeah.’.

The girl thought about it, grinned and shrugged.

‘Sure.’, Drista responded. ‘Why not?’.

‘So... If you’re a Dreamon, and Dream is your brother, then does that mean he’s a Dreamon too?’. The girl laughed aloud almost instantly, covering her face as she did.  
‘That’s not how it works. Dreamons aren’t born. They’re created. Y'know, in the Nether.’, she stated the fact as if it were supposed to be completely obvious.  
'So how did you end up like this then?', as Tommy asked this, for the first time since he met her, he could see the girl's smile falter. Come to think of it, she had that fake smile, identical to Dream's.  
'I got stuck in the Nether when I was little. I've been looking for a way out since then... And hey, Schlatt and that other girl opened a portal so I came right through!'. Tommy's eyes widened.

'Other... Girl?', he questioned, hearing Drista groan.  
'God, why does everyone keep acting dumb? Schlatt went through with another person! I know what I saw, I'm not blind!', the girl whined, crossing her arms. Tommy, unable to really comprehend the situation at the time, decided to switch topics. Too many questions at once could cause trouble.  
'Listen, can you... Explain more? About you? Like what you are?'. The girl's head suddenly perked up and her hair lazily fell down her face, covering her eyes. She quickly moved some of it out of the way and forced a grin;

'Nope. You've asked too many questions. My turn.', she suddenly grabbed onto Tommy's hand with a wide smile. 'Come with me! I wanna see L'Manberg! Like, with human eyes! Let's go!'.  
'I'm not allowed in-'.  
'I'll protect you, let's go! Just a quick trip, pretty please?'. Drista noticed Tommy was unconvinced, so she lifted her hand, a small flame appearing in it. 'I'll set this forest on fire if you don't take me.'.

'Alright! Yep! Seems fine! Come along, smaller, scarier, female Dream, let's get going!'.  
'Whoo! Adventure time! As a human! Hey, how does grass taste? I forgot...'.  
'No, no! Put that away! Dream will kill me if he wakes up with grass in his mouth!'.  
'You can't stop me, child!'.

\---

'Schlatt?'.

_Ugh... Shut up..._

'Schlatt, are you in there?'.

_Stop talking... I have a headache..._

'Schlatt! Holy shit!'.

_Fuck off and let me be miserable in peace..._

The President felt himself being suddenly forced up to his feet, being sat down on a nearby chair by someone. He waited a few seconds before he felt himself being splashed with water, instantly shouting out from how much his head was spinning. He rubbed his eyes and looked up, and even though everything was blurring and barely making sense, he managed to recognize the man in front of him as Quackity, his Vice-President.

'I told you to leave me alone for today...', he muttered, his words slurred and unclear.  
'Schlatt, what the hell have you- You said you wouldn't drink any more!', the other snapped.  
'Fuck that shit! I have no fucking reason to be sober and deal with this bullshit right now. Leave me alone. I'll wake up and regret it tomorrow. Let me enjoy it for now, will you?'. Quackity's eyes narrowed. He grabbed onto the President's arm and shook him.  
'Come on, Schlatt, get your shit together! You've got a nation to run! What even... What even prompted you to do this?', he looked at the man, seeing his expression change. '...Schlatt?'.

'...This shit is useless. No matter what I fucking do, they don't listen to me.', the man tried tor reach over for another bottle, his hand being swiftly slapped away by his friend. 'I can't run a fucking country like this. And I can't deal with... I...', the man stopped himself before he said too much.  
'Can't deal with what?', Quackity asked, completely lost on how to react here. He was already choking on the stench of alcohol in the room, but he knew he had to do something. What kind of friend would he be if he just left him here like this?

'Nothing. Fuck off. Let me be.', the man turned away, trying to get up. He swayed back and forth and eventually fell down again, staying bound to his chair.  
'Is this about Niki?', the Vice-President finally asked, and realized he had gotten it right from the change in Schlatt's expression. 'There's always gonna be resistance. Why are you so worked up about this? She was against you so we got rid of the problem. As simple as that.'.  
'Oh, I don't feel an ounce of fucking regret for throwing her into that cell, don't worry.', the man leaned back, clearly still struggling to speak with how much his head was hurting. 'It's not about the bitch. It's her and Tubbo. The little shit won't shut up about her. And he's...'.  
'Yes?', Quackity cut in, already fed up with how easily the President switched topics.

'He's actually somewhat capable, okay? I don't want her influencing him into turning on me. He trusts me. Do you know how difficult that is to get?'. Quackity bit his lip, hesitating with his answer.  
'Well you gained his trust somewhat, right? Who says you can't do the same to Niki with time? Make her realize you're not a villain'. Schlatt leaned forward, a strange look in his eyes. He scoffed.  
'Right. Right, you're right! You're a fucking genius, Alex!', the man shot up, once more, struggling to stand, but this time too motivated to sit back down. He moved forward, supported himself on a table, and then got to the mirror, doing his best at fixing up his tie.

'Wait, wait, hold on. What are you planning, Schlatt?', the Vice-President asked, getting closer.  
'Simple. I'm gonna let Niki out of prison.', he smiled to himself, looking into his own reflection as if a stranger was staring back. 'And once I do, I'm gonna make her realize something.'.  
'Make her realize... Something?', Quackity felt fear overtake him. God, what did he just motivate this man to do? In his drunken state, no less. 'Make her realize what, exactly?'.

'I'm gonna make her realize why you don't fuck with Jschlatt.'.

\---

'Hey, hey! What's that one over there? The little house by the sea?'.  
'One second, I'm just checking something. That's probably Niki's house, though.'.  
'Oh, cool, cool. Uh... Hey, Tommy?'.  
'Yeah, Drista? What's up?'.

'Is Niki's house _supposed_ to be on fire?'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha 69 nice
> 
> also HEY ITS THE DRISTA EPISODE  
> shes gonna stick around for one more chapter  
> and after that "one more chapter", FINALLY, plot will move foward


	70. The Resilience (Part 6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niki is let out of prison, but there's a catch. Drista explains how Dreamons work to Tommy.

Niki woke up, wishing she was somewhere else. But of course, she wasn't. She was still in the cell.

After finally winding down from all her anger she managed to lie down and get some sleep, finding the old, broken bed strangely comforting once she allowed herself to rest. She knew it wasn't morning when her eyes flickered open – There was no sunlight, just the pitch, black darkness of the ongoing night. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, trying to sit up. She flinched the moment the cell door opened with a creak, forcing her into full alert. She looked up, her sight adjusting to the darkness very slowly. On the doorstep, holding a torch, was Quackity.

The Vice-President reached out with his hand, helping her stand up. She still felt dizzy from the combined stresses of the day – She had been doing nothing but thinking about what Schlatt may do to Tubbo with her not there to try and protect him, seeing how much he had managed to brainwash him already. She was confused as to why he was here – But he'd explain sooner than she thought. He stepped back, and held the door open for her.

'You're free to go, Niki.', he told her, causing her to stammer. She looked around the cell for a moment. She hadn't even spent a full day there and she was already being let out?  
'I... Am?', the woman asked, more puzzled than she had ever been before. Just looking at Quackity made her stomach turn – A man who had witnessed so much of L'Manberg's history turning on it as he did. She didn't want to start an argument now, though. She knew it couldn't benefit her.

'Personal order from Schlatt. I managed to convince him to let you out.'. Niki stepped out of the cell, looked up and down the prison corridor, as if expecting a trap, and then glanced at Quackity once more. The Vice-President was standing about as still as he had been seconds ago.  
'...Why would he let me go?', she asked in a whisper. 'There has to be a catch, right?'.  
'Most likely. Knowing him.', Quackity stated, as if he weren't the closest person to the President and shouldn't have been caught dead talking behind his back. 'I suggest you go back home for now. Get some rest. You never know what tomorrow might bring.'.

'And... You convinced him to let me go?'. Quackity appeared guilty, to an extent.  
'Somewhat. But don't expect it to be a clean arrangement.', the Vice-President warned her.  
'What do you... Mean?', she asked with her voice gaining more terror with each word.  
'Go home, Niki.', the man put his hand on her shoulder as he passed her. 'Trust me.'.

The woman didn't ask any further questions. She took the statement as her cue to get going.

'Thank you.', she turned back for a moment and whispered.  
'Don't thank me yet.', came a grim response from Quackity.

\---

'We can't interfere.', Tommy insisted, grabbing Drista's hand. 'Come on, we have to go.'.  
'But- What about Niki? What about her-', the Dreamon tried to insist, but was cut off;  
'If we get involved, we will just get her in more trouble. Come on.'.

The two teenagers turned back into the woods.

'Now. I need you to seriously start explaining yourself, because god knows Dream didn't bother to.', Tommy started almost instantly, despite seeing the girl in front of him was still focused deeply on the distant fire. 'What are you, how do you work, and am I in danger?'.

'If I wanted to hurt you you'd be dead by now, don't worry.', Drista reassured him, although it only left him more stressed than anything. 'Alright. One at a time. What do you wanna know first?'.  
'So you're possessing Dream, right? How does that work?'.  
‘First and foremost you need to understand how Dreamons work between the Nether and the Overworld. In the Nether, we’re local creatures, so we have a lot more power. We can pretty much summon anything we want, if we have enough power for it. Usually, the older the Dreamon the more power. And since I’ve been one since I was like, six, I’m pretty damn powerful.’.  
‘Six? That’s... Very young.’.  
‘That’s when I got stuck in the Nether. I wandered away from our house and entered a portal, and turns out they apparently have a tendency to close behind people sometimes. Usually, other Dreamons do it to try and make themselves more allies. Anyway, I’ve been in the Nether since I was six, and despite what they tell you about Dreamons, we very rarely actually want to step into the Overworld, with how it affects us....’.

‘How did you get out of the Nether?’.  
‘Portal.’.  
‘Care to elaborate?’.  
‘Goat dude. Schlatt? He opened a portal. I slipped in last minute. Him and the lady didn’t see me.’.  
‘The lady?’.  
‘Don’t even get me started...’.

‘Okay. So you came through. You said the Overworld works different for Dreamons. How is that?’.  
‘A Dreamon can’t survive long in the Overworld without a host. We need someone to channel our energy into if we want to stay alive. That’s why we possess people. Like I’m possessing brother dearest here.’, Drista lifted both of her hands, signifying she was still in Dream’s body, despite looking like a fourteen year old girl.  
‘And how does possession work?’.  
‘We need somewhere to channel our Nether energy into so we don’t straight up implode from it. You see, a Source, the stage before the Dreamon, channels that energy into the world unknowingly. Dreamons do it manually on their own accord to stay alive. The best way to do it without causing, I don’t know, acid rain or something is to do something minor. Cause your host a headache from time to time. Make them hungry when they really aren’t. Give them a nosebleed.’.  
‘And that works? Minor things like that?’.

‘For certain Dreamons.’, Drista shrugged. ‘But not for all. New Dreamons have a lot more energy to disperse, so they might do bigger things. Make their host see things, give them nightmares, make people around them despise them. If they have a particularly self-destructive host, they might try to keep them alive. Smokers, alcoholics, drug abusers. That type. They don’t always want to do this. They just have to, to stay alive. Me and Clay, however, have found a different arrangement.’.  
‘And that is?’.  
‘The single most tiring thing a Dreamon can do is full-on possession. So, once a month, he lets me take charge of him for 24 hours, which keeps me going for another 30 days or so. It’s difficult to do, with how strong mentally he is, but once it’s done... It’s pretty sweet.’, the girl lifted her hands and grinned. ‘I got a body! It’s great!’.  
‘You didn’t have one before?’.

‘As a human I did. Eight years ago. Once you enter the Nether and become a Dreamon, you become something in-between living and dead. A phantom, a shadow, almost. That’s why we can’t be seen in the Overworld apart from those we have strong bonds with. We don’t fully exist in the Overworlds. It’s like... Imagine if you didn’t have a sense of touch.’, Drista traced the edge of a tree with her finger, as if enjoying the coarse texture. ‘It’s... lonely.’.  
‘Sorry... That you’re like this.’.  
‘Are you kidding? I can set fire to things whenever I want. I couldn’t be happier.’.  
‘So you said people can’t see you? More on that?’.

‘Only people with strong bonds to a Dreamon can see it. The strongest possible bond is possession. Possessed people will always see their Dreamons unless their bond is cut - Which, without death, is pretty much impossible. You’re bound until either one of you drops dead if you possess someone. But there are other types of bonds.’.  
‘Other types?’.  
‘Four categories. Platonic, romantic, familial and hateful. Depending on the strength of your bond with someone, they can see you. Really close friends, lovers, but only if the feeling is mutual, family members by blood are always seen, adoption and other forms depends on how good your relations were, and the hated. You are always bound to be seen by those who hate you the most. Your enemies, usually.’.  
‘...That’s... a lot.’.

‘Dreamons are complicated creatures, child.’, the girl looked around for a moment. ‘What I find the most interesting is how we coexist with a host. Wanna hear more about that?’.  
‘I thought you wanted to see L'Manberg?’.  
‘Oh, forget that. Dumping this all on you is actually pretty fun.’.  
‘Alright then. Tell me about hosts.’.

‘Whatever a host feels, the Dreamon will often feel, too. Clay gets a paper cut? There’s a weird ache in my finger. He gets sick? Oh look, I have a cough. If he’s tired, I’m tired, and my powers are weaker. If he dies I’m left in the Overworld without a host, so I die, too. The only times when this isn’t present is when the host is asleep - That’s when a Dreamon gains full control of their power.’.  
‘I thought you had full control, even while possessing?’.  
‘Depends on the host. A Dreamon possessing someone can only use as much power as their host will subconsciously allow them to. Clay is an... average, on the mental strength spectrum, so I can do small things while he’s walking around, and can usually try and possess him without his permission if I want to. I don’t, though. I like the arrangement we have right now.’.  
‘And if a host were to be strong mentally?’.

‘They can resist. If they’re smart, capable and calculated, they can mute out a Dreamon’s power completely. They can leave them as their own personal source of energy. In a situation where a Dreamon is unlucky enough to bond themselves with someone who’s able to mentally resist them, they can’t even as much as light a fire.’.  
‘And the Dreamon is helpless?’.  
‘Pretty much. A mentally strong host can’t be hurt by a Dreamon, and sure as hell can’t be killed. Sometimes, even, the Dreamon will be forced to keep them alive without really wanting to. They’re trapped until their host allows themselves to die - It’s a life sentence for a Dreamon, pretty much. I pity the ones who end up like that....’.  
‘Do you know anyone like that?’.  
‘Not personally. But I’ve heard stories.’.

‘Being a Dreamon... Doesn’t sound great.’.  
‘It’s not supposed to be. That’s the point. You hear the stories about us being evil creatures from the Nether who just want more of us plaguing Overworlds, but the truth is we just want to survive and get back to those we cared about before we were forced into this.’.  
‘I guess you succeeded in that. You found your brother.’.  
‘Yeah.’, the girl wrapped her hands around herself. ‘It’s nice to be back.’.

‘And you’re only here until tomorrow evening?’, Tommy asked, finding it difficult to not admit he had enjoyed his time with the teenager. She forced a smile.  
‘Yeah... But hey, I’m always around. You won't see me, but if you’re near Clay, I’m close by.’.  
‘I’ll make sure to keep that in mind.’, the boy reassured her, making her grin.  
‘I’m glad...’, the girl looked around, hesitating for a moment. Then, her eyes lit up and she rushed forward with a wide smile.

‘But come on! No time for goodbyes yet! I’ve got a full day ahead of me!’.  
‘I should- I should really get some sleep-‘.  
‘Let’s go to Pogtopia! I wanna see the ravine!’.  
‘Drista- Drista hang on!’.

\---

There is a feeling most people know well. That feeling of compete helplessness, when you’re unable to do anything or think of anything that could get you out of a situation, paired with the knowledge that if you don’t do something, anything at all, a disaster could follow. The feeling of having nothing and needing to do so much, and the feeling of a loss at what to do to save yourself. That feeling has a simple name - Panic.

And it was all Niki felt as she watched her house burn down.

‘Tubbo! Tubbo, where are you?’, she screamed into the flames, paying no attention to all of her personal belongings turning into black, charred piles of nothing around her. All she cared about was the boy she knew was spending the night here - She had to make sure he was safe.  
‘This is what happens when you don’t listen to authority, Ms. Nihachu!’, she heard the President mocking her from the side. Sapnap was with him, holding a torch. Schlatt was leaning on him, clearly not in a state to be able to stand by himself. ‘You’ve made an enemy for yourself!’.  
‘Tubbo! Tubbo are you in there?’, Niki got closer to the fire with each second, eventually getting to a point where she’d get burned if she moved forward again and was forced to step back. She could see her living room withering away, shrivelling and falling apart. She continued ignoring the President, but he by no means left her alone in turn.

‘You’ve made yourself an enemy. I tried to be nice, but you insist on being a bitch! You want war, you’ll get it! From now on, I’m not going easy on you any more! You can’t see that I’m actually trying to do something good for this nation! Wilbur was a liar! A crook!’.  
‘You’re the crook here! A drunk who can’t even run a country and takes his anger out on his people, what kind of President is that?’.  
‘The kind that got rid of the single biggest danger L’Manberg ever had!’.  
‘How were Tommy and Wilbur a danger?’.

For some strange reason... The President seemed stunned. He stayed still for a moment, eventually growling in frustration and turning away. Clearly, he didn’t deem the topic something worthy to pursue. He walked away, still assisted by Sapnap, muttering something about being “capable” or “doing what was best for the nation”. The woman did not care. She had other matters to focus on.

Niki turned her head to the house once more;

'Tubbo! Tubbo, can you hear-‘, she shouted out one last time, already feeling her panic grow overwhelming and tears welling up in her eyes.  
‘Niki! Niki, I’m here!’, she suddenly heard from the side, forcing her to turn. Tubbo was standing next to her, still in his suit, holding a stack of papers. He had been working - He never went home. Did Schlatt know? Was he planning this? That was the scariest part about him - You never knew what was planned and what was impulse.

‘Thank god you’re okay.’, she whispered, pulling him into a hug.  
‘But... Your house...’, the boy muttered.  
‘Forget the house. At least you’re alright.’, she ran her fingers through his hair for a moment, being startled when she touched the horns. A small reminder that Tubbo did not share the same opinions as her any more - But that did not change the fact she’d never let anyone hurt him. At the core of it all, they still only had each other. Each other and...

‘Holy shit! What happened here?’.

And Eret. King Eret.

‘Eret... He...’, Niki, any time she saw the King around, felt although she finally had some sort of support beam to lean on. She let go of Tubbo, got closer, and before she could even say anything, collapsed into the other’s arms, sobbing as she did. She didn’t want to show this type of weakness in front of Tubbo - But with everything that had happened she didn’t feel strong enough to keep the facade up any longer.  
‘Hey. It’s okay. I’m here.’, she heard Eret mutter above her, his voice bringing her unusual comfort. She pressed her face into his royal clothes, feeling his cloak being wrapped around her. It were as if all her worries melted away for a minute – Just a short minute, though.

‘You two need a place to stay, right?’, the King asked after giving Niki some time to calm down. She nodded as she wiped her eyes, meanwhile Tubbo silently clung onto her arm. The fire begun calming down, but by the time it had, it had already consumed a majority of the house. ‘Come stay at my castle. I have a lot of spare rooms. Clothes, too. It’s outside of L’Manberg, so Schlatt won’t be able to hurt you there.’.

Niki didn’t say a word, but she nodded silently and allowed Eret to grab her arm and lead her away towards his home. Tubbo was following behind, still clinging onto the woman’s shirt as if it were his very life source. The sun had begun rising again by the time the two had changed and lay down on their beds in the spare rooms Eret had assigned them, but they did not care. They needed rest. As the King prepared breakfast the next morning, for once, he did not lay out one plate – But three.

For once, the castle was not cold and empty.

And for once, Eret wasn’t alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no this chapter isn't just a lore dump for things i need for minx's storyline SHUT UP  
> and yes plot will finally move forward after this point  
> i am SO excited for the upcoming chapters  
> we've got sbi family reveal, we've got the techno vs dream duel, and finally, after those two plotlines are closed up, the long awaited schlatt backstory reveal
> 
> also sadly this is goodbye to drista for now :( she won't have a proper send-off but she might appear every now and then but this is all for her major appearances,,,, i just needed her to explain some lore-
> 
> im so hyped :DDDDD


	71. The Brothers (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Techno struggles with unusual dreams in the present and with confusing memories in the past. Tommy finds Tubbo in the woods and a proposition is made.

_‘Dad! Dad, where are you?’._

_He’s panicking, everything around him is spinning and he can’t breathe. Something is holding his leg down, he feels like he’s about to cry. There’s something in the darkness. It’s watching him. It has red eyes, red as blood, and limbs that twist and turn unlike any creature should._

_‘Dad, please! I can’t... I can’t move...’._

_He shouldn’t be alone. He was here with someone and now he’s alone. That’s not right. He should be here. By his side. Where is he? The monster moves, more and more, it’s growing closer. Those eyes are burning into him no he can’t do anything but stare back._

_‘Dad!’._

_It strikes. It moves forward and it strikes but before it can reach him it falls, a sword goes through its body and dark blood spills out as it dies. He can feel the hot blood covering his whole body as he squirms and screams out in terror. Then, there's silence._

_'I'm here.', he whispers, and the voice alone relaxes him. He feels the thing being moved away, his leg hurting so much he doesn't want to look. There's an arm around him, pulling him closer. He's overwhelmed, and without thinking, starts sobbing into his shoulder._   
_'Dad...', he whispers, refusing to let go. He's too shocked to do anything else._   
_'I'm sorry. I should have been here and I'm sorry.', the man whispers on, pulling his son closer. He picks him up. 'I'll get you out of here. You'll be fine. I won't let anything like this happen ever again, okay?'. He nods, even though he knows he can't see his face._

_'I won't let anyone hurt you, Techno.'._

He woke up with a strange, empty feeling in his heart.

'Thanks, Phil.'.

Techno got up from his bedding slowly, looking around. As per usual, Wilbur and Tommy were still asleep on the other side of the ravine, curled up by each others' sides. He was glad the former President had managed to get some sleep that night – His nightmares calmed down about a week back, and he begun getting more rest. The warrior rose to his feet and got started on his usual morning routine – It was better if he was ready by the time the other two got up, so they could get started on their training straight away.

He quickly brushed his hair, put it in a ponytail and climbed out of the ravine. He grabbed his farming tools and made his way down to his farm by the river, using some of the techniques Squid Kid had taught him to improve the potatoes' chances at yielding Piglin Essence. Once he gathered those, he used whatever he had left to make himself and Wilbur and Tommy some sort of breakfast. While the two woke up and did their own thing, he made himself one of his potions and quickly drank all of its contents, feeling that agitating itch at the tips of his fingers going away.

There was a rhythm to their life. It was pleasant. Which is why he was so worried.

He had already gotten used to Wilbur and Tommy being there with him, that wasn't the problem. It was the dream. He had been dreaming so much about Phil lately – It was unusual. He had dreams about him, sure. He was his father, after all. But they were never memories as clear and as vivid as the ones that had come along lately, completely muting out anything else. This, alongside Wilbur's constant nightmares, did not bode well. Something had shifted in their world and he was yet to find out what it was – And that scared him the most of all. Either way, he carried on with his day.

'Hey. Hey, Techno?', a voice snapped him out of his thoughts, making him realize he had been standing still doing nothing but thinking for the past ten minutes or so. He turned his head, finding Tommy standing next to him. He was playing around with that red scarf around his neck.  
'Oh... Yes? What do you need?', he turned around, noticing his grip on his sword suddenly tighten. Not something unusual – There were certain elements of his reflexes that wouldn't go away, even if he was using the potions. The boy had an axe in his hand – Techno flinched as he lifted it.  
'We need more firewood. Wil is trying to get more sleep so he asked me to take you with me. So uh... Can you come along?', he asked, resting the axe on his shoulder.

'Sure. Let me just grab an axe.'.

\---

_'Here... Just... Let me... Grab it- Ah!'._

_God, that hurts. He falls to the ground, feeling a strange pain spread throughout his arm. The surface he lands on is cold, and slippery, his clothes begin feeling soaked. He tries to get up, scrambling to his feet and slipping as he tries to stand tall. He looks around. Two or three villagers are staring at him, but none of them try to help. They know what could happen if they as much as touch him – They could end up getting the blame._

_'Ow...', he rubs the back of his hand, trying to ease the pain pulsating through it. He rolls his eyes as he sees someone approaching – A figure he knows too well. And he knows exactly what he's about to hear when the three villagers step aside and allow him to come forward._   
_'Techno! What have I told you about climbing up those houses? You know how faulty they are! What if you went up higher, the beam broke and you hit your head?', and as per usual, he's being lectured by Phil, because he barely ever catches a break._   
_'This guy's window was broken! He'd freeze at night if I didn't fix it!', Techno glances up. 'Well I might have... Made it worse... But I can fix it, I just need to-'._

_'Go home, Techno.'._   
_'It's fine, I can-'._   
_'Go home. I'll take care of this.'._

_He knows that he can't argue with him when he's got that look on his face. He stuffs his hands in his pockets, trying to warm them up. It's so cold-_

-and the days only seemed to be getting colder. No surprise, really. They were coming in on the end of December after all, so it was no surprise that the weather would go bad. They were lucky to have the ravine – Even Techno's cave had begun struggling to keep them warm with the many cracks in the walls. Him and Tommy walked silently through the woods, the snow crunching under their feet and the wind around them carrying a chilling breeze.

The cold always reminded him of the Antarctic. Did he miss it? He was never quite sure-

'Who's that?', Tommy suddenly asked, causing his teacher to grab him and pull him down behind the nearest tree large enough for them to use as cover. The two waited for a few seconds, their soft breathing being the only sound around. Eventually, the figure that the younger had spotted finally came into their sight. A young boy with a suit, a hat over his head and with something behind his back. He walked into the clearing, and the moment he did, Tommy completely disregarded every lesson Techno had ever taught him and ran forward.

'Tubbo!', he shouted out, wrapping his arm around his friend as soon as he got to him. The other giggled slightly, with some discomfort, and noticeably did not return the embrace. He backed up by a few steps, fixed up his hat and forced a smile.  
'H-hi Tommy. How are you?'. Techno already felt his hand drifting to his sword – He was ready to get it out any second. He knew something was wrong – Tubbo was acting... Off.  
'How did you find us out here?', Tommy asked, nervously playing around with his scarf. It was a habit Techno had noticed him picking up – He wondered if there was a reason he was nervous at this very moment. 'I mean... Why are you even here, first of all?'.  
'I was just... Out on a job...', Tubbo tugged at his hat with one hand, keeping the other behind his back. 'And... Wow, what are the chances? You guys are out here, too... Um...'.

'This is Techno! Technoblade-', Tommy exclaimed the moment he noticed Tubbo's nervous glances at the other. But as he turned around, he found himself stunned into silence. He knew that look his teacher had in his eyes – The look of spotting an enemy. He was standing still, watching him carefully. Tommy turned back around, concern in his voice. 'Hey, Tubbo... What's the hat for?'.  
'O-oh.', he looked up. 'It's cold, since, you know. December. I wanted to-'.  
'You never wear hats.', Tommy muttered. 'You said they mess your hair up.'.

'Well I mean- The weather, and all, I-'.  
'You're lying to me. Why are you lying to me?'.  
'I'm not!'.  
'You're my friend, I know when you're lying!'.  
'Well what reason would I have to-'.

Tommy reached forward, grabbed the hat and ripped it off.

'What... No... No, how?', Tommy gasped and walked away, watching as his friend scrambled to the floor to pick up his hat. Despite it being soaked from the snow it fell into he swiftly covered his head, and still prioritized covering up the two goat horns he failed to hide under his hair.  
'Before you ask, no Schlatt didn't do it. We got stuck in the Nether and they appeared naturally.', Tubbo fixed up the hat, rubbing his hands together for warmth. '...Just... Don't ask about them, please. They're there and that's that. It doesn't have to be a big deal.'.  
'But Tubbo, it-', Tommy flinched and cut himself off as he felt Techno's grip on his shoulder grow tighter. He backed down. They could talk about this in private – There were other matters to discuss at that moment. The warrior stepped forward.

'How did you find us out here? There is no way you found your way here by coincidence.'.  
'I... I was just walking, Schlatt told me to go out and look for-'.  
'Why are you lying to us?', Tommy snapped. He lowered his voice to a whisper, sounding betrayed above everything; 'Why are you lying... To me?'.  
'I... I...', Tubbo suddenly sighed, lowering his shoulders. From behind his back he revealed a large diamond blade, the sight of which alone made Techno remove his weapon and place it in front of Tommy in a defensive position. The boy in front of them threw the sword onto the ground.

'Schlatt gave me a task. Now that the library is done, he wanted me to go back to what he originally told me to do.', Tubbo was now speaking clearly, without stammers or pauses, signifying he had given up on lying. 'He told me to find you guys and kill you. That's it. That was the task.'.  
'...And you came here... To do it?', Tommy asked in a horrified whisper.  
'No! No, I'd never even consider it! But... I couldn't say no, either. I- I don't even know what he'll do to me if I decline so... I... I had to come out here and pretend.'. Tubbo paused for a moment, looking away. '...But you guys go. I'll tell him... I'll tell him you got away, or something, maybe he'll let me get away with it again-'.

'We're not gonna let you walk back in there if you're in danger, Tubbo.', Techno suddenly spoke up, an idea coming to him. He knew it could be risky, but he had to do what was best for everyone. He had sworn to protect people rather than hurt them in this life, after all. 'How about you tell the truth? You met us in the woods, and after a long fight...'.

Techno came closer, pushing Tubbo into the snow. The boy fell while he carried on;

'You lost. The wet clothes will make it more believable, sorry.', the warrior paused and waited for Tommy to help his friend back up. 'While I held my sword right up to your throat like so...', Techno moved his weapon closer, making the boy freeze. 'I made a deal. I want to face the best warrior Manberg has to offer, one-on-one.'.  
'If Schlatt is a man of honour, he'll agree. If I lose, I will hand Tommy and Wilbur over. If I win, he will have to let us take you and Niki to Pogtopia. Ask him if it sounds like a fair deal – And tell him to come here with his representatives at sundown if he wishes to take me up on my offer. It might not be ideal, but it's surely better than you coming back empty-handed.'.

Techno paused, noticing the other was unconvinced.

'I knew Schlatt back in SMPLive. He never backed down from a challenge. It's unlikely he'll say no – And blinded by a possible victory, he'll let your loss here slide. It's the best we can do to ensure your and Niki's safety in this situation. Alright?'. The boy leaned forward;  
'Techno! Are you sure you can handle that?'. Instead of letting his teacher respond, Tommy cut in;  
'Of course he can! This is The Blade we're talking about here! He kicks ass!'. Techno couldn't help but smirk at the comment – Tommy really hadn't changed a bit in this world. Tubbo seemed enthusiastic about the whole idea now that he got confirmation from his friend.

'A-alright! I'll talk to Schlatt! And uh- See you at sundown! If he... if he lets me tag along, that is.'.  
'See you! Stay safe!', Tommy cut himself off. 'Oh, and... Tell Niki everything is gonna be okay.'.  
'Alright.', Tubbo smiled. 'I'll pass on the message. And um... Thanks, Techno.'.

The man did not respond. He simply turned away, knowing he had to prepare.

\---

_There is a blizzard raging outside. The weather is always so bad up here._

_'I'm not being ridiculous, I am simply trying to be rational.'._   
_'Rational? Nothing about this is rational, Pete. You know what he's like.'._   
_'So just let him find out the truth already. It's going to happen eventually.'._   
_'I really thought you had changed in this world. But you're the same.'._   
_'Well, you and your son haven't really improved, either.'._

_They always argue. Why do they argue so much? Are friends supposed to argue like this?_

_'How is it that that boy has memories of the previous worlds and yet still he manages to be as careless and as useless as any other kid?'. The fire is warm. It's nice. He warms his hands near it._   
_'He's still just a kid! His brain is developing, he's processing those memories differently. If we try to force him into anything he's just going to break. Do you want that?'. He really, really likes the fire._   
_'Of course not, but... There has to be a way for us to get something. How fair is it that the three of us have to share this...Shithole?'. He looks back. Pete doesn't swear a lot. He must be angry._   
_'Jordan did us dirty. Guess he wasn't the sweet Captain we all thought him to be. We have to accept that and make the most of what we have.'. He looks into the fire again. He can hear it crackling._

_'Making the most of what we have is training that kid and putting him on the throne.'._   
_'Not until he's an adult and understands exactly what that means.'._   
_'That is also the time when he could resist. We can't afford that.'._   
_'I won't let you use my son like some sort of living weapon!'._

_Phil storms out. He passes him, sits down next to him, and looks into the fire._

_'Hey, Techno. How are you feeling?'._

_Techno looks down at his arm. It's broken. Pete put it in a cast earlier._

_'Fine. Just a little cold.'._

_'I'm guessing you heard all that?', Phil asks, to which his son nods. 'Listen, Techno. I know we agreed not to talk about this stuff until you're a bit older, but I need to know some things. Like... How much you remember from SMPLive. And how much you understand.'._   
_'Wilbur. I remember Wilbur.', Techno says. 'Why can't Wilbur know the truth?'._   
_'You know what will happen.', Phil sighs. 'You know what happened back then.'._   
_'I remember floods... I remember how he wanted to leave. Somewhere else.'._   
_'Up the mountain. Him and Schlatt were the only ones. Do you remember Schlatt, Techno?'._

_The boy nods._

_'I do.'._   
_'And you remember what we did to him?'._   
_'I do.'._   
_'But do you know the truth about it?'._   
_'I do.'._   
_'Good. Then you know why Wilbur can't find out about it.'._   
_'I do.'._

_The blizzard rages on, the fires crackles, and Techno continues looking deep into the fire._

_And for just a second, in the flames, he sees his brother._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally PLOT TIME  
> i am so hyped for the next few chapters yall dont even KNOW the shit i have in mind  
> lets goooo hype hype hype
> 
> also dadza feels :)


	72. The Brothers (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Techno is tricked and is forced to take a high risk for the sake of family.

Techno thought about what he would do for far longer than he should have.

He knew how wrong it could go. He'd win the fight, most likely, and the moment he was done with that, he'd turn to the nearest person and start attacking them. One after the other, the high would never end, and before he knew it, he'd be standing over the corpses of everyone he ever cared about and a dozen other innocents. That wasn't right. But he also had significantly lower chances of winning if he did the right thing here – And there was a lot on the line. In the end, he made the choice he deemed to be the more responsible one.

Right before leaving, he downed one of his calming potions, too afraid to take risks.

\---

_'Techno. Hold on. Before you go, can you try this?'._   
_'What is this? A potion? ...It smells awful.'._   
_'Just try it, please. You trust your father, right?'._   
_'Of course. But what does it even do?'._

_He drinks._

_'Did it... Work?'. Silence. Heavy breathing._

_'Techno?'. Panic. His sword falls to the floor._

_'Techno!'. It doesn't feel right. It feels foreign._

_He drops to his knees._

_'What did you do to me?'._   
_'Techno, just breathe-'._   
_'What did you do?!'._   
_'I fixed you.'._

_'I promised I wouldn't let anyone hurt you. And that includes you yourself, son.'._

\---

They walked through the snowy woods in complete silence, swords in arms and the best armour they could gather on them. The sun had just begun setting and the trees started casting their shadows, leaving the land cold and dark. There were animals scattering about, crickets silently playing their melody, and monsters wandering deep in the dark, just out of their torch's reach. They continued walking on, knowing there was no backing down from this. After all, Tubbo's, Niki's, Wilbur's and Tommy's lives were all on the line. This had to happen.

Eventually, the three arrived at the clearing where they had met Tubbo earlier that day. It hadn't changed much in the darkness, with the setting sun sending in its final rays and lighting up the meadow. Across them, on the other side of the field, stood two figures – One was a woman with long hair, meanwhile the other was a man with a hood and a mask.

No... It couldn't possibly be, right? He was on their side, was he not?

The three came closer, as did the two figures ahead of them. Techno could already feel his grip on his sword growing more tense, and his eyes narrowing and scanning the area for anything he could use to his advantage. All of his instincts were screaming at him to strike, but with the potion coarsening through his veins, he found himself able to resist. With Wilbur and Tommy standing at a small distance behind him, Techno and the hooded, masked man came face-to-face with one another. Green hoodie, white mask with a smile. It seemed to be Dream alright.

So why did something feel so... Off?

'As his fighter, Schlatt put forward Dream.', the woman spoke, one he soon recognized as Alyssa. He hadn't seen her features in the darkness, but her voice he knew well. With how much time he spent observing the DreamSMP the year previous he had learned a lot about the locals, their names being the mere basics. Techno looked up as Wilbur spoke.  
'And we put forward Technoblade. Why isn't Schlatt here?', the former President asked. Techno had wondered the same thing. He could see Dream holding onto an axe in his hand with an unsteady grip, his face completely obscured by the mask.  
'He didn't wanna be here for the show.', Alyssa responded, herself keeping her hand on her sheathed sword. 'That's the funny thing about President Schlatt, rebels.'. The woman paused and smirked.

'He doesn't play by the rules.'.

Techno's eyes widened. He knew something was off about this. He whipped around, but by the time he did, Wilbur was already pinned to the ground by Sapnap and George, meanwhile Tommy was struggling to hold off Punz and Ponk. As he tried to go forward to help them he felt someone kick him in the back, knocking him into the snow below and causing him to drop both his torch and his weapon. The light faltered, flickering away and leaving him coated in darkness.

He could still see Dream standing above him, eventually kneeling down on his stomach to keep him from getting up. Alyssa came to his side soon enough and held him down, holding onto his arms and pushing away his weapon. He felt helpless – Never before had he been tricked like this. He should have known better, he shouldn't have had drank that potion. Now Wilbur and Tommy were in danger because of him – And there was no one in the world he cared about more than those two. Dream leaned closer, his face illuminated by his torch. He removed his mask, and revealed...

Karl. It hadn't even been Dream.

'Nothing personal, Blade. Huge fan, really. I just gotta do what the Prez says. He promised me my own little independent section of Manberg if I do!'.

And with a rather arrogant smile, Karl knocked the warrior out with the edge of his sword-

_-cutting through them like a knife through butter. It's routine, at this point._

_He knows he shouldn't be so used to this, but with how much he does it, it's getting hard to be phased by it. Stab, cut, watch everything spill out, move on. Cut, cut, cut, stab, stab, stab, spill, spill, spill, dump whatever is left over there and leave everything else for the rats. He shuts his eyes for a moment and sighs – Out of all the things he wanted to do with his life, something like this definitely never crossed his mind._

_Never the less, Techno continues cutting the vegetables and handing them over to his brother._

_'What a job father dearest found for us, huh, Techno?', he says with a joking tone. The pink-haired teen hesitates for a moment before he answers. He wouldn't want to give the wrong impression here._   
_'It's a way of making money, at least. It's the least help we can give around the house.', he claims, pushing aside another pile of expertly chopped-up carrots. Phil had always said he had a skill with blades of any kind – He was more of a sword fan himself, but kitchen knives were okay, too._

_'I guess. I wish those SMPLive fucks would give us more consideration. Like grants or-'._   
_'Language, you brat. If Phil catches you swearing like that you're toast. Who taught you that?'._   
_'Schlatt. He says words like that a lot.'._   
_'Well you shouldn't hang around with that kid. He's trouble.'._   
_'You're trouble too, and I hang with you a lot.'._   
_'We're brothers. It's different.'._

_There's some silence._

_'So we'll sell these and we'll make some money?', his brother asks him as he looks at all the food they have prepared. Techno isn't sure how to respond. He, himself, doesn't know._   
_'It's the closest thing to potions that's legal, so it'll have to do. Stews are still borderline alchemy, you know.', he explains, putting another chopped-up vegetable in a nearby bowl._

_'Is that like... Magical chemistry?'._   
_'Pretty much.'._   
_'It sounds fun.'._   
_'It's illegal.'._

_'...You know, Schlatt says illegal things are fun.'._   
_'And you wonder why I don't want you hanging out with him...'._

_The two carry on. They have to make a lot more if they want to-_

Survive! Above all, he had to survive!

Techno struggled to his feet, feeling as if the whole world was weighing down on him in that single moment. Every part of his body was chilled by the cold, his mind was swirling with a million thoughts and he could barely hold onto his sword as he struggled forward. His whole body was freezing from laying in the snow for however long he was passed-out, and combined with the chilling wind now tearing through him, he knew he didn't have much time. Above everything, he had to get back to Pogtopia and gather himself.

There was no one else around him. Not Wilbur and Tommy, not Punz, Ponk, Alyssa, Sapnap or George, and definitely not Dream-imposter Karl. He was all alone, left with nothing but his sword, his cloak, and regret over everything. Regret over even proposing the idea in the first place. Regret over thinking Schlatt would accept. Regret over not realizing what was happening earlier. Regret over drinking the potion and not being able to react more quickly. Regret over falling for a trap as simple as this. Normally, he'd never make a mistake even similar to that. But somehow, he did. Why? There was a single reason. He was distracted.

Technoblade was thinking about his brothers.

He'd seen them in his dreams over the past few weeks. He was reminded of exactly how much he had lost in this new land, how alone he truly was, and how much Phil had lost, too. Those brothers of his that kept appearing in and out of his dreams and kept him completely focused on his past, on his lost family, and on what he wished to have back above everything. He stumbled into his cave and hastily lit a fire with nothing on his mind but his brothers, his father, and his endless regret. Because at the end of the day that was all Technoblade was – A fallen emperor with too much regret to handle about to crack under the pressure.

He warmed himself by the fire as he thought of his next move. Even with the panic growing in his heart, he had dealt with far too much throughout the course of his many lives to let emotion overtake him in a moment where he had to act. He grabbed his sword and sharpened it as he continued thinking of what to do – He knew Schlatt had recently built a prison, so if there was anywhere Wilbur and Tommy could have been taken, it was that very place. There'd be many guards there, no doubt. Perhaps even Schlatt himself. God, even thinking about him...

_We made a mistake and it finally caught up with us. I'm sorry it went this far, Schlatt._

He shook his head. He couldn't get distracted. Not now.

Techno prepared. First, he put on his armour – The best he had. He knew he'd need it, with the amount of foes he was about to face. Next, he picked up his sword – Sharp and ready for combat. He strapped a crossbow to his back and enough bolts all over his body to shoot up an army if he had to. He tied his hair back – And made sure to brush it, just as Niki had instructed – And gave himself one last look in a small puddle of water before he headed off. This armour, this rage, this anger, he could see him. Staring back, as he often did.

The Emperor.

That wasn't him any more. It never would be, again. He had realized the uselessness of governments in the type of world they lived in. What was the point in rule if it would all collapse and they'd have to switch worlds again? It didn't make sense. But seeing him made him realize something. That itch in his hand, that need for revenge, that lust for blood. He stepped back into his cave for a moment, entered his storage room, and waited. His hand hovered over one of his back-up potions for a moment – The potions he had sworn to use in case of an emergency. He stepped back.

He could handle it. With Tommy's and Wilbur's lives on the line, he could keep himself in check. He was sure of it. As long as the Fallen King's Crown reminded him of the dark place he had been once, as long as his dreams reminded him of the brothers and father he had cared for once, and as long as he focused on the enemy above all, he could do it. He walked away from the cave, not a drop of the potion in his veins. It was the only way for him to win.

There was no room for hesitation any more.

\---

_'I don't want... I don't want to do this...', the youngest whispers._   
_'We have no choice.', the second oldest reminds him._   
_'Just let it happen.', the eldest remarks._   
_'At least we're together at the end, right?', their father concludes._

_'Why do we have to go now that we know?', the youngest speaks. 'I don't wanna forget you! I don't wanna forget who we are! Please!', he begs as he holds onto one of his brothers' arms._   
_'...There is no other way.', the second oldest of the brothers claims. 'If we don't leave now the Hunters are gonna get to us and we're gonna get a repeat of The Massacre. If we go through there we will forget everything but at least there's a chance we'll be safe.'._   
_'And don't forget.', the eldest steps in, blowing some of his hair out of his face. 'Me and Phil will have our memories. We'll find you two. We'll help you remember. We'll be-'._

_'Shut up.'._   
_'What was that?'._   
_'Just because you're my brother doesn't change how awful you are.'._   
_'Do we have to start on this right now? Really?'._   
_'Just shut up!'._   
_'Can't we end one thing on a good note?'._

_'Boys! Please!', Phil suddenly steps in. 'We don't have any other options left. We have to go with everyone else. Now come on... I think they're lighting the portal.'._   
_'Right... I guess... See you in the next life.', the middle child speaks, watching his father walk away. His older brother follows behind, looking back for a moment._   
_'Till next time you two remember me.', he says, turning away. 'Let's hope it's not too long away.'._

_The two youngest of the family are left alone._

_Techno doesn't hear the rest of his brothers' conversation as he enters the portal. He's done this once before, but this time, it seems to hurt twice as much. This time he's not leaving behind one person he cared for – This time he's leaving behind his entire family. And there's something else, a new level of awareness that makes it so much worse._

_This time he knows they'll forget, and he'll be cursed to remember._

\---

Techno arrived near the prison in the dead of night, seeing guards walking around. Four outside, two more on the inside. A six on one battle. A seemingly impossible fight, to be sure, but with adrenaline and bloodlust pumping through his veins he couldn't think clearly. He knew he had to somehow get them out of there – And if winning an impossible fight was the way, by god, that was the way he would do it. He turned back for a moment, ensuring the horse he bought all the way back in Hypixel, was properly tied to the tree. He'd need a quick escape once things got messy.

'Stay put, Floof.', he said to the white stallion, tying back his hair as he often did before a fight. 'I'll be back before you know it. And I know you think this is stupid – But I have to do it.'. And he knew why. Deep in his heart, Techno knew why he'd try to achieve the impossible.

Because there was nothing Technoblade wouldn't do for his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everyone last chapter: omg this is such a smart way to put the duel in!!!  
> me, who knew this twist was coming and was already planning the duel way further in and not here: ah ha ha yeah thanks guys 
> 
> no but for ral this fakeout isnt it  
> there will still be a dream techno duel  
> just not yet  
> i just thought "professional dream cosplayer" karl was funny  
> im sorry whdhwhdhwd


	73. The Brothers (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Techno fights off six guards at the prison and reveals the truth to his brothers.

Karl had wanted to be involved in everything for a long time now, and Schlatt gave him the chance.

Ever since he took charge of Manberg, he had started allowing more people to join. Sapnap, Karl and Ponk all managed to be allowed in in exchange for working as Schlatt's personal bodyguards/errand people. Alyssa was willing to work alongside Ponk, and Punz and George, with Dream seemingly growing more and more uninterested in the nation, decided to help out Sapnap. It was clear that the good old Dream Team, alongside their alliances with everyone who they started the city with, had fallen apart. A new era had rolled around, and finally, Karl could take this chance to become part of something greater.

He had been part of something similar in the past, after all. Before he came to the DreamSMP, he had to leave another group to secure himself a stable future. He missed his old friends, of course. But the way they behaved and how they lived their life never really fit him – He wanted to settle down somewhere and try to get a more... Stable life, if you will. And here he was. Maybe guarding a high-security prison wasn't exactly a stable life, but it was definitely more predictable than what he used to do. Which was why-

_Whizz. Thunk._

Karl turned his head, finding a bolt lodged into the prison wall to his left.

Reacting as quickly as he could he dropped down just in time to be missed by another shot, calling out to Alyssa, Ponk and Punz, all of whom were guarding the outside of the prison. As far as he was aware, George and Sapnap were questioning their two prisoners and it was better not to disturb them. He ran across to the other side of the main entrance and stood beside Ponk, who was already preparing an arrow to shoot into the dark woods nearby. He drew his bow as Alyssa and Punz got into more defensive positions to their sides, preparing for their enemy to emerge.

For a few seconds, there was nothing. Just silence. Crickets chirping, wind blowing...

And then he emerged.

Armed with nothing but a single, diamond blade and dawning an old crown and a silky, ruby-red cape, ripped at its ends, clearly one that had been through a lot. He rearranged his grip on his weapon, unmoved by the two bows now pointed at him. He didn't even flinch as the arrows were drawn, ready to fire. Punz shouted out come typical “private property” speech to ensure that if the stranger were to die here, there wouldn't be trouble from the locals, and finally, Alyssa and Ponk both fired their arrows. And here came the issue.

The man dodged.

Dropping to the ground and moving slightly to the left Techno managed to avoid both of the arrows sloppily fired towards his chest, only managing to narrowly whizz pass his cape as he moved aside. Supporting himself on his sword, which he stabbed into the ground, he managed to find his footing again almost instantly, propelling himself forward. Coming at him were both Punz and Karl – Punz with a sword, and Karl with the same axe he had brought to the duel while impersonating Dream. A two vs one while getting fired at – Surely, there was no way he could win this.

That familiar voice in the back of the head, that unusual energy flowing through his body and telling him exactly how to move and what to do to avoid every strike returned. Punz got to him first, swinging his sword forward and being instantly met with a kick to the stomach, making him stumble back. Techno whirred around and moved his sword forward just in time to block Karl's axe, which he had raised above his head and was now slamming down towards him. He pushed his sword forward, his strength sending the other man back and causing him to drop his weapon. He took this time to focus on Punz, narrowly avoiding a few more shots from the archers near the prison.

Every move felt natural, every second it were as if he was growing faster and stronger, the familiar feeling already overtaking him. He was losing grip of himself, but he knew if he wanted to protect those he cared about he had to hold on. Facing Punz once more it took only a few swift strikes to knock his weapon out of his hand, standing over him triumphantly. He wouldn't kill him – Spilling blood would only make staying in control that much harder. But he knew he had to hurt him enough so he wouldn't come after him when he moved forward. So, in the end, he made a decision.

He stabbed his sword down into Punz's right leg hearing him scream in pain.

He removed the blade, noticing the crimson blood glimmering on it under the light of the moon. Before he could fully think through his actions he felt something stab into his right arm, causing an instant shot of both agony and adrenaline to go through his body. He whipped around and found Alyssa, now with daggers in each one of her hands standing by him. She pulled her weapon out and backed away at great speed, standing alongside Karl. The man had picked up his axe, as well as finding himself a shield, and was ready for the fight.

Another arrow or two were fired by Ponk, both expertly dodged by Techno just as the others while he ran forward at his two enemies. Alyssa was quick, dodging to the side and leaving Karl to fend for himself. The warrior now had two enemies, both behind him and in front, and had to think fast if he wanted to get out of this situation alive. He moved down as Alyssa attempted to stab one of her daggers into his back, and as she fell forward due to missing her target, he kicked her leg and managed to knock her down. Karl came closer then, slamming his shield into Techno and causing him to drop his weapon and fall to the ground.

He didn't waste any time removing his crossbow, getting a bolt ready while he stood up. He looked up at the prison and noticed both Sapnap and George had heard the commotion and were now standing at the entrance, themselves readying for a fight. George prepared a short bow and rushed forward, meanwhile Sapnap lit a torch and prepared a potion of fire resistance for both himself and his friend. Now Techno knew – His chances of winning this fight were growing slim.

He fired a couple bolts into Karl's shield, his fingers moving faster and pulling the trigger before he could even fully recognize what he was doing. While overwhelming Karl with the fired shots he had managed to find his sword once more, just in time to swing at Alyssa, who had managed to gather herself and sneak up behind his back. The edge of his sword made a large cut through the bottom part of her armour, blood pouring out of the cut as she hugged her stomach and backed away. She begun crawling away and clearly prioritized saving herself rather than the fight – This left Techno with only four enemies.

He put his full focus on Karl and Ponk, both of whom were now in front of him with an axe and shield and a sword respectively. He knew he'd have to face both of them at the same time, and if he didn't get rid of them before George and Sapnap got there, he could be in real trouble. So, focusing on the defence they had first and foremost, he rushed at Karl and slammed into him, knocking his shield aside. He kicked it with the bottom of his shoe and watched it whirl up into the sky, expertly sliding his hand into the hoister inside and using it to now defend himself. He got in a defensive stance as George and Sapnap got closer and begun surrounding him – Now, the real fight begun.

Sapnap was first to move, slowly beginning to set fire to the grass surrounding them and leaving them with virtually no escape from the ring of flames. Techno noticed his cape caught on fire, its edges beginning to flicker with the smart start of an inferno. He had no do something quick, and he felt an idea come to him. He stuck his shield into the floor to protect him from incoming arrows from George, untying his cape and grabbing Ponk, the nearest person to him, by his arm. He grabbed the flaming cape and with a swift motion wrapped it around the man, leaving him mostly immobile and slowly but surely being set ablaze. Naturally, the man begun panicking and prioritized running away and getting to a water source above everything.

Despite the heat rising all around him, Techno tried to keep his focus. George, Sapnap and Karl all moved in on him at the same time, Dream's two former allies trying to strike his back, meanwhile Karl moved up front. The warrior dropped to the floor and swept up his legs, rolling away and getting up just before falling right into the flames surrounding them. He felt his hair being grabbed by someone, pulling him back into the centre of the fight. George grabbed his shoulders, Sapnap held down his feet and Karl gathered himself just in time to put his axe to the man's throat.

'Dream wasn't lying about you.', Sapnap said in-between deep breaths, barely heard over the crackling of the flames slowly dying down around them. 'You know how to fight. But six on one? You really thought you stood a chance?'.

_You're brainwashed by Schlatt. I know that look. He made you promises he won't keep._

'Just end it already.', George muttered from behind, his grasp on Techno too strong for him to fight. 'Cut his head off and let's get back to what's really important! From one war we're just jumping into another, why do we keep doing this?'.

_But Schlatt having a grasp on you doesn't excuse what you did. Nothing ever will._

'Can't we knock him out and put him with them? He didn't kill a single one of us. It doesn't seem fair on him...', Karl muttered, his grasp on his axe growing uneasy. 'President Schlatt never ordered his death. If we do anything he doesn't want he might not-'.

_No one hurts my family and gets away with it. No one._

'Maybe Karl is right, let's be rational-'.

_I'm sorry I have to do this._

'But we can't let this guy get away, either!'.

_I'm sorry I can't stop myself from hurting you._

'Just slit his throat open!'.

_I'm sorry you made the mistake of wronging me._

Techno felt a familiar lust for blood build up in him.

_I'm sorry._

The warrior moved his head forward and swung it back, causing George to let go of him as he held onto his nose. It was most likely broken now. _I'm sorry_. Techno kicked a sword on the floor and watched it shoot up, grabbing it mid air and stabbing it into Karl's stomach before he could even react. _I'm sorry_. Finally, he grabbed onto Sapnap and turned him around, pinning him to the ground. He then grabbed onto his arm, twisting it and hearing it crack. _I'm sorry_. The flames around him slowly calmed down, fading away and leaving him standing alone, coated in blood both foreign and his own, covered by darkness. _I'm sorry._

He looked up at the prison, knowing what he was about to face.

_I'm sorry._

\---

'Tommy? Tommy, wake up.'.

The boy rubbed his eyes, looking up. He was still in that cold, damp cell with blood under his nose and agony pulsating in his arm. It was most likely broken, with how much he resisted being brought here and how roughly Punz had pushed him into the cell because of it. His eyes adjusted to the darkness and he was shocked to find the cell door open, with... Techno, of all people, standing there. His head was spinning too much and he was far too dizzy to get up – But that didn't seem the phase the other. He got closer, grabbed onto his legs and body, and picked him up gently. He already felt his world fading out again by the time he was in the corridor.

Wilbur watched in silence as Techno carried his right hand man forward without saying a word. He didn't want to ask questions on what had gone down outside – The amount of blood on his clothes, the ash in his hair and on his face and the limp as he walked told him enough about what he had endured. Had he really managed to fend of all six guards around the prison by himself? It did not seem possible, unless... Right. That chilling look in his eyes. It said a lot about what sort of choice he made before arriving here. He didn't drink a single potion.

And yet, no one was dead.

As Techno walked out of the prison with Tommy still in his arms and Wilbur slowly following behind, he didn't see a single body. Ponk and Punz had both disappeared somewhere, the former leaving behind the warrior's burned cape. Alyssa was trying her best to bandage her wound, barely able to stay awake from her blood-loss and the cold. George was sitting by Sapnap's side, trying to somehow straighten his arm out, meanwhile Karl held onto his cut near them and could barely properly move. While Techno knew they wouldn't try anything, he still had to make sure.

He handed Tommy to Wilbur, who insisted he could carry the boy from here, seeing how injured Techno was. The man found his cape, and although the fire had shortened it by about a half, he still wrapped it around his shoulders proudly. He knelt down and picked up the sword he had left on the ground upon entering the prison, approaching George and Sapnap. They both tried to stand up and fight – Sapnap failing almost instantly, and George simply trying to save himself by shielding himself with his arm. Techno knelt down, grabbed onto his collar and pressed his sword against his throat, his eyes burning through him as he spoke;

'Go back to Schlatt and tell him that if he ever gets in between me and my family again I'll cut his head off and stick it on a _goddamn pike_! Understood?'. No reaction. He shook the man aggressively, causing him to flinch. 'Understood?'. This time, George nodded, trembling from fear.

Techno let go of him, pushed him into the ground, and stood up.

'Good.'.

The three carried on walking, eventually getting to Floof, Techno's horse, who he told Wilbur to get on while he held onto Tommy. He, himself, would walk the horse through the woods and back to their camp. The former President didn't ask any questions – He was far too shocked to. The three moved through the woods silently, Techno himself every now and then looking back at the horse and whispering something to it. They returned to the cave eventually, crawling inside and gathering around their large fire inside of Pogtopia. Tommy had woken up by then, and all three begun bandaging themselves up as they avoided the topic completely. Techno sneaked away for a while to make himself another potion, and quickly drank it, already feeling more relaxed.

Techno waited. He knew what they would ask. The question would come eventually.

'Technoblade.', Wilbur suddenly whispered, his full title signifying he was about to ask something incredibly serious. 'You told George that we were... Family. Why?'.  
'...That's... Because...', Techno hesitated. Him and Phil had made rules. Was he about to break every single one of them because he snapped at the wrong time? He sighed. 'We are. We are family. I did not lie.'. Tommy's eyes widened, looking up.  
'What?', he snapped, almost instantly. 'What the fuck does that even mean?'.

'We're brothers.', Techno said with great grief. The fact that he had to remind them alone hurt him more than anything – But there was something else. Something else he knew would emerge the moment they knew the truth. '...Phil isn't just my father. He is our father. You just don't remember.'.

Tommy and Wilbur both looked between one another, silent from shock.

'I wasn't supposed to tell you. It will all go wrong now that I did. But I couldn't hide this any longer, either. So this is what we have to do.', he whispered under his breath, looking down. 'The dreams will explain. They always do. You two just need to sleep, and it will all make sense then.'.

Techno stood up and looked back at his two brothers with pity.

'And I'm sorry for everything that's about to happen.'.

\---

_'How do these dreams work, exactly?'._   
_'Once a person remembers one thing, it's a spiral from there. Dreams are more detailed with each night. They recognize more things from their current life that they had in the past, and that means more dreams. Eventually, everything is remembered.'._   
_'So... That's why Wilbur and Tommy can't know?'._   
_'Exactly. If they find out about you and me...'._

_'It won't be long before Wilbur remembers **it**.'._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> people reading: nooo you cant just make a fightscene that was supposed to be half of the last chapter an entire chapter nooo  
> me: haha fight scene go brrrrr
> 
> now that this reveal is done, only one more chapter of memories  
> then a few chapters of the techno dream duel  
> and finally  
> SCHLATT BACKSTORY REVEAL LETS GOOO  
> im so hyped


	74. The Brothers (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy, Wilbur and Techno all remember SMPEarth.

_He knows what he has to do as he holds him in his arms._

_He remembers. From realities before, he knows how things are gonna go and he knows he is the only one he can keep close to him. He knows that no matter what happens, the two of them can stick together and that will be all that will matter once things come crashing down. He looks out his window and sees the angry crowds below, everyone who's questioning the King's legitimacy and everyone begging for a change in leadership. It won't come for long, he knows. But he doesn't care. After all, he is one of the ones who rules the First Kingdom alongside the Captain. So why should he call for a change in rulers?_

_He looks down at the baby in his arms and thinks – He knows that things have started and that everything is going to change around here soon, and yet he still feels like he isn't ready. In the previous world, at least, he had more bliss ignorance to him, but now he must walk aware every day knowing how this world will come to an end. Him and his firstborn son, that is. The one in his arms – And the only one he knows he can keep. It hurts to think about what will come, what will be of this world, but for now, at least, he's able to enjoy the quiet before the storm._

_Phil puts Techno down and sits down by the window, listening to the angry crowd._

_'King Jordan is a fraud!'._   
_'Give us democracy or give us death!'._   
_'The First Kingdom is too big to prosper!'._   
_'The King must fall!'._   
_'You can't ignore us forever!'._

_Phil sighs. The next few years would be messy, no doubt._

_\---_

_Techno is six years old when they stop in front of a doorstep._

_'Do we have to do this?', he asks as Phil sets down a small basket in front of the door. He puts an envelope inside, alongside three music discs he knows he'd want to have with him._   
_'It's the only way to keep him safe. Come on.', he reassures him as they knock on the door and rush away, hiding in a dark alleyway nearby. A young woman looks down, reads the message, and opens the basket. From the inside, she pulls out a small baby. She looks around three or four more times before she cradles it in her arms, stopping it from crying._

_Phil forces a smile. He'll be alright._

_'We're just gonna leave him?', Techno asks as they walk away. He's holding onto the boy's arm to make sure he doesn't run away and does something that might ruin his plan._   
_'She's gonna protect him, I'm sure. She'll take him in or give him to someone else who can. Don't worry. He'll be fine.', Phil reassures his son, although he is unsure._   
_'...But he's my brother. Why can't he live with us?'._   
_'You know why. You remember.'._   
_'I do... But I don't wanna believe it.'._

_Phil sighs, wishing him and his son got the gift of forgetting everything like everyone else._

_'Well, you'll have to. It's the only way we can keep everyone safe from Wilbur.'._

_\---_

_Techno is twelve years old when the kingdom begins falling apart._

_He knows who Wilbur is. The little kid he decided to make his friend is in actuality his brother – But he can't say it to anyone, and especially not Wilbur himself. So he spends time with him, protects him, and keeps him from getting harmed. That's the only way he knows how he can act like an older brother and still keep his and Phil's secret hidden. Because indeed, he remembers the previous world, he remembers what went wrong, and he remembers what could happen if Wilbur is to get to the stage he is with now with his memories, especially with how young he is._

_So he protects Wilbur, and never tells him a single thing._

_Sometimes he reads. When he does, Wilbur interrupts him. He tells him that there's a war coming – That the people don't want the Captain on the throne any more. He explains to him how important certain fighting methods are, and even teaches some Phil taught him, too. Phil always says Techno can't get into fights – He says something bad could happen if he does. So he listens, to an extent. But if someone hurts his brother, he quickly breaks that rule. Sometimes, he hurts the other kids for hurting Wilbur, and a strange feeling goes through his body. Usually he ignores it, but he feels as if he won't be able to for long._

_He sees Wilbur one last time before the Kingdom is finally split between the Leaders, and he says goodbye. He tells him to take good care of his discs – He reminds him they once belonged to someone he cared about, but can't remember. Wilbur doesn't understand, but that's fine. He promises to take good care of the discs, for whoever the “important person” may be. Techno also warns him about things that might come in the future – He tells him that, one day, they'll meet again at the end of the world. Again, Wilbur doesn't get it._

_But that's okay. He doesn't have to._

_\---_

_When he turns thirteen, Phil comes home with his friend, Pete, and tells him to pack up._

_They take a ship down to the Antarctic with some villagers that wished to come along and begin building their home. It's cold every day, there's constant blizzards and he can't even properly light a fire. He hates it there, and he can see that his father and Pete hate it, too. Why would the Captain give them such a useless piece of land when there was so much left unclaimed. All of Africa is completely empty – Why couldn't they have some of that? It's not fair._

_Pete and Phil argue a lot. Pete knows that Phil remembers, and he uses those memories against Techno and Phil every single day. He reminds them of what Techno was like in the previous world, but he doesn't like to listen. He tells him about the different fights, and duels, all the blood and violence, and usually, his father tells him to leave and then shouts at his friend for even bringing it up. Techno, on many evenings, sits alone by a fire while a storm rages outside and reads a book his father gave him – He doesn't want much. But that doesn't last long._

_As Techno grows older, he begins becoming greedy._

_\---_

_It seems like yesterday when Techno and his father found themselves in an identical situation to this very one, standing before a doorstep to someone's home with Phil holding a child in his hands. Techno is sixteen now, and this time, he understands his father's choice a bit more. With how much he spends on the cold Antarctic, he would not wish the same for his little brother. So as Phil lays him down on the doorstep and knocks on the door, leaving nothing but a baby and a red scarf behind, he doesn't even try to ask questions. And as an unknown man picks up the baby and looks around, he's already walking away._

_He knows what he wants – He wants a world where this isn't necessary._

_And a voice in the back of his head convinces him he needs power._

_\---_

_Techno is eighteen when he takes the Antarctic Throne._

_Pete kept insisting to put the young warrior in power, and Phil claimed he would not until Techno was an adult and knew exactly what he was doing taking such a serious step. Techno is glad he gave him this time to think, but he had long made up his mind, when he watched Tommy be given away to someone because his father couldn't risk his another youngest sibling losing everything because of Wilbur. Techno remembered, of course – He remembered his second brother from SMPLive, and he remembered everything that happened because Phil tried to keep his family together. In the end, it was all for nothing._

_In the end, it would all fall, and Phil and Techno would remember._

_Techno renames the Antarctic Nation to the Antarctic Empire and begins his conquest. Small islands, small nations, small settlements. He can see his father grows worried with each day – He remembers what his son once became back in their old home, he remembers how close he was to becoming something horrible, and he fears that this time training him every day and trying to get him to focus his anger on duels and friendly matches won't be enough. Pete seems pleased – He wanted someone strong to rule their Empire and he got him. Technoblade, the Antarctic Emperor, feared and respected throughout all of SMPEarth._

_Techno is feared by his brothers, too, but he's too blind to see it._

_They hate him. Wilbur and Tommy hate him for what he has become, and so, slowly but surely, his own father begins hating him too. But Phil has a different hatred – Not for Techno himself, but that thing growing deep inside him and pushing him to these extremes. So he comes up with that potion – He gives it to him the day before they are to take Business Bay and gain full control of whatever is left of Asia. And he finally understands what he's done wrong._

_Things move in a fast blur from here on. They are captured, there is the Saint-Malo trials, the first Hunter shows itself, and they open the Antarctic Palace to trainees. Tommy gets mad, he's forced to fight him, he falls and he realizes his mistakes. They train, they grow closer, they get so, so close to the truth and then the day arrives._

_'We spotted the hundredth Hunter outside the Palaca gates.', Phil says. 'The final battle is here.'._

_\---_

_They argue. So much. They argue because neither of them can pick a side._

_'We can't risk Wilbur getting more memories. You know what could happen.', Phil reminds him._   
_'Yes, but it's also unfair for them to know nothing when we fight tomorrow.', Techno claims._

_'If Wilbur remembers you, he remembers SMPLive, and that means he'll remember-'._   
_'He already remembers it, though! He keeps having dreams, it won't change a thing.'._   
_'It could. It could bring it back. And what do we do then?'._   
_'We're already dead men walking. It won't make it worse.'._

_Phil considers. The wind, as always, rages outside._

_'It's your choice. I'll simply follow you. I trust you, son.'._   
_'I know you do. But do I trust myself to make the right choice?'._   
_'Only you know that. But hurry up...'._

_Phil can see them gathering on the distant shores._

_'We don't have much time left.'._

_\---_

_'We brought you here today because there's something important we have to say.', Techno tells Wilbur and Tommy as they enter the meeting room. Phil is sitting silently in one of the chairs, his uniform in pristine condition and dawning Antarctic Armour. His wings are wrapped around him shielding him from the cold. He seems worried about something._   
_'And we don't have a lot of time to discuss this, so bear with us.', the Emperor's father speaks as his son sits down by his side, soon joined by his other two children across from him. They don't know a thing – And that makes it so much worse. Even though they look at him fondly, they don't look at him the way sons should look at a father._

_'I'm sure you have some memories of SMPLive, Wilbur. Don't you?', as Techno asks this, the man seems startled. He nods._   
_'And you remember it, too?', he asks, shifting closer. 'You were there, weren't you? You and Phil, you were both there and I remember-'._   
_'Living with us? Yes, I know you do. And there's an explanation as to why.', Phil cuts in, nodding at Tommy. 'And why you like spending time with me as much as you do.'._   
_'What are you two saying?', Tommy speaks up. 'Should we really be wasting time on this when the Hunters are right outside the Palace gates-'._

_'We're brothers.', Techno says, bringing silence._

_'Wilbur, in your memories is a dangerous truth. A truth we could not risk you discovering, but a truth that is closely tied to our memories together, which is why you had to stay away. We had to ensure you never knew we were family so that one specific memory of yours did not show itself again. But now that we are so close to the end, I feel as though it's only fair you know.', Techno explains, looking at his father, who clears his throat._   
_'And you, Tommy, were an unexpected factor in everything. Last time our family had four members it ended in the very disaster we need to prevent Wilbur from remembering – Which is why I had to keep you away, too. Me and Techno, with memories of SMPLive, had to keep away and ensure these things remained nothing but unclear dreams to you. But now, with the Hunters here and ready to strike... We had to tell you the truth.', Phil finally adds on._

_Tommy and Wilbur are silent. Why wouldn't they be?_

_'This doesn't change a single thing, I'm aware.', Techno stands, readying his sword. 'But we thought it was only fair for you to know the truth with how much is on the line today. If we die, at least we can die knowing.'. The Emperor heads to the door, but it stopped by Wilbur._   
_'Techno, wait.', he whispers, being stopped. He turns back. There's an unusual look in his brother's eyes. Phil, in the meantime, speaks to Tommy in a whisper, trying to explain the whole situation to him privately. Wilbur looks up._

_'And what if... What if I already remember?', he asks, making Techno flinch. He expected this. He was sure of it, to an extent. He just didn't want to admit that avoiding his brothers for all these years had been for nothing. But that was the truth here – The heroes had lost again._   
_'I expected as much.', Techno turns to the gates of the Palace, sighing._

_'After all, the Hunters are here for a reason.'._

\---

Wilbur woke up in the middle of the night feeling... Empty.

He stood in silence watching the night sky, hearing Techno approach. His older brother stopped next to him, leaned on a nearby tree and joined him in his quiet contemplation of everything. The two watched the stars for a moment – It was a beautiful night. Even with how cold it was, it was still enjoyable. The former President spoke first;

'I'm gonna start remembering now, aren't I?', he asked in a whisper.  
'It's possible.', Techno said, shutting his eyes. 'I don't want you to.'.  
'And once I do, what's gonna happen?', he muttered, trying his best not to show his fear.  
'Things will change. A lot. But maybe, this time will be different.', Techno told him.

'Techno is it really... That bad? What I did?'.  
'It's not about what you did, Wilbur. It's about what you are.'.  
'So why is Schlatt angry? He keeps saying I did something, and-'.  
'Schlatt... Was unfortunate. A victim of circumstance. That's it.'.  
'Is that the full story?'.

Techno did not respond.

'Get some sleep, Wilbur. Things are gonna get messy from here.'.  
'...I'm sorry.'.  
'For what?'.  
'I don't know yet, but still.'.

'I'm really, really sorry.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> brother reveal done whdhwdhw
> 
> now, only the dream vs techno duel remains  
> and then finally  
> the big reveal
> 
> what did wilbur do  
> why is schlatt mad  
> the lunch club were they important or not  
> "the second brother"  
> all this lore and nowhere to put it


	75. The Visitor (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious visitor arrives at the DreamSMP in search of "entertainment".

The man was impressed. He had never found a city lacking order as much as this one.

The ruined buildings, the rubble scattered everywhere, the strange holes in the ground all around it. It was a mess in all the best ways – He often enjoyed the sight of cities like these. These were the types of cities that would gladly accept what he offered them, and that was exactly what he needed. He turned back, finding four familiar men standing by his side with their equipment stuffed into their bags. A wide smile appeared across his face as he watched the locals wake up and begin their daily rituals, unaware of the visitors watching them from the forest.

'What's the verdict, boss?', one of the men asked, taking a long swig from a water battle he just removed from his bag. He watched as his “boss” rubbed his chin and looked around.  
'This is perfect. Exactly what we've been looking for.', he concluded with a wide smile. 'Get the cameras rolling, boys. We need to figure out who's in charge around here.'.  
'That dude over there looks pretty important.', another of the four men spoke up, leaning forward. 'The suit and the horns? He's got like, three people following him around.'.  
'Seems like it.', the leader of the group muttered to himself. 'Alright then! Let's get going!'.

'Cameras, lights, action! We've got a new show on our hands!'.

\---

Despite everything, they were still back to training. And Techno found that relieving.

Sure, some things had changed. Every now and then Tommy would bring up his relation to the other two to try and get some pity points. From time to time, he'd point out how he was the other's brother and deserved to be treated with something, and Techno would usually shrug him off with some kind remark about self-control and modesty. The boy rarely listened, but it was nice to see that he was growing more used to the whole situation.

What worried Techno the most was Wilbur. He'd ask about his dreams almost every single night – And the other would reassure him that he was still yet to remember anything. Him and Tommy both begun regaining more of their memories with Phil and Techno, and very few vague ones from SMPLive came back to Wilbur, but they barely ever talked about them. Sometimes, one of them would bring up something they did in a previous world in a joke or in a passing conversation, and Techno would be unable to hide his smile. As fearful as he was for the future, it was nice to have his brothers back for the time being.

But there were downsides, too. Obviously. Tommy still hadn't forgotten the Emperor, and all of his memories of him coming back to this extent definitely didn't help aid his already faltering trust in the warrior. Wilbur, on the other hand, begun growing more distant the more he remembered. Techno knew why, of course. He knew what sort of memories were attached to their time in SMPLive, living with Phil and a person they considered their brother.

Wilbur never stopped asking about him. That phantom, that shadow in the back of their minds reminding them of someone incredibly vital they had forgotten about the moment Tommy turned up. The second brother, as he had called him. Of course Techno knew who he was – But even he had his limits for how much he'd reveal. When they parted ways, him and Phil made a promise to never tell his two brothers about their relation, and he had already broken it. He didn't have to break another – This could be one secret Techno took to the grave, unless Wilbur remembered himself. Of course, eventually, he would. He remembered him in SMPEarth.

It was only a matter of time until he remembered him here.

'Hey, you three. I've got some pretty big news.', Dream, who had started spending more and more time around Pogtopia with how much his former companions had pushed him away from Manberg, as always, arrived with “news”. This time, though, even he himself seemed to be somewhat excited about whatever it was he was going to say. He found the three rebels doing their usual two on one fighting with Techno, still managing to be beat despite outnumbering the other.  
'Big news? That doesn't sound good.', Wilbur muttered almost instantly, having had grown incredibly pessimistic over the past week following everything that went down at the prison.  
'Oh, come on. Give him a chance to speak.', Tommy rushed forward, still wearing his scarf, which he now knew he was given by Phil from a memory a few nights prior.

'We've got a visitor.', Dream continued explaining. As he did, Tommy felt his eyes travelling around the area. For a short second, he could swear he saw the outline of a person in the corner of his eye. Their bond wasn't nearly strong enough for him to see her clearly – But it was still nice knowing Drista was around. He'd give her a wave, but he knew her brother would never let him hear the end of it for acting suspicious around him. The girl had become a topic he refused to even speak about in private, and would quickly jump to threatening physical violence if he refused.  
'A visitor?', Techno repeated, putting aside his sword. 'What kind?'.

'Some guy from out of town. He won't say where he's from, but he met with me, and, well...', Dream looked around for a moment. 'He wants to meet with you, Wilbur. A meeting between Me, you, Schlatt and the visitor regarding whatever it is this guy has brought forward.'.  
'No offence, but last time we met with Schlatt we got tricked.', Tommy cut in, crossing his arms.  
'I'll be there this time. The meeting is on neutral ground, in the Community House. I'll ensure Wilbur's safety. Schlatt will be alone, too. Trust me. You'll want to talk to this guy... He's making us an offer.', Dream turned his attention to the three. 'A really good one, too.'.

The three brothers looked between one another.

'I'll come.', Wilbur stated, getting an instant response.  
'No you won't.', Techno growled. 'This has to be some sort of trap-'.  
'Do you really think they'd try to hurt us after what you did at the prison?', Tommy cut in, receiving a mixed reaction. On one hand, he agreed. He made quite the impression with that fight, which would keep his brothers safe for a while. On the other, though, he also didn't want to be known as the local psychopath who almost killed six people. Hesitantly, he nodded.  
'Alright. But if anything seems suspicious turn around and run. Alright?'.

'Yeah, yeah.', Wilbur glanced back with a smirk. 'You're acting like Phil.'.  
'Yeah, like you'd know...', and again, that familiar smile came to Techno that, for just a moment, made his worries about everything that could come of his brother's new awareness go away.  
'Hey, Dream, who is this guy anyway?', Tommy questioned before the two left. The man shrugged.  
'Dunno.', he answered, honestly. 'But...'.

'...Karl seems to know him.'.

\---

A knock came at the door at precisely thirty past twelve.

'There's never a single moment of peace in this shithole.', President Schlatt forced himself up in his chair, sat up straight and pushed aside some paperwork he had been working on he wouldn't want anyone seeing. As per usual, Minx was sitting closely, doing nothing at all.  
'You could just execute them all publicly or some villain bullshit like that. That would definitely add to your public opinion.', the woman hissed under her breath. She had been quite aggressive ever since his treatment of Niki reached that climax with the house fire a few weeks back – But it wasn't his fault, after all. He had one too many drinks and things got out of hand. She could have stopped him if she- Oh, well. No. She couldn't really.

There wasn't much a weak Dreamon like Minx could do with a man who'd endured as much as him.

'Come in!', the President finally shouted out, watching as the doors opened, revealing Tubbo standing behind them timidly. His horns were still there, and it even seemed like he gave up on his valiant efforts to hide them. He stepped inside, clearing his throat. The President rolled his eyes, knowing what kind of show he had to put on for this kid. 'Tubbo, my right hand man! Get in here, what's going on? What's up? Why are you here disturbing my very much peaceful work day?'.  
'Sorry, Mr. President.', he muttered, clearly noticing the condescending tone of voice of his superior. His eyes wandered the room as he spoke, clearly trying to avoid Schlatt's direct gaze. 'There's a visitor. He just got here. He wishes to speak with you.'.

The President became interested.

'Well who is it?'.  
'That's the thing. We don't know. He's from out of town.'.  
'A new guy? Now that is interesting.'.  
'Not just him. Him and four more guys he calls his “crew”.'.  
'And did they say what they want?'.  
'They want to meet with you. And Dream. And uh... Wilbur.'.

'The fuck do they want from loverboy?', and at the single mention of the name, the character dropped completely. Schlatt had to admit, he had not even thought about his old friend since a few months back, too occupied with everything else. Just hearing that name stung.  
'They requested a meeting with the local leaders. After they heard Dream explain the local politics they insisted Wilbur be involved in the meeting, too. Well, their leader did. The guys themselves seem to be hanging out with the locals more than wanting to make deals.'.  
'So a random guy steps into my country, wants me to talk with him and my enemy and has his goons running around and talking to my people?'. Unsure how else to respond, Tubbo nodded. The President sat back in his chair with a sigh. 'Well does this guy have a name, at least?'.

'Not a name, but... He did give a title.'.  
'Tubbo, if you don't get to the fucking point I might just snap.'.  
'Right, sorry, Mr. President. He uh...'.

'...He introduced himself as MrBeast.'.

\---

To say that the meeting room was tense was an understatement.

Dream and Wilbur arrived together and took their seats around the small table, one Wilbur knew well. The Community House wasn't used as much as it used to be any more, but whenever meetings had to be conducted, this was where they went. After L'Manberg's initial independence, this was where Wilbur and Dream would meet over most of the matters regarding the Treaty. It was also where they would resolve most issues that came afterwards, such as expanding their land or sorting out any of the small feuds Tommy inevitably started with just being... Tommy. He didn't find the room itself worrying, but rather how it all got when the third person got there.

President Schlatt arrived with two of his guards by his side, and after carefully checking the area, both instantly turned away and left. The man walked into the room, unbothered by the silence he had caused, took his seat next to Dream and across from Wilbur, and remained without a word spoken for the next minute or so. Him and his old friend were looking at one another and glaring in complete silence – Dream wanted to speak up, but decided to back down instead. If there was one thing he did not know how to handle it was feuds like these.

'...Hey there, Wilbur. Been a while.', Schlatt finally spoke, leaning back. 'How's exile going?'.  
'It's going.', the former President stated with a shrug. 'And how's being a useless drunk going?'.  
'Oh shit! Oh shit, he got you good there!', Minx screamed almost instantly, laughing hysterically. Schlatt wished he could snap at her, but all he could do was sit back, muttering something under his breath. He had the upper hand here – There was no point in getting upset.  
'...It's definitely more fun than hiding out in the woods with pinkeye over there.', Schlatt, although speaking confidently, could not hide the slight worry in his eyes. He had heard of what Technoblade did at the prison – It could prove be a problem in the near future.

'We wouldn't have to be if it weren't for you.'.  
'Do you really wanna start on this right now?'.  
'I still haven't gotten a proper explanation as to why our citizenship was revoked.'.  
'I still haven't gotten a proper apology for everything you did to me.'.  
'I'd be easier if I remembered.'.  
'Oh, I can see it in your eyes. You already-'.

'One more word out of either of you and I'm setting this place on fire.', Dream hissed.

The two leaders did not wish to test the man's patience.

'...Let's discuss the matter at hand. There is some unknown guy in my city, his crew is walking around and recording everything they see, and he's late to a meeting with the three most important people the DreamSMP and L'Manberg have.'.  
'It's Manberg, actually.'.  
'Shut up, Schlatt-'.  
'Do you want another war, Dream?'.

_Promise me it's the last time._

'...No. Apologies for that.'.

'How much do we know about him?', Wilbur spoke up after another tense moment of silence. Dream shifted his mask aside and scratched the back of his head, thinking.  
'Not much. He only said he was a “travelling entertainer” and he was looking for a “good show”, but would not say any more until he met with us. I told him to come here but it seems he's refusing to show up on time. So this deal, whatever it may be, is off to a good start.'.  
'God, I hate “entertainers”. Most of the time you're just gonna get some wannabe singer who sounds like a fucking dying cat...', Schlatt muttered under his breath.  
'This guy seems a bit different. I'm not sure what it is, though.', Dream said to himself.

'The last time we let an outsider get political we know what happened.', Wilbur commented, his eyes travelling to the man across from him with an angry glare.  
'Did you come here to argue with me or actually try to have a meeting?', Schlatt responded with equal spite, feeling anger build up in him. They had been friends once. How did they get here?  
'Well it's difficult to have a meeting when everyone who's supposed to be here isn't even in the room.', Dream cut in, slamming his first down on the table. Clearly, the situation was spiralling.

'Why can't we just sit down and talk about things, Schlatt?'.  
'Oh I've given you enough second fucking chances, loverboy.'.  
'If you two don't get it together right now I'm gonna-'.  
'For once in your life stop running away from your problems!'.  
'Oh, oh, I'm the one running away from my problems? Me? That's hilarious!'.  
'This is useless... Why did I even bring you two here...?'.

'Maybe we could actually fix this if you realized I've changed!'.  
'Oh you haven't changed a bit! You're the same old asshole I knew!'.  
'Do you think I want to be like this? Apologizing for something I don't remember?'.  
'Well do you think I want to keep turning my back on my friend?'.  
'Then why are you even-'.

'Gentlemen! Apologies for my lateness!'.

The doors shot open with a bang. A single man stood in front of them, dawning a smile.

'Now... Let's talk entertainment... Shall we?'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MRBEAST LETS GO  
> IVE BEEN WANTING TO INCLUDE HIM FOR SO LONG  
> HES JUST A CRYPTID ENTERTAINER DUDE  
> THATS IT THATS THE PLOT


	76. The Visitor (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MrBeast proposes an idea to the three leaders. Karl meets with old friends. Techno is convinced to do something he doesn't want to. Quackity doubts himself again.

MrBeast was a strange individual – From the way he looked to the way he acted.

He was a rather tall man with blond hair, joined by a beard and a moustache. He wore a black hoodie with the symbol of a blue tiger on it – His title was printed on it underneath. He didn't speak much after he entered the room, instead looking around and inspecting the various decorations around him. Every now and then he'd look at the other three men in the room, but he wouldn't pay them much attention. Eventually, Dream got fed up with sitting around in silence;

'So are you going to talk or just continue looking around aimlessly?', he finally said after clearing his throat. The visitor, as if startled, looked back, and then laughed.  
'Sorry! It's always so interesting seeing how architecture differs from city to city. In the bigger cities they have... Uh...', the man paused, as if not wanting to be rude. 'Slightly higher standards, but that's okay. It has a charm to it. Especially the... Old, cracked wood, but-'.  
'Who are you and where did you come from?', Schlatt cut in, himself getting tired of the man.  
'Name's Jimmy. Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast, the Beast, that Beast guy, and about a million other names they call me from city to city. I'm what you may call... An entrepreneur. I invest in entertainment. Does that make sense?'.

The man received no answer.

'I travel from city to city with my crew in search of... A show, if you will. I invest money into prizes and organize competitions that I record, which I then show in bigger cities and sell tickets to view them at varying prices. I make a bigger profit, set up better prizes, make better competitions, and the cycle just continues. And lucky you! I've taken an interest in your city!'.  
'Two cities. The DreamSMP and L'Manberg are separate.', Wilbur cut in, getting an instant response from his old partner in crime, who spoke with a cold tone of voice;  
'Manberg. Call it by its proper name.', Schlatt looked aside as he spoke. 'It's not that difficult.'.

'I can see I came at a bad time... Splendid! That'll make my offer that much more appealing.', Jimmy continued watching the two leaders argue as if he were watching some sort of drama show. 'Listen. I don't care what your relations here are. All I want is a period of neutrality so me and my guys can set up some sort of show. In exchange, I can offer a prize.'.  
'That prize better be good, because there's nothing than can make me let that bitch anywhere close to my country.', Schlatt quickly said, pointing to Wilbur. The other instantly responded.  
'Yeah, it better be good if you want me coming anywhere near this asshole.', he added on.

'You want a fight? You want a fucking fight right now?'.  
'I never wanted any of this, but you keep-'.

'Gentlemen! Relax!', Jimmy cut in once more, lifting his hands. 'I can assure you, my offer is irresistible. I can offer the winner something... Amazing.'.  
'Amazing?', Dream appeared interested. 'Well, what is it then? Don't stall.'.  
'...I can offer you a material stronger than diamond.'. Instantly, all three men laughed.  
'No such thing.', Dream claimed, crossing his arms. 'Diamond is the strongest material in the Overworld. There is nothing that can beat that.'. To this statement, Jimmy smirked.

'In the Overworld, you are correct. The Nether, though, is another matter.'.

'...A material stronger than diamond taken from the Nether?', Wilbur repeated. 'That has to be fake, right? How would you even mine in the Nether with how it affects people?'.  
'Mining there is a death sentence, that much is true.', Jimmy agreed. 'But there is a way to make this very material without ever entering the Nether, and I know this very method. I could teach it to the winner of whatever challenge I bring forward.'.  
'And does this wonder material have a name?', Schlatt asked, clearly unconvinced.

'The cities I've visited have started calling it... Netherite.'.

'...It's real.', Schlatt heard Minx mutter from somewhere behind him. 'I've seen it. It's so rare it's practically a myth – But it exists. And if you want to win this war, you'll want it. Trust me.'.  
'What kind of challenge are we thinking here?', the President asked, being the first to show interest in the whole thing. Jimmy seemed more than happy to propose his idea;  
'I've been doing way too much easy stuff lately. Last to leave a circle, first to climb this mountain... No, no, I want some... Violence! Some, you know, real, old-fashioned duelling. So here's my request – Not only a neutral period for the time of the event, but I also want you to put forward the two best fighters these nations have and pit them against each other!'.

There was a moment of silence.

'Oh, come on. Don't tell me you don't want this. We could have a big party beforehand, maybe interview some people. And there's Netherite on the line for the winner – Trust me, that stuff is god-like. You want it in your arsenal, no matter what. So? Can we make a deal?'.  
'...I'd be willing to prepare a fighting ground outside of the city.', Dream spoke up, clearly noticing everyone else in the room was getting interested in the Beast's offer. 'I don't know about everyone else here, but I have no problem with a period of neutrality.'.  
'As long as the rebels don't plan anything, we can make it happen.', Schlatt concluded.  
'It'd be nice to talk to everyone again.', Wilbur admitted, nodding. He, himself, was hoping he could use the event to catch up with Niki and his son. 'But who's gonna fight?'.

'I will.', Dream suddenly spoke up, a smile coming to him. 'I'm the best fighter around here.'.  
'Who in their right mind would go up against you?', Schlatt turned his head. 'Why can't we just get your goons to fight each other? Sapnap and George are equals, at least.'.  
'Well Dream is the only one who could make it entertaining.', Wilbur claimed.  
'Someone else has to come forward.', Jimmy reminded them. 'The best you can find.'.  
'I already have someone in mind.', Dream stated, looking up. As he spoke, he smirked;

'I want to fight Technoblade.'.

\---

Karl could barely believe it when he heard about the visitors coming to the city – He knew that modus operandi, he knew those strategies and by god did he recognize that logo and that mysterious title the city folk were whispering about between one another. He wouldn't bring it up right now and right here in front of everyone, but deep inside he hoped he had the luck of bumping into one of the four people inspecting the whole city with microphones and cameras in-hand. However, he got something even better. While walking down the Prime Path, instead of finding one of the visitors, he had found all five, standing around with a couple other people.

'Jimmy!', Karl shouted out almost instantly, getting the attention of the whole group. He ran forward and joined everyone else, instantly being bombarded with hugs and questions from his old friends. He looked between the crowd, quickly recognizing everyone there.  
'Karl! Hey, long time no see!', one of the four men in the crew, one he knew to be Chris, exclaimed.  
'Wait, Karl, you know these guys?', President Schlatt showed interest instantly. 'How come?'.  
'I used to be a part of their crew!', he answered straight away, barely being able to tear himself away from another one of Jimmy's friends wrapping his arm around him. This one he knew to be Chandler, who always got incredibly emotional when it came to things like these.

'Karl took part in a lot of the challenges, too.', Nolan, the third of the men, stated.  
'But then he decided to abandon us!', Tyler, the last of the four, concluded, although his tone of voice was very much a joking one. Karl chuckled as he responded;  
'I didn't abandon you guys. I just wanted something more... Stable.'.  
'And a lot more boring!', Chris shouted, picking up a camera. 'How am I supposed to make these broken buildings look interesting? Can someone set something on fire?'.  
'On it!', Chandler instantly dropped his equipment and picked up a stick, being stopped by Jimmy;

'Or... Let's not.', he grabbed onto the other's arm, forcing a smile. 'We've already agreed on something. The local leaders agreed to have a large event in a week's time. Everyone is gonna be invited. A large party beforehand, and the duel afterwards.'.  
'Duel?', Karl questioned. 'Who's fighting?'.  
'Dream and Technoblade.', Chris responded. 'Although we're still waiting for an answer form the Blade guy. He hasn't officially stated if he will fight or not.'.

'Technoblade?', Karl repeated, his hand instantly moving to the cut on his stomach. It were as if he were in front of the prison all over again, his axe up to the warrior's throat and that inhuman look in his eyes. Chilling, lusting for power, hungry for-  
'Yep. He better be as good as Dream made him out to be.', Nolan was playing around aimlessly with his camera, as if trying to fix some sort of inexistent problem.  
'He managed to fend off me and five other people at once.', Karl spoke up. 'It's Dream it'd be more worried for here. He might be good, but is he as good as him?'.

'That's what we're gonna find out!', Schlatt clapped his hands and turned back to Jimmy. 'Now, come on, MrBeast, tell me more about what your plan here is. How much do you make from these tickets, exactly? And how much will we...', the man's words trailed off as the two walked away, speaking about the man's business in the distance. Karl turned his attention to his old friends, who were all chatting and explaining what they did to a few locals. It was nice seeing them again – He had missed them, to an extent. But he couldn't help but be worried about this upcoming event.

That look he saw in Techno's eyes at the prison didn't bode well at all.

\---

'There is no way in hell, Tommy.'.  
'But you can't win otherwise!'.  
'I can handle myself fine!'.  
'Please, Techno, come on! Do it for your brother!'.  
'Do not pull the brother card on me right now. Have some decency.'.

Techno knew it was a mistake agreeing to the fight, but Wilbur insisted it was the only way he could speak to Niki and his son in peace without having to worry about sneaking into L'Manberg, so he had to go with it. But now, with about two or three days left and everything prepared, he begun having second thoughts. Dream was a capable fighter – And Tommy kept insisting he had some other “advantage” that he could not reveal. And that was when the discussion was brought up – A discussion on whether or not Techno should drink a potion before the fight.

To him, the answer was obvious. Yes. Absolutely, he'd take the potion, maybe even two, to make sure he wouldn't end up seriously hurting Dream as well as everyone watching the fight. Apparently, every single citizen of both cities would come forward, making it one of the most crowded events in a while. If Techno were to lose himself there he could do something he could never recover from. So now, he had a choice to make.

Give himself a chance to win and risk a massacre, or risk losing but ensure the safety of everyone?

'You can keep yourself in check! You managed it at the prison!', Tommy continued insisting, following his older brother around everywhere he went. The other continued training silently and answering very sparingly, more focused on ensuring he had a good chance in this fight.  
'That was different. I was focused on saving you and Wilbur. I could barely manage.', Techno shouted back, swinging his sword forward. He was way slower than he wanted to be – He had to focus more. Phil would be so disappointed with how little he had trained since they parted ways.  
'Well you'll be focused on Dream! If he's a worthy opponent, you'll be able to do nothing but fight him. And by the time the fight is over, I'll give you a potion straight away! I promise!'.  
'I'm going to take one before the fight, in the middle, and right after. I'm not going to go there and compromise everyone's safety, understood?'.

'You're no fun...', Tommy muttered. 'Listen. We need Netherite above everything. You have to win this fight, okay? And I'm not sure you can do that if you use the potions. Sure, you can fight off a bunch of monsters on it, but Dream? You've seen how he fights.'.  
'Everyone will be in danger, Tommy.'.  
'If you start doing something unusual I'll give you the potion, okay? I'll bring a bag full of them if that's what we need.'. Techno considered – And that alone made him angry. Why did this kid have to be so convincing when it came to things he should have been sure on?

'I'll think about it.', he whispered, swinging again. In the corner of his eye he could see Tommy's eyes light up as he was barely able to stand still. 'But you're going to be there with that potion the moment I step away from the fight. Is that clear?'.  
'Yes! Absolutely!', Tommy shot up, grinning. 'Hell yeah! My brother is gonna kick Dream's ass!'.  
'Tommy, I haven't made my mind up about that yet-', Techno said, but Tommy was already too excited about the upcoming event to even listen to him. He quietly muttered to himself;

'Why in the name of god did I agree to this...'.

\---

'This is a horrible idea, Schlatt! Why would you ever agree to something like this?'.  
'Oh, shut up. Why are you making this such a big deal?'.  
'Because it is! You are willingly bringing rebels that want you dead close to you!'.  
'With the amount of fucking guards I'll have no one will even look at me funny, Alex.'.

'This is the best way to bring morale up around here and you know it.', the President muttered to himself as he leaned back in his chair, feet up on his desk. Quackity was sitting across from him, going through some papers he was holding in his hands.  
'Allowing rebels to mingle with our people is the exact opposite of bringing up morale! They're going to spread their message between the people and we're going to lose support-'.  
'Oh what the fuck would you know about morale? It's not like you've been putting any work into that. You've been going soft on Fundy, on Tubbo, even on fucking Niki and you know it! You're just as fucking useless as the rest of them.'.

Quackity was taken back. What an asshole! Why did he ever agree to rule a nation with him? He never listened to any of his ideas, he never considered him in anything, and he sure as hell didn't care about him in any way. Not as a co-worker, not as a fellow leader, and definitely not as a friend. How was it that even when Schlatt was so obviously ignorant he still-

'Sorry, Alex. I didn't mean that- I'm just... I'm just stressed, you know?', Schlatt spoke with his usual tone of voice filled to the brim with feigned kindness. He couldn't let him trick him, he couldn't let him- 'If it weren't for you I'd be halfway through a bottle by now. You really know what's best for me, you know? I'm glad to have you here with me.'.

_He's doing it again, but this time I won't let him trick me. I'm stronger than that._

'But come on, Alex. This will be a bit of fun for the people. Isn't that good?'.  
'I guess, but inviting Wilbur and Tommy could be dangerous-'.  
'We'll be fine! We're gonna have so many people watching our backs...'.  
'I suppose you're right... What's the worse that could happen?'.

_But maybe I was wrong. Maybe he's right here. He knows how to run a nation, after all._

'And hey, we'll finally get a break. Spend some time with each other.'.  
'I mean, we spend time together all the time-'.  
'And all we do is work! Finally we can just relax together, take it easy for once.'.  
'Yeah, I guess... Spending time with each other like that could be nice.'.

_Schlatt is always right. He's so smart. And he's so kind to me. What did I do to deserve this?_

'Call it a date. I'm taking you to the biggest fight of the year. How does that sound?'.

_He'd never do anything to hurt me. He cares about me._

'Yeah. That sounds nice. I'm excited.'.

Why would he ever doubt his President?

Quackity trusted Schlatt, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mrbeast :)
> 
> hes just,,,, here  
> he doesnt care about the politics at all he just wants a fight


	77. The Visitor (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arriving at the duel, Techno second guesses himself. Niki talks with a friend. Fundy puts his foot down. Someone sends a messege.

A week. All he got was a week to train, and already, he had realized it wasn't nearly enough.

Walking into L'Manberg for... The first time ever, actually, was definitely a strange experience for Techno. A nation he had been watching from a distance as long as he had, only observing and never interfering. Him, Wilbur and Tommy all stepped over whatever rubble was left of the original walls, making their way through the nation. The young boy stopped for a moment, looking up at the flag pole – His flag was long gone, replaced by a pitch black one with a single orange half circle and an x in the inside of it. He hadn't said a word about it after he heard about his original one being burned by Fundy, but it was clear he was still in agony over it.

Of course, the three would not stay here for long. They passed the flag pole, Wilbur's house, or rather, Schlatt's, Quackity's and Fundy's house, and looked around at the various different buildings. The library had been completed, the Podium was completely redesigned to fit the Jschlatt Administration specifically, and many other minor buildings and shops had been set up. Techno could see exactly what was going on here – The architecture, the way everything was organized and structured, it was obvious. Schlatt was holding onto a long gone memory. He couldn't move on.

Schlatt was trying to bring back what SMPLive once was.

Finally making their way out of L'Manberg and through the DreamSMP, they were still yet to see anyone else. The cities were ghost towns – Everyone had already gathered at a large field Dream prepared a short walk away. Techno could feel something speaking in the back of his head, that familiar voice, that whisper... He looked at Tommy, who was holding onto a small leather backpack filled with about five of his calming potions – He truly hoped they'd be enough after the fight he was about to have. He wasn't sure how much more his instincts would overtake him once he got into a duel that'd be as closely tied as one with a man like Dream.

And he really hoped the small dose he took before leaving kept him from killing anyone at the party. That'd be nice. You know, not accidentally committing mass murder.

The three finally begun growing closer to the large crowd gathered on the outskirts of the city. Most people were meeting in small clusters. Schlatt entire cabinet was standing around with a few more people. Dream was sitting on the side and sharpening a diamond axe, talking to a few people at the same time. MrBeast and his crew started setting up cameras around the arena, but one or two of them walked around between the people and questioned them on various matters, stuffing microphones in their faces. As a few people turned around and begun whispering between one another as Techno arrived, the warrior froze, standing completely still.

'Hey. Techno. Techno?', Wilbur was suddenly in front of him, snapping his finger. The man could already feel his hand trembling, a familiar voice in the back of his head beginning to chant. He felt his brother grab onto his arm suddenly. 'Keep it cool, okay? And if you feel like you can't handle it, Tommy still has the potions. So don't worry, alright?'.  
'Yeah. I just hate the attention.', the man whispered, walking forward once more. 'But it seems unavoidable now. I could have at least patched up my cape a bit...', Techno looked back, his attire still burned and bloodied from the infamous prison fight. It definitely gave him the “stranger from the woods” vibe everyone else knew him for. It wasn't something he himself wore with pride.

‘And so The Blade arrives!’, came a cheery voice from the side, followed by a clap. Techno and his two brothers alike turned their heads instantly, finding themselves faced with President Schlatt. Seeing his face alone instantly made the warrior’s hand twitch, the voice in the back of his head growing louder and louder. ‘I’ve been waiting to meet you in person, pinkeye. Is that Karl’s, Alyssa’s or Punz’s blood on there?’, the President asked as he pointed to a crimson stain on Techno’s white shirt. He quickly grabbed onto his cape and moved it forward to cover the stain, meanwhile Wilbur stepped in.

‘Hello, Mr. Schlatt.’, he spoke quietly, adding a tilt of his head to annunciate his words.  
‘Hey there, Mr. Gold.’, the other spoke like if it were a hiss, causing Wilbur to step back. He wasn’t sure why, but hearing his “real name” felt like a slap in the face. He didn’t remember it, and yet still, it stung with how personal and invasive his use of it was.

‘How are you liking the party? Must be nice coming back to society after everything.’, the President said with a smirk. Wilbur knew he was trying to rile him up, but that did not make it easier to stop himself from snapping right here and now. He was impressed Tommy managed to hold back, considering how-

Oh. Tommy wasn’t even there. He slipped away while they weren’t looking. That explained the lack of snarky remarks...

‘How long until the fight?’, Wilbur switched topics quickly, noticing how nervous his older brother seemed to be getting. His eyes kept travelling to Dream, who was still sitting at a large distance, continuing to sharpen his axe, his face hidden behind his mask.  
‘Just an hour or so. You better prepare, pinkeye.’, Schlatt leaned forward. ‘Dream has been training non-stop. I doubt he’ll give you a win as easy as it was at the prison. Although it’d be interesting to watch you tear Dream to shreds while his friends watch on...’, the President mused as his eyes wandered over to Sapnap and George, both of whom were standing noticeably at a large distance away from that day’s competitor.

‘Well, it was nice meeting you, but-‘, Schlatt begun walking away, but as he did, Techno suddenly grabbed onto his arm and whispered something into his ear. Instantly, his eyes widened in something that resembled shock. He turned back for a moment, an uncertain and slightly nervous smile coming to him. ‘You... remember?’.  
‘I do.’, Techno confirmed with a nod. ‘I never forgot.’.  
‘Huh...’, Schlatt hesitated, as if finally, for the first time ever, being surprised by something. He looked back at the warrior, laughing nervously. ‘So I’m not alone.’.

Wilbur just watched. There was an undertone to this conversation he couldn’t quite make out.

‘And even knowing the truth, you still stand by him?’, Schlatt asked, turning his gaze to Wilbur. There was something unnatural in it now... It was that cold, angry glare from his dreams, back to what it had been years ago but what it couldn’t live up to now.  
‘He’s my brother. I have no choice.’, came Techno’s response.  
‘I was once, too.’, Schlatt said under his breath. ‘Or did that memory not make it through?’.  
'I remember.', he confirmed, keeping his voice calm. 'Shame what happened.'.

Wilbur wasn’t sure what to say as Schlatt remained silent.

‘Well, either way. Good to see you again! Always love a family reunion...’, the President turned away and once more returned to addressing his cabinet, although Tubbo was noticeably missing. Wilbur had no doubt him and Tommy were hiding out somewhere together.  
‘...Family.’, Techno scoffed. ‘He’s got a warped definition of the word, doesn’t he?’, he carried on as he turned around. Wilbur wanted to ask questions - So many of them. But he was also afraid. He knew that the more he found out about the previous worlds the more he’d remember about himself, and unlocking that one specific memory he had been avoiding all this time would be inevitable now.

It wasn’t long before a small crowd begun gathering around the two, people muttering about The Blade with less and less worry for being heard. Wilbur knew his brother was already struggling to keep himself focused, so he quickly pulled him aside and insisted he needed to prepare, making some of the people move away. The two sat down side by side on a cut-down tree, the older of the two sharpening his sword, meanwhile the younger begun tapping his foot and looking around nervously. He knew he agreed to this whole event simply so he could meet with Niki and try and get caught up on how things were going, but he couldn’t leave Techno alone now of all times. So, he simply sat there. Eventually, he broke the silence and spoke up;

‘How are you feeling?’, he spoke in a low voice, moving his hair out of his eyes. His eyes kept wandering the crowd, searching for Niki or Fundy, but all he found were unfamiliar people who turned their backs on him in his time of need. Being here made him realise exactly why he hadn’t tried to come back earlier - He had no friends here, and never would.  
‘About the fight? Confident. Everything else? I can barely breathe.’, Techno muttered, fixing up his hair. ‘So I guess it’s an equal balance, then. A healthy mix of complete panic and total confidence. I'm just... Sitting here.'. Wilbur inched closer, but before he could speak, Niki suddenly emerged from the crowd, instantly rushing to the two.

'Hey! Hey, guys!', she ran up, giving both of them a quick hug. 'Where's Tommy?'.  
'Ran off somewhere. He's probably with Tubbo.', the former President quickly responded. He'd been wanting to talk to Niki since the start of that day – He had far too many questions and not enough time. But clearly, the woman had other plans. Instantly, her full focus came to Techno, more specifically, his hair. She sat behind him and her fingers moved quickly in-between the pink strands of hair, the start of a braid eventually showing itself.

'What are you doing?', the warrior asked almost instantly, although he did not try to push her away.  
'Braiding your hair. It'll make fighting easier. He won't have as much to grab onto.', Niki responded as she carried on with her work. 'Are you keeping the crown and cape on? They could get in the way.', the woman spoke on, and with the glances she kept giving Wilbur... He got the message. He quickly got up, dusted off his clothes, put a thumbs-up to his older brother and rushed away in search of someone else he could talk to. Now, alone with Techno, Niki could finally speak her mind.

'I heard about what happened at the prison.'. He flinched. He had hoped she didn't, but he knew news like that spread like wildfire. Technoblade's first official appearance in the city and he ends up nearly killing six people – Not a good first impression at all.  
'...Are you angry?', he asked with the same tone of voice he'd have asked Phil regarding anything at all. And often, Phil would give a similar response to what Niki said;  
'Do you think I should be?', she answered with a question, carrying on with her work.  
'I don't know. I risked a lot there. I could have... Killed someone.'. Niki went silent for a moment. He could feel her letting go of his hair for a moment – Not for long, however.

'...But you didn't. Sapnap is walking around with a cast, sure, but with how he acts sometimes he pretty much deserves it. George keeps complaining about his nose and Ponk has a couple burns. But no one died, because you prioritized those who you cared about and you pulled through. So why should I be angry?'. Techno wasn't sure how to respond.  
'I put a lot of people in danger.', the man said, trying to avoid the fact that he was, indeed, doing the very same thing at that very moment. Niki didn't have to know that – She probably despised him enough as it was. He felt her tug at his hair slightly stronger than usually.  
'And you saved Tommy and Wilbur. That's good enough for me.', the woman concluded, tying up the braid at the end with a yellow, gold-like band she kept on her hand. She shifted in her seat so she was now next to him, tilted her head and smiled.

'Good luck in the fight. I'll be watching.'.  
'Thanks... I'll try my best.'.

The moment the woman walked away, Techno felt as if he were losing himself even more with each passing second. He grabbed onto his shirt, started tugging at it, and felt his leg bouncing up and down as he tried to gather his thoughts. As he looked between the crowd of people he could already feel that voice in the back of his mind turn to something more of a thought he accepted to be true. He knew he had to push it away, not allow it to distract him. Every person he looked at became a target – His fingers were nervously travelling over the hilt of his sword.

Where was Tommy? Where did he take the potions? Were was Wilbur? Why did he leave him?

His fingers were now grasping onto the handle of the weapon, about ready to pull it out and swing at the nearest person. What if one of his brothers came by now and startled him? What if some innocent person happened to catch him off guard? He knew he had to somehow focus back in on everything, somehow find a way to get himself into order. He started rubbing his shoulders, breathing heavily. In and out, he'd be alright. He could keep it together, and once his brothers got back- Where were they? Did they really leave him? Did they really not care-

_Whizz. Thunk._

Techno's eyes widened, he instantly swung his sword to the side, and heard a few people gasp as he stabbed it into the nearest tree. He looked around, moving some of his hair out of his face as he tried to avoid the many gazes of the people around him. No targets any more – No voice. He had been snapped out, for a moment, as if it were a miracle. Just when he needed it most, it came to his help. And what was “it”, exactly? “It” was a single arrow, fired at him from the woods, narrowly missing his head and lodging itself into the ground behind him. He looked around – By the time he had gathered himself enough to do so, the shooter was long gone.

Techno leaned back, pulled the arrow out of the ground, and inspected it. Something about the art on it seemed similar to him, but... It couldn't be, could it? The blue swirls, the light brown wood and the specific colouring of the feathers. It wasn't an arrow used for fights – It was an arrow used to send messages. Techno's finger traced the edge of the wood, eventually finding a small, rolled-up piece of paper strapped to the side. He slowly unrolled it and read over the page;

_“Appear weak when you are strong and strong when you are weak”_  
_It's how we made the Empire as powerful as we did, is it not?_

Techno scoffed as he folded the small paper and placed it into his pocket.

'You were always one for theatrics, dad.'.

\---

'Fundy! H-hey, Fundy! Long time no see!'.

The young man could feel his heart practically drop as his father pushed himself through the crowd, flailing his arms around like some sort of madman. His clothes were dirty and torn – He was far from the mighty figure he had looked up to a year prior or so. He rolled his eyes as Wilbur grew closer and interrupted his rather important chat with President Schlatt and Vice-President Quackity, one that could definitely get him more of those “trust points” he had been so set on gaining.

'But I think you should have a promotion, I mean this is just such a good idea...', the President carried on, clearly completely wanting to ignore the man interrupting them. 'This is such a good idea. Hey, how about I promote you right now?'.  
'You're being very generous here, Schlatt.', Fundy admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

'Y-you- Don't give him promotions he's... He's too young, he doesn't understand-', Wilbur tried to interrupt. Fundy was still a kid, to him, at least – He was so impressionable. He couldn't let Schlatt control him like this – What kind of father would he be if he did? 'He needs to learn more, I mean, I should know, he's my son-', he continued saying, pulling the man closer. Before he could do anything else, he felt himself being pushed away.

'Wilbur, I'm gonna need you to shut up for a second.', Fundy suddenly snapped, turning his head to the side. His words were like an arrow through the former President's heart.  
'Don't you speak like that to me Fundy!', he instantly shouted back, although his words carried more melancholy than the anger one would expect him to react with. 'Don't forget where you came from!'.

'Uh... I've been meaning to ask, what's the relationship between you and Wilbur?', Schlatt suddenly cut in. He knew. He knew, he was just playing games. Fundy had told him, after all. But would he care? No. His answer was not about Schlatt getting the truth. It was about Wilbur getting the message. Because even if he was fighting for L'Manberg, he was never fighting for Wilbur Soot.  
'Wilbur is just a founder of a nation I happened to be a citizen of.', Fundy said with a sigh. 'That's it. Nothing else. That is literally everything there is to it.'.  
'Mm... Right. Oh. See, it's so great to have the original founders of Manberg taking the country's direction into their own hands...', Schlatt's voice faded away as Wilbur stepped back, feeling his heartbeat grow stronger and stronger. He felt his knees go weak as he backed away.

'But... Fundy, you know that's not... You know that's not true...'.

_'Thanks dad... I love you.'._  
_'I love you too, uh....'._  
_'Floris. That's the name I chose.'._  
_'Floris. It's nice. I like it.'._

'Floris... What... What have I done?'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a big reveal was hidden in-between the dialogue here...  
> wilbur glossed over it due to fear, but did you?  
> the second brother... now isnt that interesting?
> 
> ALSO PHIL CAMEO LETS GOOOO
> 
> i also love how you can CLEARLY tell at which point im not writing the dialogue and quoting the videos instead-  
> it exposes how bad my dialogue writing is lmao o7


	78. The Visitor (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last few seconds before the duel tick down. Tubbo and Tommy meet, Niki catches up with Minx, and Techno loses control.

'And then- I'm telling you, he straight up broke his arm!'.  
'Wait, with his bare hands? How?'.  
'Twisted it and snapped it, crack, bitch boy is down.'.  
'Holy shit! That's so cool!'.

Tommy didn't care any more. He didn't care about the amount of people around him, about the fight, about the horns on Tubbo's head or his strange behaviour whenever his opinions on the current President were thrown into the mix. He was just happy to be back with his friend – Talking, laughing, spending time together like they used to before everything went downhill as much as it did. The last time they had met was the day of the infamous prison fight... They hadn't gotten a chance to catch up since then. Tommy also didn't get a chance to ask one particular question;

'Hey... Uh... Unrelated, but... How did Schlatt react when you proposed that duel to him? The one he ended up using against us?', Tommy leaned against the wooden frame of the audience, behind which they had hidden to stay away from everyone's prying eyes while they talked.  
'Oh... He uh...', Tubbo ran his hand through his hair, clearing his throat. 'He knew I was lying straight away. He told me that if... If I had actually faced Techno I wouldn't have come back with wet clothes and nothing else. I guess we could have added a cut on my hand to make it realistic, at least. But- He... He wasn't angry?', Tubbo said, although seeming unsure of his own statements.  
'He wasn't?', Tommy tilted his head. 'How come?'.

'I think... You need to understand that... Schlatt trusts me now. And I trust him, sort of.'. Tommy's eyes widened, but before he could speak, his friend cut him off. 'Listen, it's not like that! I'm still angry over all the things he's done to you two and Niki, but... I can also see where he's coming from. He's dealing with a lot and... Him getting into power like this just gave him some really destructive ways of letting that out.'. The blonde seemed repulsed by the statement, shouting;  
'Don't tell me you're sympathizing with the guy who ordered you to kill me!'.  
'No, not at all, but... I'm just saying... You have to consider everyone's sides in things like these.', Tubbo kicked a patch of grass with his foot as he shrugged and avoided his friend's gaze. 'Schlatt's is... Complicated. He told me some things. A lot of things. And I admit, they could be lies, but... Why would he lie about something like that?'.

'Like... What, exactly?'.  
'I... I shouldn't say.'.  
'Tubbo. Come on.'.  
'Really. I shouldn't.'  
'You can trust me-'.

'It's not about trust. It's about your safety.', the boy paused, and then, swiftly corrected himself. 'Everyone's safety, to be exact. Just trust me here, okay? Schlatt is a bad person, yes, but just try to consider why he's a bad person. Okay?'.  
'So you're on his side now?', Tommy concluded rather ignorantly, earning himself an angry sigh.  
'No, Tommy. I'm on L'Manberg's side. And our side. That's it, okay?'. The other forced a smile.  
'Okay.', Tommy said with a nod. 'We can't let this shit get in the way of our friendship, right?'.  
'Exactly! Nothing ever will!', Tubbo exclaimed with a wide smile, giggling.

'...Sorry I keep circling back to this, but I need to know. About Niki, specifically.', as Tommy spoke, he could see Tubbo's face flush with unimaginable regret and guilt. 'Schlatt burned down her house, right? Why the hell would he do that? You're close to him, did he say?'.  
'Well... He was... Drunk. Very, very drunk. I don't think he really knew what he was doing. But he's been talking about it for a while. The things he'd do to make Niki's life horrible – She's the only one openly resisting him. Well, used to be... Since she lost everything in that house fire she's become... Quiet. More distant. I don't think she's said anything against him since.'.

'So I guess he won. He broke her down... And you stood aside and let him?'.  
'Tommy, come on.'.  
'Sorry. Right. It's not like you can do much...'.  
'Opposing Schlatt isn't something we can exactly do, even in the cabinet... Apart from... Well...'.  
'Who? Is there someone?'.  
'Quackity, strangely enough. Schlatt actually seems to listen to him.'.

'What's the deal with those two?', Tommy peeked around the wooden stand and noticed the President and his Vice-President standing together, talking away and laughing. They seemed to be... Enjoying themselves? For once, their discussion didn't appear to be purely political. 'They work together, live together, go everywhere together...'.  
'I wouldn't know.', Tubbo said with a shrug as he joined the other around the corner. The two were now observing the crowds carefully, spying on them like curious children. 'I swear to god some of the stuff they say is like.... Straight up flirting. And half of the time I can't tell if it's jokes. And I don't think they can tell, either. They're just... Doing that.'.

'Is it just me or Big Q is like totally eyeing him up?'.  
'I'm pretty sure I heard him say he's got a fat ass, no jokes.'.  
'Wait, no way- Holy shit I'm gonna piss myself-'.  
'It's the capable cabinet everyone! They know what they're doing, totally!'.

'You guys seem to be having fun.', a third voice joined in, instantly making the two boys go pale with fear. They both jumped from the shock, Tommy dropping his bag of potions and Tubbo nearly falling over. The two were relieved to find it had only been Niki who joined them – And she was now standing over them, laughing to herself. The two gathered themselves as quickly as they could, looking up. Niki crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, looking at both of them.

'Tubbo, you know what Schlatt will say if he catches you talking with Tommy. You should be with the cabinet right now, he might get suspicious.', she started, sounding like an angry mother.  
'I know, I just... I wanted to talk to Tommy, for a bit.'.  
'And you, Tommy, should be with Techno. He needs you two helping him get ready right now. Come on, get going. Chop chop!', the woman practically pushed the other two away, causing them to stumble into the crowds. For a moment Tommy looked back;

'And what are you doing there?', he asked, confused as to why Niki was there in the first place.  
'You're not the only ones conducting secret meetings.', the woman responded and turned away.

Tommy felt an unusual nervousness build up in him as he watched Tubbo approach Schlatt, a smile he could not have faked on his face. He observed from a distance as he joined him and Quackity and the three begun discussing something, laughing and seemingly having no problems as they did. He would have stood like that forever, observing in silence and wondering how far gone his friend truly was, but he was soon snapped out of it by an unusual sensation – Something was dripping down his leg. Tommy looked down at his bag and noticed something that made his heart sink.

The bottom of the bag was soaked, and a milky white liquid was dripping out.

Tommy quickly opened the bag and gasped audibly as he noticed the inside – All five of Techno's potions had been completely spilled out, the bottles shattering after the boy had dropped the bag earlier due to being scared by Niki. He felt his breathing grow heavy and his heart begun pounding as his mind raced with a million possibilities of what could happen now that the potions were as good as useless – Images of the desert, the Captain, and a million more things seemed to flash through his eyes as he noticed his older brother in the corner of his eye, sharpening his sword.

'Fuck.'.

And it was all he could say before the fight begun.

\---

Niki watched Tommy and Tubbo walk away from her, and finally, they were alone.

'Okay. We don't have a lot of time and we've got a million things to talk about. So let's try to be brief, okay?', Niki turned back and received a nod. Standing in front of her was a Dreamon with purple hair – A Dreamon who found it very easy to sneak away with the amount of people crowding around the President completely during the event.  
'We never have enough fucking time... But fine, quick summary. You go first.', Minx responded, sitting down on a nearby pile of building materials that had never gotten put into the rickety, wooden audience that everyone who had arrived would take their place on.

'I looked through everything in the Library. From what I can tell, you are tied to Schlatt until either one of you dies. If you die, he'll be fine. If he dies, you'll die, too...', as Niki spoke, the woman rubbed her eyes, already feeling her headache get stronger. She'd have to go back to the guy soon.  
'I knew as much. And even if I wanted to, I can't hurt him. He's too strong mentally. He's able to resist. So I guess I'm just... Stuck.', Minx concluded with a complete lack of optimism in her voice. Niki leaned forward with something that resembled a hopeful smile.

'There is... One thing I found. It's very unlikely it will work, but...', Niki looked aside.  
'Well! Come on, tell me then!', the Dreamon came closer, grabbing her shoulders.  
'There's a ritual. A ritual that can help sever a bond between a Dreamon and a Host. But that'll leave you in the Overworld with nowhere to channel your energy. So... You'll have to instantly bond yourself with someone else. For this to work, it would have to be the same person who performed the ritual.'. Minx instantly shook her head and sighed.  
'Well who'd be dumb enough to perform a ritual and get willingly possessed?'.

Minx's face dropped as she saw the way Niki was looking at her.

'No, no way-'.  
'You'd never hurt me! I trust you!'.  
'Niki, I won't let you do this!'.  
'Well then how do you wanna get away from Schlatt?'.  
'You said yourself, it might not work. How hard is it?'.

'...Well... From what I can see, the ritual has a high chance of killing everyone involved. The Dreamon, the Host, and the person performing the rite. But that's a very unlikely side-effect!', Niki quickly said, putting up her hands. Almost instantly, Minx crossed her arms.  
'And you're wondering why I don't want you to do this?', she instantly asked, enraged.  
'We either try this or you're stuck with Schlatt forever! And there's eventually gonna be a day when someone gets fed up with him and tries to kill him and the moment he's dead you'll die, too! Do you want to risk that?'. The Dreamon bit her lip and thought about the whole situation deeply.

'There's no way, Niki. You're not getting hurt for my sake.'.  
'Can we at least agree to this as a last resort?'.  
'...Niki, no matter what shit Schlatt pulls I won't agree to this.'.  
'A last resort. If things get messy. Promise me.'.

Minx looked at Niki's hand as she reached out. Hesitantly, she shook it.

'Fine. A last resort. But only if we're very, very desperate. Okay?'.  
'Okay! Great! I'll make sure to have everything ready in case anything happens!'.

\---

'Alright! Let's get this party started!'.

'Sorry, 'Scuse me, just squeezing past-', Tommy muttered as he shoved people aside, trying to make his way to the front of the audience. Wilbur had luckily saved him a seat close to Niki, alongside all of the average citizens that had arrived at the fight. He quickly took his seat and looked around, trying to take notice of everything happening around them.  
'Where have you been?', Wilbur hissed in a whisper. 'Techno asked to take the potion a good three times and I couldn't find you.'. The boy's face turned to guilt, and he quickly shifted his still-wet backpack under his feet. He tried his best to hide how stressed he was with everything.  
'Well he shouldn't. It'll slow him down. It's better if he doesn't have one.', he claimed, looking around. For something prepared in a week, the arena was quite impressive.

The fighting ground itself was a rather large circle, with half of its borders marked by the audience, and the other marked with red tape. On the seats where Tommy himself was, average citizens took their seats. The DreamSMP, L'Manberg and Pogtopia alike were to sit here during the whole event. Across from them, on separate stands was the rest of the people. President Schlatt, alongside his entire cabinet (that being Quackity, Tubbo and Fundy) were sitting up in their own personal area. MrBeast, alongside his group, were all sitting nearby, working on setting up cameras and microphones properly for the fight. Karl had sat down with them, having had been invited “for the sake of old times”. King Eret received his own special seat, joined by Sapnap and George, who, even with how distant they had been from Dream recently, still were technically considered a part of the Dream Team, and were therefore held to a higher regard.

Tommy watched them all from a distance, wondering what was going through their heads.

Dream and Techno were both standing on opposite sides of the arena, officially out of time to prepare and now awaiting the signal for the fight to start. If Tommy didn't know better as to how Techno was feeling internally, he'd almost say he looked calm. Standing tall, his cape flowing, hair neatly braided and sword in-hand. Across from him, Dream looked equally professional. Face obstructed by his mask, hood over his hair and an axe in his right hand, as well as a shield in his left. It was a rule accepted by both that they could bring whatever fighting equipment they wished to the fight – But no armour or potions were permitted. From how they both looked, if Tommy didn't know better, he'd say Dream had this in the bag – His whole outfit and stance seemed as if he were made for this. But Techno, of course, had an advantage.

Or rather a good few lifetimes of it.

'Here we are! The most anticipated event of the year!', Jimmy spoke up with a microphone in-hand, Karl, Chandler and Chris all pushing themselves forward with their own commentary.  
'Dream vs Technoblade! Battle of the century! The two most skilled fighters in the DreamSMP – Going face-to-face for a prize unlike any other!', Chandler cut in, grinning.  
'Netherite! The first ever in this city! And a lesson on how to make it!', Chris quickly clarified. Karl, although he appeared out of place, joined in none-the-less;  
'Get your bets in now! Who will win? The elusive leader of the Dream Team or the mysterious fighting expert from the woods?', he chimed in with his own commentary.

A cheer went through the crowd, an even mix of support for both fighters.

Tommy knew those cheering his brother on were only doing it because they either hated Dream or heard about what happened at the prison – Only him, Wilbur and Niki truly wanted Techno to win for his sake. Those cheering Dream on probably knew, deep inside, he was as good as unbeatable. With how much training he did, with the work he put into his techniques and with how much he had managed in the past, they had no doubt that he would snatch this victory. Except, of course, Techno had something else up his sleeve. A look in his eyes, a voice in the back of his head and instincts that would lead him and tell him exactly what to do.

Tommy looked down at his bag, filled with shattered glass and spilled potions. Then, he looked back up at his older brother. He looked at the way he was watching the crowd and his opponent – And he felt a chill go down his spine.

He'd be shocked if Dream survived this.

\---

'...Five rounds, followed by a break...'.

_Blood..._

'...Best of ten wins...'.

_...For the..._

'...Disarmed equals a loss...'.

_...Blood God._

'One, two, three, fight!'.

_Blood for the Blood God!_

The Emperor moved forward, only knowing his sword and his enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD  
> BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD  
> BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD
> 
> anyway uh  
> good luck dre lmao


	79. The Duel (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first five rounds of the duel take place. Techno steadies himself, Dream is motivated, and Tommy desperately tries to fix his mistake.

Techno had the first duel in the bag. That much was clear from how it started.

He seemed to rush at Dream with this unreal amount of rage and motivation, pretty much unstoppable as he made his first move. The blonde ducked down, putting up his shield and managing to block the strike from the other's sword, but it seemed he expected it. Instead of hitting the shield and leaving himself exposed, he missed his attack completely, spun around the other, and nearly cut into his back before Dream managed to dodge. He fell forward and caught himself on his elbows, getting back up and pointing his axe forward just in time to-

Too late.

While he tried to gather himself, Techno took the time to prepare and kicked his weapon up into the air, moving aside in a single, precise movement as it fell back down and stabbed into the ground. By the time Dream had realized what happened Techno was already pointing his weapon at him, the shock and speed at which everything happened causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. Techno moved his weapon close to his throat as the crowd above cheered and gasped, MrBeast said something about him getting the first point, but...

That look in his eyes... Dream could clearly see he did not want to simply walk away and let him stand up. He held his weapon close to his throat for far longer than necessary, his hand seemed to tremble as he held it, and his breathing grew uneasy. The man watched him and felt a strange terror overtake him – He was completely at the mercy of the warrior here. What if he had changed his mind about things and took his life, right here, right now?

Techno moved his weapon down, reaching out with his hand. His grip was painfully strong.

'Good start, Blade.', Dream spoke through heavy, but steady, breaths. 'But don't get too confident.'.  
'...I don't... Plan on it.', Techno responded with an unusual strain in his voice, turning away.

'And so the first round goes to Technoblade!', Jimmy shouted from the stands above. 'Current standings are 1-0 to Techno! Please get back to your corners for the second round!'.  
'Yes! Let's go, Techno!', Chris started shouting, having had grown fond of the other with all the stories he heard about him over this week long stay in the city.  
'No! Come on, Dream!', Karl tried to speak over his friend, feeling a nervous feeling build up in his stomach. He knew that look in Techno's eyes – The same look he had right before he stabbed his sword into his stomach, leaving him with a scar that was yet to recover fully. He felt his hand move to his shirt and tug at it as he watched The Blade move away to the other side of the arena.

The second round Dream could see Techno was holding back, so he took his chance.

Techno himself had somehow managed to gather himself after the first fight, letting all out of that strength that had pent-up inside of him and instead now taking charge of himself completely. He waited for Dream to make his first move, watching as he hesitantly took a few steps forward. Techno knew he had to be careful – Alongside their normal weapons, the two men had both prepared ranged weapons. Dream brought a crossbow – Techno settled for the slightly older but more effective, to him at least, bow.

Dream knew what to expect this time, not allowing himself to be distracted with some sort of quick and violent move. He turned to the side and raised his shield, anticipating Techno's attack, blocking it instantly. While his sword got stuck in his shield he used his axe to hit his arm, causing him to recoil in pain. He was forced to let go of his sword, which fell to the ground, and back away, leaving himself open to attacks. From there, it was a single matter of overpowering him, sweeping up his legs, and taking the victory by throwing aside his shield and axe and aiming forward his crossbow. Cheers arose from the crowd once more.

'And the second round goes to Dream! 1-1 is our current score!'.  
'Need help?', Dream asked, kneeling down. Techno looked at him, grunted, and got up on his own accord, quickly finding his sword and returning to his corner of the arena.  
'Stay focused Techno! You've got this!', Tommy shouted, practically jumping out of his seat and leaning over the stand as he cheered his brother on.  
'Kick his ass! Come on!', Wilbur chimed in soon enough, clearly to fed up with everything that had been happening to keep any level of professionalism up during the fight.

Techno, for a moment, looked at his brothers. Suddenly, he felt some of his anxieties fade.

The third round was when he finally got back on his feet. The initial rage and shot of adrenaline he got rid of during the first fight, and recovered over the course of the second. That voice, that bloodlust, it was still there, that was for sure. However, with an enemy like Dream and his complete focus on him, he had no doubt he could still turn this thing around and get back in the lead. He had gotten a good taste of the other's styles, noticing some of his weakness already. He planned to save some of his ideas in case of emergencies – Right now, he had to keep playing it safe.

As Dream begun moving forward, he knew there was no point distracting him. The best thing he could do was be heads-on, and once he begun trying to predict some sort of impossible move from him, keeping going forward directly. The two soon met in a close match, Techno pushing his sword closely up against the other's shield. He could see him trying to make a move with his axe, so he quickly ducked down and took his chance to sweep up the other's legs. Not expecting it, Dream fell back and lost grip of his weapons, soon having Techno's pressed against his throat.

This time, the strange urge to move the blade forward was gone. He helped the other stand.

'Technoblade wins again! 2-1 to Techno!', the Beast's commentary continued above them. During the fight, he and his friends would shout commentary out as well, but it was hard to keep track with how lost the two were in their own strategies. All they could hear for sure was the cheering of the crowd, growing louder with each passing second.  
'Yes! Techno, go on! Woo!', came a shout from Niki, who was cheering the loudest out of everyone in the crowd. Wilbur and Tommy were close seconds, but she was practically falling into the arena with how far she was leaning out of the audience.  
'Ooh... That looked like it hurt...', came a comment from King Eret, who had remained rather silent until that point of the fight. He recoiled as Dream shot him a glare, shifting his mask aside.

The man looked around. Techno had so many people cheering him on and supporting him. He could see it. Some of the audience, Wilbur, Tommy and Niki, and even Tubbo, although hiding it from Schlatt. He could see his eyes light up whenever he was knocked down, hiding it behind fake laughs and smiles aimed at the President as he told another joke. Schlatt barely even seemed to be paying attention to the fight any more – The glass of champagne he was concealing explained why.

Dream momentarily looked at George and Sapnap sitting by the King – And instantly regretted it. He could see their lack of interest, the glances they gave him, and the way they spoke between one another. He could feel his grip on his weapon getting lose, but he couldn't let himself get distracted. He could see Technoblade was beginning to take charge of the situation, but there wasn't much he could do with how disoriented he was by all of his thoughts overtaking him. His thoughts about his two friends, how distant they were, and how much he had done to hurt them.

He had tried to keep his city the focus of everything around here. He tried to forget Manberg was there and grow his own nation. But he knew, deep inside, no matter what he did, he'd end up being faced with difficult choices and he'd lose people he cared about. That was the problem, though. He wasn't ready. He wasn't ready to lose them, and he wasn't ready to give them up for the sake of his city. Watching them act so cold, so distant, it left him so... Helpless.

He wasn't that shocked when he found Techno standing over him and another round ended.

'3-1 to Technoblade! Only one round remains before we take a break – Make this one count-', before MrBeast could carry on with whatever it was he wanted to say, he was suddenly cut off by George. The man had walked over to him and started whispering something in his ear, eventually receiving a nod. He returned to his seat and leaned over the railing, waving Dream over.  
'Dream! Dream, get over here, right now.', he heard his friend call. He stepped closer and shifted his mask aside. His face was coated in sweat from the fight, and it was quite clear there were unreal levels of uncertainty in his eyes. George came even closer, leaning forward from his seat.

'What are you doing?', he snapped almost instantly, making the other stammer.  
'I- Huh? What?', he was confused as to why George would even take an interest in this fight, not to mention get as aggressive as he did.  
'You're so distracted! Are you seriously gonna let some dude from the woods kick your ass like this? Come on, you're better than this! I mean, we've seen it, right?', George turned back to Sapnap, who had soon found himself by the other's side.  
'Yeah! What's this dude got that you don't?', the man continued. 'We've seen the things you can do when you put your mind to it, man. You can't let someone like this break you down. He's just some rando with nothing better to his name. And you're Dream! Dream, who settled the DreamSMP, started the Dream Team and did a million other amazing things!'.

'So you guys are actually cheering me on here?'.  
'Why wouldn't we be?', George asked almost instantly. 'Now come on. Show Technoblade who's boss around here. Don't let all your training go to waste. The best that guy's got is some hobo and angry kid in the woods. You've got us. So? Are you gonna go and destroy him?'.

Dream watched his two friends with a mixed expression.

'Come on, we haven't got all day!', Sapnap chimed in. 'And make use of that crossbow! He hasn't got a bit of defence on him, just shoot him down! What's the worse that happens, guy bleeds a little? He signed up for this, didn't he?'.

Dream got the message. He wouldn't take it easy on Techno any more.

'You're right. Let's get this over with.'.

He put his mask back on and turned away, filled with newfound confidence.

This time, when approaching Technoblade, he had a plan. He had caught onto his strategies and methods – Now he knew exactly how to handle him. With his mind no longer drifting away to other topics he could put his focus on the fight fully. He fixed up his stance and was way quicker with his approach of the other, his change in style clearly being noticed. Half way through his run forward he abandoned his shield and threw it aside, confusing the other warrior completely. He did not see confidence like this coming – And it gave Dream the upper hand he required.

He dodged an oncoming strike from the other's sword by dropping down and rolling on the ground, finding himself behind his enemy. Acting quickly and without any hesitation he grabbed onto his cape, pulling him back towards him. As Techno tried to somewhat turn and regain his balance Dream took his moment of confusion to strike his sword with his axe, knocking it down and forcing it into the ground. He spun around on one foot and allowed the other to kick the warrior in the stomach, sending him falling to the ground. As swiftly as he had knocked the other down, Dream found himself standing over him, axe pointed forward.

'Dream wins! It's 2 points to Dream and 3 to Technoblade from the first five rounds!'.  
'...I'm not going easy on you any more, Blade.', Dream spoke with a wide smile across his face, shifting his mask up to reveal his grin. 'The next five rounds I'm giving it my all. You better be ready.'. For a moment, Dream looked behind him. He had told her to stay away for the beginning of the fight – But with how things were going, he thought some support from his sister couldn't hurt anyone. Technoblade was such a legendary warrior, after all. Brimming with confidence and pleased with the result of the fight, Dream turned away and walked as he chuckled to himself.

Techno got to his feet and watched as the crowds moved down from the audience, making their way back to where the party had started beforehand. He wasn't sure how long the break would last, but he didn't care. Either way, he'd try to keep his distance from things. He'd have to hold out for a bit longer, do five more rounds of what was shaping up to be the fight of his life, and then finally he could go to Tommy and take one of his potions. With how he was feeling, maybe he'd end up needing two of them. Whatever it may have been, he trusted that his brother would be ready for him as soon as he stepped off the field, just as he promised.

He trusted Tommy, after all.

\---

Techno had trusted him and he fucked it up.

Tommy knew he had to come up with something and he had to do it quick. He had dumped all of the broken glass from his bag in a nearby bush and made his way to the party, trying his best to not look suspicious as his eyes scanned the various tables of food and drinks for everyone. He could see Tubbo standing around with Schlatt, just as he had been all day, and he was glad to find him distracted. The last thing he'd want in that moment was someone getting in his way.

Tommy got an idea, and even though he was unsure it would work, still went through with it. While no one was looking, he quickly swept a few things from the table into his bag and carried them away, spilling them out on the ground once he was at a safe distance. He looked at what he had gotten from the table – It wasn't much, but he hoped to god it would work.

He grabbed five glass bottles of some sort of drink, which he quickly spilled out nearby. The stench of alcohol filled his nostrils, but he had to move fast, no time for hesitation. He moved to a nearby stream of water and filled all the bottles up as much as he could, just past the ¾ point, just how Techno bottled his potions. Next, he picked up some white sauce of sorts he snatched from a plate of food and begun dropping it into the bottles, mixing them until they got a milky, white shade similar to that of the potions. To top it all off, he dropped small amounts of mashed potatoes into each bottle to give them that smell they were so known for.

As Tommy put the five fake potions into his bag, he started praying to god they would work.

He didn't have high hopes, of course – Something so simple wouldn't work, but... Maybe if Techno drank it and went on a rampage, still, at least he wouldn't be blamed for it? The last thing he wanted was to be at the centre of another disaster when Wilbur had despised him for those minor things he did so much already. He didn't want to disappoint his brothers – And if they were to find out he failed to take care of Techno's potions, just as he promised he would do, he wasn't sure what he would do. He wasn't as reckless as everyone thought he was – But the fact alone that he was here, his hands trembling as he stuffed the fake potions into his bag showed him that maybe, just maybe, they were onto something. But no, no. He'd show them. He'd show them he could handle it.

He was capable. He wouldn't disappoint them. He'd make his brothers proud.

'Hey, Tommy. Where have you been?', Wilbur asked his younger brother as he approached him, emerging from the forest. He was standing with Niki, the two discussing something only known to them. 'We were looking all over for you.'.  
'You really wanna know why I sneaked away into the woods?', Tommy asked, hoping Wilbur wouldn't ask any more questions. He was relieved as the man laughed.  
'Right, right. I guess it's self-explanatory.', Wilbur said. 'Come on, let's bring Techno a bottle of water or something. I'm sure he's pretty tired after that fight.'.  
'Right. Let's go.', Tommy said as he walked forward. He felt his brother grab his hand for just a moment, pulling him back. The boy looked up, confused.

'Are you okay, Tommy? You seem a little out of it.'.

_Why does he have to be so good at knowing when something's wrong?_

'Huh? What?.'.

_He can't know. I want him to be proud. I have to make him proud._

'Everything's okay.'.

_I don't want him to be disappointed in me._

_I've already messed up so much._

_I don't want him to hate me more._

'I'm fine.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fake potions yes child that will definitely work  
> he is so dumb and yet i write him to be so
> 
> also duel pog :D  
> i promise it wont be as boring from here the last five rounds will get INTENSE


	80. The Duel (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final five rounds take place and the duel comes to an end.

The sixth round was the most tiring.

Techno wasn't sure what it was. The moment MrBeast even as much as announced the round to be starting, Dream was already running forward with speed and strength so unlike him it felt... Strange. If he didn't know any better, he'd think his opponent had chugged some potions during their break. He did not, however, see the light colours glow around his body, which meant he wasn't using any. Still, his speed alone overwhelmed Techno, forcing him into a defensive position rather than the offensive he was planning to take during this round.

Techno jumped back once or twice, barely able to dodge the quick and precise axe strikes coming from Dream. By the time he had adjusted himself to his opponent's speed he had found himself standing in the corner of the arena, being forced into a run alongside its edges. He didn't want to run – He knew how tiring that was and how much energy he'd lose on it. Still, if he wanted to get a win in this specific round he had to take some risks. By the time he stopped to turn around he was half way across the arena, and to his surprise, Dream was already right behind him.

Their weapons met, the man's blade cutting into the wooden handle of the axe. For a few seconds the two pressed against each others' weapons, trying to overpower one another but finding themselves powerless in the situation. Their strength seemed to be as good as equal, the exchange only knocking them both away from each other and leaving them gasping for air, knowing that whoever got back on their feet first would take the win.

Dream, of course, with his newfound strength and motivation coming seemingly out of nowhere was standing above Techno by the time he had gathered himself, grabbing onto his shirt and pulling him closer. He felt an unusual warmth from his hand as he grasped onto him, grabbed his arm with his other hand and threw him to the ground, leaving him squirming in pain. He could feel something beginning to ache on the right side of his body, and he quickly grabbed on.

Dream was breathing heavily as he stood over him with his axe pointed forward.

'And so Dream wins! The standing is now 3-3, we are tied, ladies and gentlemen!', Jimmy continued his excited commentary from above. From his expression it was clear he was getting exactly the show he wanted – And from how much they cheered, it was clear everyone else was enjoying the spectacle, too. Techno himself was shocked – Where did all his strength come from? He walked back to his side of the arena, watching Dream do the same. He was already so exhausted – Out of breath, his whole body aching... He just hoped his enemy was feeling the same. Otherwise, he might have been as good as done for.

'You're doing good.', Dream whispered under his breath, making sure no one heard him.  
'Want me to up the ante?', he heard his sister ask from the side with a confident tone of voice.  
'If you want. Just don't make yourself too obvious.', he warned her with a chuckle.  
'You never let me have any fun!', the Dreamon whined as she prepared for the next round.  
'As long as no one suspects anything do your worst.', Dream told her, causing her to giggle.  
'I always was a huge fan of The Blade... Kicking his butt is one way to show admiration!'.

The seventh round was the most dangerous.

Things started out quite normally, Dream would say. His sister definitely stepped back with how much she was helping him directly, instead planning something of her own. He took this time to judge how bad off him and Techno were. His movements were definitely more reserved and sluggish, and he was now coated in sweat, breathing heavily. He had removed his cape completely, throwing it up to Wilbur up in the audience in-between this round the previous. Clearly, he was starting to prioritize speed above everything else, noticing how agile Dream proved to be.

While the two managed to make their initial moves quite easily, their exhaustion showed itself soon enough. Dream was finding it harder and harder to lift his shield enough, eventually dropping it completely and using the handle of his axe for defence instead. He kept wondering what his sister could be up to with how little she was getting involved, but he'd find out soon than he thought. First, there was a spark under his feet. Then, a bigger one. Before he knew it, someone pulled him back, meanwhile a raging flame spread out on the grass below.

The crowd gasped in confusion as Techno fell back, putting out the fires on his clothes while Dream tried to figure out what had happened. The fires spread more and more, beginning to get out of hand. When Dream had told his sister to get more direct with her attacks he definitely didn't mean full-on arson – Now, he was coughing from the smoke filling his lungs and backing away as he tried to figure out what was happening. The heat was getting overwhelming already, and with all his confusion, the man didn't even notice Techno, who had appeared on his side with his sword pointed. He was knocked down before he could even properly react, hearing the crowd shouting on about something up above. By the time he stood up, the fire had disappeared.

'And so Technoblade wins! The score is now 4-3 to Techno!', MrBeast carried on from above. His friends were now more engaged in the fight then ever, shouting out things that couldn't be heard. The whole crowd seemed enraged. 'Uh... Can we make sure there's no fire for the next round? We wouldn't want the whole audience to catch on fire. Whoever did that... Don't do it again?'.

'You're being too obvious! Can you take a step back?', Dream hissed to the side.  
'I'm just trying to help!', he heard his sister answer him with a roll of the eyes.  
'Don't set things on fire, at least. You're throwing a wrench into everything!', he scolded her.  
'Sure, whatever. I guess I'll just stick to giving you a boost...', the girl concluded.

The eighth round was the most painful.

Techno knew he had to avoid direct contract with Dream's unusual strategies and speed. Keeping a distance seemed like a good idea at first – He dropped his weapon completely and pulled out a bow instead, readying a few arrows. He fired one or two before Dream caught on, abandoning his own weapons and readying his crossbow. He loaded a few bolts into it and started firing them at a fast rate into the other, Techno soon getting overwhelmed by the sheer speed of the shots.

One or two missed him narrowly, another stabbed right into his leg, causing a shout o worry through the crowd, and finally, he decided to give up on playing it at a distance as he was shot in the foot, trying to make his escape. He limped to the side as he pulled the two bloodied bolts out, avoiding a few more coming from Dream. He got more time to focus on dodging them now, seeing as he wasn't trying to fire at the other this time. By the time he had made it to Dream, he had dropped his crossbow, realizing the two were about to engage in a more direct fight.

Techno punched forward, his attack was dodged, and before he knew it, he was on the floor.

If Dream were to grab his crossbow, which was only a small reach away, he could have taken the win here very easily. Instead, he pinned him to the ground with one of his knees up to his throat and the other on his arm, punching him in the face as hard as he could. Next, he grabbed onto his fingers, bending one back as far as he could before he heard it crack. Finally he got up with a wide grin, his mask having had long slipped away with how intense the up-close fight got. Techno stayed on the ground, holding onto his hand in pain and feeling blood running down from his nose, barely being able to see the crossbow now being pointed at him.

'Well... That was violent... But still, Dream wins! 4-4!', Techno could hear Jimmy exclaim, barely able to understand anything with how overwhelmed he was. He could soon feel his shirt being grabbed, being pulled right up to his opponent's face.  
'I told you I wouldn't go easy on you, Blade. I'm done playing nice.', the man stated, practically spitting in his face as he did. 'Last two rounds. Let's put an end to this, shall we?'.

Techno allowed himself to be helped up, still feeling an agonizing pain in his finger, as well as more blood running down his face. He moved his sleeve to it, cleaning it away. If his shirt wasn't as dirty as it was, he probably would have noticed just how severe it was. He moved to the corner of the arena, spitting some of the blood out of the ground and watching it... Seeing it, once more, made that familiar feeling return. Dream sitting above him, punching him, beating him down as if he were nothing filling him with so much unimaginable rage he could barely even keep focus on himself any more. As he grabbed onto his sword, he knew exactly what kind of bold moves he would make.

The ninth round was the most shocking.

Techno intended to win, and to do that, he had to allow himself to slip a bit more than he would normally. Tommy had the potions, so he didn't have to worry too much. As he ran forward the first thing he did was knock Dream's shield away with a quick kick, using his time of confusion to rush past him, swinging his sword back. The man dodged away, rolled over the ground and stood up, meeting The Blade's sword with the handle of his axe. He was surprised it hadn't snapped yet at this stage, with how many times they had found themselves in this exact situation. A few more dodges, strikes, and attacks, and suddenly-

Dream grabbed onto Techno's braid in the single second it passed him, turning him around.

'Have you thought about a haircut, Blade? This hair must be bothersome when you fight!', Dream shouted as he forced the man back, lifting his axe above him.  
'Wait, don't-', before Techno could even react, he felt a strong tug at his hair, followed by an unusual amount of relief. He was let go off, rushing away and making a distance between himself and Dream. His hand moved to his hair – He heard the crowd around him gasp.  
'Sorry. Were you a fan of these?', Dream asked, holding onto a long braid in his right hand. The warrior could feel his hair had completely fallen loose, now only reaching down to around his shoulders. He wasn't sure why, but... Something about this...

_'Hey, dad? How about... You don't cut it this time?'._   
_'Oh? You wanna keep it long?'._   
_'Yeah... It can be just like yours, you know?'._   
_'Hah... Alright, then. I'll just trim it at the ends, then.'._

Techno didn't even realize he moved forward, everything coming back to him as the crowd gasped.

Dream was now standing in front of him, frozen in shock. His mask was split into two parts – Slowly, both slipped and fell down. Instantly, the man moved to cover his face, but Techno had seen enough by then. The large cut right across the middle of his face, blood dripping down his nose and his chin, dropping onto and staining his shirt. Techno trembled as he looked down at his sword, finding its edge stained with the very same ruby red shade. He hadn't even realized he did that – And it was just a moment of too much pent-up rage. What if he had blacked out for longer, and this time found himself standing over someone in the crowd?

What if it was Wilbur or Tommy?

What if it was... Niki?

'And so Technoblade wins, leaving us at 5-4! Dream, if you manage to tie in the next round, we will follow up with an extra round to break the tie. If you Techno wins, that's the end. Alright?', Jimmy asked from above, his friends continuing with commentary and cheering for the contestants on the side. Dream gave up on covering up his face, knowing everyone there had already seen it.  
'Understood.', he responded, grabbing onto a bandage and doing his best to stop the bleeding. On the other side of the field, Techno had to focus on somehow regaining his focus. Only one round left - He just had to win it. He could do it. He just had to focus...

The tenth round was the most bloody.

The start of the fight was unusual. Dream blocked an attack from Techno, but instead of taking the chance to knock him down, spun around and grabbed onto his sword, pulling it out of the shield. He threw it to the ground, leaving himself with two weapons and Techno with nothing. The warrior had to act quick, dodging attacks and eventually getting to the shield, using it block an oncoming strikes. One stab from a sword, one swing from an axe, two at the same time at once. There were a few he narrowly missed, leaving him with bleeding cuts on his arms.

Eventually, Techno got the chance to make some sort of offensive move. Dream lost some of his control of his moves as he slipped down, nearly dropping his sword. Here, Techno rushed forward with the shield, knocking him down to the ground. The axe fell away, leaving Dream with Techno's sword and nothing else. From here dodging his opponent's attacks was a lot easier, eventually managing to slip in behind him and hitting his arm. The sword was knocked away, and just as the previous round, the two met in a vicious fistfight.

Kick, jump, dodge, spin, with every passing second they were growing closer to finally hitting each other, the crowd gasping more and more as they were about to knock each other down. Techno could feel that voice in the back of his head overtaking him, but he had to keep himself steady. He watched Dream's eyes narrow and scan everything around him, every attack he made calculated and steady, never with a mistake. Eventually, the warrior felt himself being knocked down, a kick to his shins. Before he fell, however, he grabbed onto Dream's hoodie and felt him falling down with him.

He pulled at his hair, the other grabbed onto his hoodie and ripped a bit of it, with each second it were as if the two were getting more and more desperate at victory. With so much on the line, of course, and so much rage aimed at each other, it was hard to avoid. Techno managed to kick the other away, leaving him struggling on the ground. He rushed over, grabbed his collar and punched him in the face with the exact same intensity as the other had earlier.

'This is starting to feel personal, Blade.', Dream hissed in-between deep breaths, managing to stop another punch and forcing the other to the ground. He grabbed his arm and tried to twist it, however, didn't find enough strength in himself to do it, instead being overpowered and knocked back.  
'It was personal from the start.', Techno responded as his mind returned to all this man had done to his brothers. The duel, the explosions, the fires, everything from that first war. He may have been hiding it until then, but his anger over everything was crawling out with how overtaken he was by that bloodlust pumping through his body.

'Like your hair cut?'.  
'Like the cut on your face?'.  
'Should I break your nose, too?'.  
'I broke yours, it's only fair!'.  
'Stop dodging!'.  
'Stop kicking!'.

Eventually, the two found themselves laying by each other, coated in blood, panting from exhaustion, and barely able to move. They knew their victories were one final stand away – And yet neither of them felt enough strength to carry on. Techno, looking at the sky, could hear the crowd screaming around him. Tommy, Wilbur, and Niki were cheering him on. Even Tubbo, ignoring Schlatt's judgement of him, shouted out. Eventually, he rose to his feet, still breathing heavily, blood running down his face and body. He reached for the nearest weapon – Dream's axe, and moved it forward with a trembling arm. Now, with him standing above with a weapon and Dream on the verge of passing out below, he had officially won.

His victory was followed by a mix of cheers and boos, arising around him and blocking out any other sound. In the end, the clapping and the positive responses prevailed, leaving the warrior basking in the glory of his victory. Still, he had one more thing to do. One thing to finish up. His head snapped to the side, seeing his axe right at Dream's chin... One cut was all it would take, but...

He threw the axe, and reached forward with his hand. Dream grabbed onto it.

Everyone watched in silence as Dream slowly stood up, holding onto his side in pain. He looked at his opponent with a level of anger, at first... Then, he felt himself smile as he grabbed onto Techno's hand, lifting it in the air. The warrior felt pain shoot through it from the sudden movement, but he did not care. For a moment, the two opponents... Smiled at each other? They even seemed to chuckle, as if admitting how ridiculously serious they had gotten to the end of their final battle. Another cheer went through the crowd.

'And so, with 6-4, Technoblade wins!'.

The two warriors looked at each other with proud smiles.

'You're a hell of a fighter, Technoblade.'.  
'You're not so bad yourself, Dream.'.

And so, the duel came to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LETS GOOO THEY DIDNT MURDER EACH OTHER GOOD JOB GUYS
> 
> dream: hey could you help me out A LITTLE but dont be to obvious?  
> drista: okay  
> drista: *commits arson*


	81. The Duel (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the duel, everyone calms down. Tommy has a realization, Techno gets a new haircut from Niki, and Wilbur speaks to an old friend.

Tommy watched his brother approach him, grasping the fake potions with a nervous grip.

'Good job out there big man!', he exclaimed almost instantly, moving forward. Techno didn't say a word as he grabbed the potion from him, opening it and drinking everything inside of it in a single swig. The boy watched in terror as he slowly looked at the bottle curiously, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and finally, threw the bottle aside and took a deep breath.  
'Thanks, Tommy. I knew I could count on you.', the man said, passing him and patting him on the back. His grip wasn't unnaturally strong, his eyes didn't have that look in them, and he seemed relaxed... The boy watched him approach their brother and speak to him in shock.

He continued observing Techno with confusion as he approached Niki and Wilbur, the woman instantly showing concern for all of his wounds. While the crowds moved back into the party area to speak, the warrior begun cleaning himself up. Niki stitched some of his cuts up and cleaned them, Wilbur got him fresh clothes, and still sunned, Tommy watched on without saying anything. While Techno left to a secluded area to change in peace, the boy was suddenly approached by his older brother. The former President grabbed his shoulder and leaned closer.

'Hey, is everything alright?', he asked, noticing the mix of shock and confusion on the other's face. Tommy turned and looked up, his eyes wide and unsure.  
'Techno... Knows how to fight, doesn't he?', he said, trying his best to avoid the topic. Wilbur seemed to spot his hesitance, but mistook it for something else.  
'...Tommy, I...', Wilbur whispered, lowering his voice. 'You know, just because he's our brother doesn't mean you have to pretend he didn't do all those things he did. If you're scared it's okay to say it. He doesn't owe you your forgiveness, no matter who he is to us. That is for you to decide.'. Tommy felt so guilty – He wanted to say the truth, he wanted to stop lying, but he knew he couldn't. He knew he couldn't say anything, he couldn't bear Wilbur being more disappointed in him.

'...I know... I know... Forget about it.'.

Techno had returned by the time the two were finished talking, now with a clean white shirt and trousers, but with the red material still around his stomach and his shoes on. He took his seat on one of the spare chairs while Niki rushed to his side again, insisting to take care of all his wounds properly. She had done the best she could, but he was still covered in cuts and bruises that were yet to be properly handled. While she worked as best as she could, Tommy inched his way closer to his brother, moving as slowly as he could. He felt as though the moment he made one wrong move he could send him into some sort of rampage, but... Nothing happened. He was acting more than normal. The boy wasn't sure how to react.

'Hey Techno, are you... Feeling okay?', he asked, probably sounding more suspicious than he should have allowed himself to appear. His brother looked back with confusion.  
'...Apart from all the bleeding, a good few sprains and a broken finger? I'm managing.'. Tommy nodded, paying attention to Techno's eyes specifically – That... “thing”, whatever it was, usually could be seen in there the most. But the way he looked was... Completely normal?  
'Right. You uh... You did good in the fight.', the boy muttered, completely lost in the situation.  
'Thanks.', he responded with a smile. 'You guys got me through most of it.'.

Tommy made up some sort of lie about having to talk to Tubbo and sneaked away, pacing around the arena as he thought about his options here. Techno didn't take his potion – He took a fake. So why did it work? Why was his bloodlust gone? Was it simply building up inside of him, or had it actually faded? There was one theory Tommy had, but the implications of it being true could be catastrophic – It would make keeping this secret a matter of life and death. His theory was quite a simple one, but with Phil “inventing” the potion it seemed to... Make sense.

What if the potion was a placebo?

A potion without effects but a potion that brought along results. A lie – Something as simple as that. A mix of the first few things that a desperate man came up with when he thought about how to stop his son from killing everyone in his way. The type that, as long as it looked, smelled and tasted right, would pass and make him stop himself from hurting anyone subconsciously. But this also meant every move he ever made, ever life he had ever taken was his own choice, covered up by a lie about bloodlust. Was Techno tricking himself into becoming a monster he never was, and was it only possible to be pushed away with another trick?

But that would mean everything he had done to fight it was for naught. There were so many layers to all of this, it was hard for Tommy to keep track. The only thing he knew for sure right now was that he had to keep this hidden, no matter what. If Techno were to become aware that his potions weren't even doing anything the results could be disastrous.

Maybe talking to Tubbo didn't have to just be a lie right now. He really needed a distraction.

\---

'Alright, now that that's done... Let me just...'.

Niki carried on with her work, moving a wet cloth to Techno's face and carefully wiping away some of the blood from his face. She had to be gentle, seeing how many sensitive wounds were still there from that particular fistfight him and Dream had gotten into towards the end of the final round. She gave him a quick smile as soon as she got done, wiping her hands in a nearby towel.

'There! Good as new. Now, about this...', the woman started, moving her hand closer to Techno's hair. Almost instantly, his eyes grew wide and he grabbed onto her wrist, forcing it away. He tried to be as gentle as he could with it, but it was clear he panicked and hurt her more than he wanted to.  
'Don't- I-', he looked down as he noticed the woman's look of worry. 'Sorry. Just... Don't touch it.'.  
'It looks like a mess with how Dream cut it. I could fix it up for you. Make it even?', the woman inched closer as she noticed the other one was clearly hesitant, tilting her head.  
'No, no, don't cut it any more, just-', Techno seemed to be panicking as he spoke, moving further and further away from Niki. 'Just leave it. Please.'.

'Are you really upset it got cut?'. The man chuckled to himself.  
'It's just hair. I'll manage.', he responded, but the pain in his voice was quite clear.  
'Come on, Techno. Do you wanna go around looking like your hair got stuck in a tree branch?', the woman came closer and smiled. 'I'll just trim it a bit to make it look better. It's gonna be about as long as mine. And while I do that you can tell me why it's so important to you, how about that?'.  
'...I...', Techno hesitated for a moment. Did he trust Niki enough to let his guard down and let her so close to him with something as sharp and dangerous as a pair of scissors? To anyone else a thought process like that would seem unusual. But Techno had always found himself reconsidering things.

'Okay. Just don't let it get too short.'.  
'I won't. Promise.'.

'So... What's the story?', Niki started brushing her friend's hair as he turned away, removing a pair of medical scissors from the first aid kit MrBeast had given to her when he heard she'd take care of Techno after the fight. She could see he was nervous, so she didn't get into the cutting right away.  
'You remember Phil, right?', he asked, already feeling some familiar memories return to him.  
'Yep. Your dad, right?', Niki repeated, remembering all the stories he used to tell her when the two spent time together more than a year ago now. He really missed it.

'Yeah... Phil was a retired adventurer. When he travelled he never had time to cut his hair, so he kept it long. And when he finally settled down and had me, he decided to keep it that way... He told me it told his story, in a way. Just like scars or photographs did.'. Techno flinched as he felt the cold edge of the scissors against his neck, followed by the snipping sounds. The cold sensation moved across his neck and sent chills through it, but still, he allowed Niki to carry on as he told his tale;  
'Growing up he'd always cut my hair. But one day I told him I wanted to keep it long – So I could look like him. I always admired him in everything he did. I wanted to be just like him.', Techno paused, watching as small parts of his hair fell around his shoulders. He felt as if he was sitting on the stairs of that small hut in some village Phil had found in this world all over again, his father with his scissors behind him and telling him about his adventures as he worked.  
'...It's been so long since I've seen him, I guess the hair just felt like the only way to connect with him, and now...', Techno paused. He felt Niki stop for a moment as she leaned over his shoulder and looked at him with a comforting smile.

'Hey... Don't worry.', she came closer and rubbed his shoulder. 'I'm sure you'll see him again soon. And the hair? It'll grow back! Just give it some time. Until then...', she suddenly turned him around, grabbing onto a few strands of his hair at the front of his head.  
'What are you doing?', he asked curiously, seeing her work with her usual expert precision.  
'Since I can't braid the back as nicely any more, I'll add a little braid at the front. Just... A bit of familiarity with this new hairstyle, you know?', as Niki finished up, she turned around and pulled a small mirror out of her bag. She lifted it in front of her friend's face with a smile.

'Ta-Dah! How is it?'.

Techno looked into his own reflection. His hair, just as Niki said, was about the length of her own now, falling lazily on his shoulders. She had managed to fix it up slightly so every end wasn't a different length from how violently Dream had cut it, making it somewhat presentable. At the front of the hairstyle, to the right of his face, there was a single braid, blending in seamlessly with the rest of the loose hair. He moved his hand to his face and smiled.

'I actually... Like it. I like it a lot.'.

'Technoblade! Congratulations on your win!', someone exclaimed as they rushed in from around the corner, the whole area filling with overwhelming noise that made both Niki and Techno jump. MrBeast, alongside his crew, were all in the area now, cheering for Techno as he struggled to push himself away from them. The noise coming so suddenly left him stunned.  
'Come on, guys. Give the guy space to breathe.', Jimmy shouted over everyone else. There was an arm around him, another person was shoving a camera in his face... Techno could barely see what was happening any more, Niki fading away somewhere into the crowd.

'Thank you... I...', Techno started, finally being given some space. Jimmy was now in front of him with a wide smile, his friends standing aside and speaking between each other. 'It was difficult. Dream is a worthy opponent. But I guess...', Techno couldn't help but smirk as he threw aside every lesson of honour he had taught Tommy and Wilbur. 'Not worthy enough.'.  
'Ooh, snap! Bold words from Blade!', Chris exclaimed from the crowd.  
'Watch it, Dream might want a rematch over that...', Chandler muttered soon after.

'You know what? I just might.'.

The whole group turned, muttering between each other as they spotted Dream standing nearby. He was just as damaged as Techno, changed into new clothes but covered head to toe in bandages. He hadn't replaced his mask, instead getting his old one and putting it back together with some sort of material. The crack in the middle was still visible – In a way, it made him look that much more intimidating. He came closer and flashed a grin.

'Just kidding. I don't think I'd survive another fight with you.', Dream carried on, clearly trying his best to hide how much pain he was in walking forward but unable to conceal his limp.  
'Would you break my whole hand if we were to go again?', Techno said jokingly, lifting his hand and revealing the cast Niki had placed on his finger. The other man laughed nervously.  
'Right. I got a little carried away there. Sorry about that.'.  
'Happens to the best of us. I must say, I didn't expect it.'.

'Technoblade, I will teach you how to make Netherite tomorrow in the morning as a reward for your victory – For today, though...', Jimmy came closer, putting his arms around the two and pulling them closer to him. 'Let's celebrate the unreal amounts of money you two have just made me!'.  
'I'm not one for parties...', Techno muttered as he was forcibly pulled forward.  
'Come on, Blade! Have some fun!', Dream exclaimed. 'Enjoy this while it lasts. By tomorrow Schlatt is gonna be keeping you and your two friends out of L'Manberg with everything he has. Especially now that he's seen how strong you are.'.  
'I guess... One party never hurt anyone.', the warrior concluded, allowing himself to be pulled along. Niki was soon walking by his side, also accompanied by a few of Jimmy's friends. He couldn't stop himself from smiling – It was nice being among people like this again, even if it was only for one day.

What's the worse that could happen at a party?

\---

Wilbur Soot stood alone. He wasn't a fan of it, but he didn't have much of a choice.

With his great victory, Techno had found himself fame among the townspeople, talking to them and barely getting a minute to rest. He ended up taking one or two more of his potions just in case, considering how large the crowds were, and had become somewhat comfortable with the spotlight. Dream spent a lot of time around him, which made him practically impossible to approach. Tommy and Tubbo had found the time to talk with each other, not able to be torn away as they made jokes about everyone there, pulled pranks and ran from corner to corner of the party trying to get away from everything. It was moments like these that reminded him the two were still kids – And made his heart sink. Niki sneaked away somewhere and he hadn't seen her since, and Fundy didn't seem in the mood for chats. So, here he was. Alone.

With nothing to do and with how overwhelmed he was with all the noise and chatter, he found himself sneaking away to a secluded area of the party. Leaning on the audience of the arena, looking up at the night sky and taking deep, shuddering breaths, his mind swirled with thoughts. About everything that had gone down, about everything that was still ahead, and about everything that was yet to be revealed. What had he done to his old friend? What kind of atrocities had he caused in the past? What was their plan from here? They couldn't just sit back and train with Techno forever, could they? They needed a plan, and yet-

'Is this spot taken?'.

'Who's...', Wilbur turned around, and was unimpressed with what he found. 'There...', he finished the sentence, his voice growing low as he turned his attention to the sky once more.  
'Don't let me interrupt you, loverboy. I'm just here to catch a break.', Schlatt, who had somehow found his way to his spot, spoke with an unusually calm tone of voice for him. He leaned on the same build as him, taking a deep breath and glancing up at the sky.

'So how wasted are you right now?', Wilbur asked with venom in his voice.  
'Could be worse. And you? You've barely had a drink.', Schlatt noted, turning his head.  
'I don't drink.'. Instantly, the other begun laughing. 'What? I'm not lying.'.  
'SMPLive begs to differ.', he said, and as if suddenly realizing the man in front of him didn't recall a single thing, his face darkened. 'Not that... You'd remember. But... I remember, one time... You got so drunk you ended up stuck on a tree... Somehow?', as Schlatt spoke, his words continued being interrupted by his own giggles.

'God, we tried to get you down but you kept insisting you wanted to be up there! And... Then we got Phil, and it turned into a whole mess... And...'. He heard Wilbur laugh along, but... He wasn't laughing with the fondness of recalling a good memory. He was laughing at the slightly humorous tale of a complete stranger. The President instantly stopped speaking, stuffing his hands in his pockets and growing silent, glancing at the grass in front of him.

'Everything is gonna go back to normal tomorrow isn't it?', Schlatt asked after a short pause with a melancholic tone. 'Me trying to kill you, you constantly fucking with me and somehow getting away. It's like a goddamn cartoon or some shit. Some cat and mouse bullshit.'.  
'It doesn't have to be.', Wilbur spoke up. 'If you're able to admit it's stupid, why are you carrying on with it? We could stop it, we could go back to-'.

'Just shut the fuck up already.'.  
'Excuse me?'.  
'Why can't it get through your thick fucking skull that things are never going back to that?'.  
'They won't if we don't try.'.

For just a split second, Schlatt seemed to consider.

'No, Wilbur. You lost your chance long ago. Goodnight.'.  
'I... I'm...', Wilbur shook his head and sighed. 'Goodnight, Schlatt.'.

And this would be the last time the President ever considered forgiving his old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me, writing: hey this chapter is mostly wholesome, for once there isn't angst or-  
> also me: *writes the last part*  
> me: fuck
> 
> i literally cant stop myself from writing angst anymore its getting unhealthy help  
> we are like... 2 chapters away from schlatt's backstory reveal  
> i am so hyped holy shit
> 
> also the fake potions worked???????? huh????????????  
> guess tommy wont die yet lets gooooo


	82. The Goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Many say their goodbyes as MrBeast leaves the city and things return to normal.

'Your sword, please.'.  
'Will it break?'.  
'Far from it.'.  
'Alright... I trust you.'.

Techno watched curiously as MrBeast grabbed his sword and turned away to him, facing the infamous Nether Portal Schlatt had come through. It was still being guarded every day to make sure no one went inside, but with a few convincing statements he managed to get him and the winner of the duel all by themselves, away from the prying eyes of the DreamSMP and Manberg as Jimmy shared his secrets with the other. Techno had been watching the man work with silence, wondering what exactly his method could have been.

Jimmy knelt down on the ground and placed the sword into the portal, leaving only the handle of it on the Overworld side. He watched it carefully as he counted down a minute in his head. Once the minute passed, he grabbed onto the sword and removed it from the portal, a large cloud of ash following it. He lifted it up and handed it to Techno, who held onto it with confusion. He wasn't sure exactly how what he saw was an improvement.

The sword had now turned a reddish black shade, radiating a strange heat Techno felt rush through his body as soon as the weapon was handed back to him. He turned the blade a few times in his hand, seeing the sun reflect on it. Something about it seemed... Foreign. Evil. He knew that feeling – That feeling of something that didn't quite fit in there. Anything they ever carried out of the Nether back in SMPLive made him feel that way.

And yet, in all his lifetimes, he had never seen a weapon like this one.

'It looks... Rusty.', Techno looked down, looking up with a disappointed glance that showed how unimpressed he was. 'Are you sure this weapon is as good as you make it out to be?'.  
'Give it a try before you judge it, Technoblade.', Jimmy beckoned, leaning on the obsidian frame of the portal. 'Those rocks over there look like they could use a cut, right?'.  
'There's not a single material that can just... Cut through stone with a simple swing.', Techno claimed, but seeing the expression on the other's face, he second-guessed himself. He whipped around, raised his sword, and moved it down into the large boulder in front of him.

A clean cut was made in the boulder, a part of it sliding down and slamming onto the ground.

'Oh my... God...', Techno looked down at the blade, turning it in his hand. Not a single scratch had been made on it. He heard Jimmy clap his hands and begin laughing.  
'Pretty sweet, right?', he asked as he approached him. 'Diamond, when met with the Nether's energy, warps into Netherite. It works with anything made of diamond – Tools, weapons, armour. It'll make it some of the most powerful materials you've ever used. Or anyone around you, for that matter. Keep this knowledge close to you – And you'll be in charge of this place soon enough.'.  
'I'm not big on governments and rulers, but thanks for the tip.', Techno stated as he sheathed the weapon, feeling its warmth against the side of his leg as he put it away. It was vibrating with this unnatural energy – He was sure he'd get used to it eventually, but for now, it was... Strange.

'So where are you heading now, Beast?', Techno asked, seeing the man looking around.  
'Hypixel. That's where we're screening this thing. As soon as we edit it, that is. But we can do that once we get there and settle down. There's no rush.', he looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. 'It's nice here. In the big cities everything is a lot more... Political.'.  
'Yeah, I know what you mean. I've been.', Techno crossed his arms. 'Rules, order, laws. But with how things are going around here these days, we could probably use a few of those...', he admitted with a sigh. He could see Jimmy looking around with curiosity.

'Really feels like I jumped in here in the middle of something big.'.  
'Yeah. But if I'm being honest, we needed the break.'.  
'Glad I could be a distraction from things. So what are your plans from here?'.  
'Honestly? No clue. But we're gonna have to come up with something, eventually.'.

'Whatever you do you have one of the most powerful weapons of all time with you now.', the man passed the other and patted him on the back. 'Don't blow it.'.  
'Thanks.', Techno said with a chuckle. 'I better go now. I'm technically not allowed around here, and Wilbur and Tommy won't know what to do with themselves without me.'.  
'See you around.', MrBeast looked around for a moment, smiling. 'You know what? I like it here. I might come back some day. I have a few more challenges in mind.'.  
'I look forward to it.', Techno finally turned around and begun walking into the woods. Right before he did, though, he looked back, a fond memory returning to him.

'Hey, Beast. Mind doing me a small favour?'.  
'For a warrior like you? I could do a thing or two, sure.'.  
'In Hypixel, just outside the city, there's a potato farmer. Goes by Squid Kid, self-proclaimed potato king. Would you mind sending him a message?'.  
'I guess I could. What is it?'.

'Tell him The Blade sends his regards, and still considers himself the winner of our match.'.  
'You love flaunting your victories, don't you?'.  
'It's what I do best. So, can you pass on the message?'.  
'Can do. See you on the other side, Techno.'.

And with a swift salute, the man returned into the woods.

\---

'So... I guess this is goodbye... A second time.'.

MrBeast, alongside his crew, had gathered all of their things that morning and were getting to leave. A few people had gathered to say their goodbyes, but Karl, out of everyone, was the most hesitant to let them go. He had been standing around with them since they first started gathering themselves, and now that they were actually heading out, he looked about ready to tag along.

'You could come with us, you know.', he heard Jimmy say as he watched on. For a second, he remembered all the good memories, all the laughs, all the challenges, all the different cities they visited and all the different experiences that came from that. But he also remembered everything else, the lows, the doubts, and how he felt outside of the good times.  
'I've got a life here now. I wouldn't want to give that up. I liked hanging out with you guys, but...', Karl cut himself off for a moment, shrugging. 'I like when things are more stable, you know?'.  
'It's your choice. It was nice seeing you again, though.', Jimmy concluded, fixing up his backpack. His whole team gathered around Karl, pushing him around and joking with him.

'You've gotten boring, Karl!', Chris exclaimed, punching his arm.  
'Yeah, you're nothing like the Karl we know...', Nolan added over-dramatically.  
'Come on, come with us, come on...', Chandler begged, grabbing onto Karl's arm.  
'Chandler is gonna cry every night if you don't!', Tyler added on with a laugh.

Karl, for a moment, felt something tug at his heart.

'I've got a war and a nation to take care of here. But maybe once things calm down I'll seek you guys out.', Karl concluded with a smile. 'And hey, you're planning on coming back here, right?'.  
'Definitely.', Jimmy instantly responded. 'This place is ideal! No order, everyone desperate for things... I mean, this city is full of opportunity. You'll see me around, definitely.'.  
'Alright. See you then.', Karl looked around between all of his friends and forced a smile. 'See you, everyone. I'll miss you! Bye! Bye bye!', the man continued shouting as his old friends wandered into the woods, finally stopping once they were out of sight. He took a deep breath, turned back towards Manberg, and walked. He had a lot to do, still, after all.

And in the woods, the entertainers walked.

'I can't wait to go back to Hypixel.', Nolan muttered under his breath. 'They have the best potatoes over there. I don't know how they make them, but that stuff is amazing.'.  
'I think it's just the fact that it's like... Properly produced food.', Chris suggested. 'They actually have farms and factories and not just... Hunt in the woods and call it a day.'.  
'I miss pizza... Why haven't these guys invented pizza yet?', Chandler whined from the back of the group. 'Or, like, at least pizza bread. Or pizza rolls. I just... Really like pizza.'.  
'Hey, Jimmy, you're being awfully quiet up there.', Tyler shouted out, seeing his friend turn back. 'While on the discussion of good food, what are you gonna go for once we're home?'.

'You know what?', the man rubbed his chin, smiling. 'It's been too long since I've had a good taco.'.

\---

'Ah shut up already, I'm the President here you're only the Vice-'.  
'But you said I have the fattest ass in the cabinet! Did that mean nothing to you?'.  
'No, you're more like a... flatty-patty... Yeah, that's what I'll call you now.'.  
'How dare you? I am so hurt right now. Look at these tears.'.

Another hollering laugh followed, driving Minx insane.

Sitting back and watching the President and Vice-President joke around while getting drunk felt like third-wheeling to the world's most useless pair of losers. Not only did they have no filter once they got drinking, they had a horrible taste in drinks themselves, too. And no etiquette! It was like watching children chug whatever they stole from their parents' unguarded liquor cabinet.

It was moments like these she wished she could drink enough to black out, pass out on the floor and wake up somewhere else. She didn't have a choice, though – She had to sit with these two until they were done. One good thing about them being drunk, though, was that she could easily sneak away. The moment Schlatt turned his back, she made her way out into the corridor, and just as she expected, found Niki standing there, observing the paintings on the wall without much focus.

'Hey. So? How are they?', Niki asked. The two had agreed to meet once Minx declared the President too drunk to care about her any more, and here was their opportunity. She turned to her friend with a smile – Seeing her made this hell somewhat more bearable.  
'One shot away from passing out, from what I can see.', Minx said, giving the door a glance. She could still hear the laughter and slurred words of the other two from inside the room. She rolled her eyes and looked back at her friend.

'So... Since Schlatt is bringing things back to normal tomorrow, this is gonna be goodbye for a while, right?', Niki asked, her voice trembling already. Spending that whole party with Minx had made her miss everything about their friendship almost two years ago now – And reminded her there was a way to go back to it. A way that Minx would simply not allow.  
'Before you ask, no, we're not going through with that ritual. I can handle that cunt for a bit longer.', the Dreamon said and blew some hair out of her face, trying her best to hide how much she had considered the ritual and how relieving it would be to finally have a Host that actually... Wanted her around. She looked up at her friend with a forced smile.

'We'll see each other again. Don't worry.'.  
'We could just do it right now. I have all the-'.  
'No, Niki. I don't want you to get hurt.'.  
'Fine. But please. Consider. And if he gets really bad-'.  
'Then we will perform the ritual. As agreed.'.

Niki smiled, hugged her friend, and stepped away.

'...Goodbye for now.'.  
'I prefer... See you soon.'.  
'See you soon. Sure. Let's go with that.'.  
'See you soon, then.'.

\---

'Night, Mr. President.'.  
'Goodnight, Alex.'.

The moment the doors were shut, the room seemed to get a little darker.

Schlatt didn't say much, didn't move, in fact, for a moment, it was almost as if he didn't breathe. That sudden shift between being with someone else and being completely alone – It always struck him more than anything else. He sat down in his chair and looked to the side, finding a mirror. He could see his face reflected in it – A pathetic reflection of a broken man staring back at him. It were as if it was a stranger, a person he had met long ago and long forgotten.

A man who had been lost and would never come back.

'You probably think you're hot shit, huh?', he spoke to the mirror, his perception of reality so warped he couldn't care less how ridiculous he was being. He could go back to being “okay” in the morning – One breakdown over a bottle or three of wine never hurt a man. 'Think you're on top of the world, or something. Think those bullshit scams of yours are gonna get you somewhere? “Wilbur, I promise, this is what gets us our money! This is how we start a business, Wilbur!”. Yeah, yeah, take that shit back to Phil's house. He always loved listening to your little ideas.'.

The President took a sip from the bottle and laughed.

'Yeah, Phil was a hero wasn't he? Saving a poor little kid like you. Giving you a home. A family. God, what an asshole he was, giving you all that hope and tearing it all away.', he paused, watching his own reflection. Was it smiling at him, or was he just one too many bottles in? 'Do you think he even looked back when they all jumped back into that portal? No, of course he didn't. His lovely wife didn't give birth to you, so you never mattered in that house.'.

He leaned forward, and he could swear the mirror spoke back.

'He told us he cared about us.'.  
'He lied. So did Techno, and so did Wilbur.'.  
'And we promised we'd never change.'.  
'Have we ever actually kept a promise?'.

'I guess you'll never be me any more.'.  
'I guess so.'.  
'So it's goodbye then?'.  
'Should have been a long time ago.'.

'I hate you.'.  
'The feeling's mutual.'.

Schlatt swung the bottle at the mirror, watching it shatter.

And the reflection was gone.

\---

The man watched the city from a distance, considering.

He considered the risk of staying. The risk of watching. He could get caught, he could get seen, he could somehow end up tied into something he was not meant to be a part of. He had always had the luck of clearly remembering the past – And based on it, he had also found himself vaguely understanding his future. And he knew how things were meant to go – How he was meant to take part, when he was meant to be here, and how everything would end.

He would try to stop it, that much he knew. Even when it was hopeless, he'd step in. But right now was not the time. Right now, he had to let everything take course. Saying his goodbyes, he turned away from the DreamSMP... For now.

Phil's sons had to carry on without him for a little longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jimmy: *mentions tacos*  
> everyone: *eye emoji*
> 
> anyway uh  
> guys i dont think  
> i dont think schlatt is doing okay


	83. The Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt and Wilbur decide to stop lying. Technoblade and Quackity force them to relive SMPLive.

Technoblade knew when his brother was lying.

Quackity knew when his President was hiding something.

And their awareness brought along trouble.

\---

'Wilbur, you need to keep your head up, your hair is getting in your eyes.', Techno scolded his brother, seeing how dishevelled his stance was. He was barely able to hold off Tommy, already losing the tenth training round in a row now. He got up from the ground, sighing.  
'Sorry... Sorry, let me try again, this time I'll do better.', the man got up to his feet, picking up his sword and grasping onto it. Before he could, his older brother grabbed onto his arm and pulled him aside, forcing him to his feet. He turned his head.

'Tommy, practice by yourself for a bit. Wilbur, we need to talk.'.

The two moved aside, eventually stopping somewhere inside Techno's small potato field by the riverside. The man stopped him, looked him in the eyes, and crossed his arms. It were almost as if he wanted him to speak first, find some way to explain his strange behaviour. The younger of the two brothers nervously stuffed his hands into the pockets of his trench-coat, trying his best to hide just how exhausted he was from his lack of sleep over the last few days.

'Something wrong?', he asked, his eyes travelling to the river to avoid Techno's gaze.  
'You tell me. Wanna explain why you're so out of it?', the warrior asked, looking around. 'You can barely keep up with basic training, there's bags under your eyes, and you keep getting lost in thought. If something is going on you can tell me, you know.'.  
'I just... Haven't been sleeping too well. That's it.', Wilbur claimed, clearing his throat. 'Maybe it's the weather, or... Maybe just thinking about L'Manberg and everything... I keep waking up in the middle of the night and... Yeah. I'll try to get more sleep tonight-'.

'Are you having dreams, Wilbur?', Techno instantly asked, reading his brother like an open book.  
'Always am. But they're not the reason I'm-', Wilbur tried to say, but was cut off.  
'You're having new dreams. I can see it in your face, Wilbur. If you tell me about them it's going to make it a lot easier for you to deal with them, alright?', the older tried to say, but his younger brother didn't seem to want to listen. He narrowed his eyes and forced a smile.  
'They're just new dreams, Techno. I understand them. They fit into everything. I guess my brain is just not used to them, and that's it. It wakes me up. I'll be fine, though.', Wilbur turned away, beginning to head back. 'I just need to rest, okay?'.

'Are you sure you're alright, Wilbur?'.

The man looked back, and as he had a million times before in his life, he lied.

'Yeah, Techno. I'm fine.'.

\---

'What do you mean morale is low?'.  
'People saw Technoblade win and now believe in the rebellion. I told you the fight was a bad idea.'.  
'You have no fucking clue what's a bad idea and what's a good one.'.  
'I think I know some things, you asshole.'.

Tubbo knew that Quackity and Schlatt argued a lot when he wasn't around, but it had gotten especially out of hand lately. Those fights stopped becoming something private and personal and begun finding their way into cabinet meetings, completely ignoring Fundy and the President's right hand man as they shouted at each other about practically everything that was brought to the table. He could see Schlatt had changed a lot lately – Something about how he was acting didn't seem quite like himself. Or at least not like the character he had been showing until now.

What he was like behind closed doors – That was one thing Tubbo was never sure of.

'This is a fucking disaster... Not only are the people turning on you I just know one of you assholes is a rat! There's no fucking way all of you actually care about this cabinet!', the President begun spouting accusations at everyone in the room, causing Tubbo to flinch.

Did he know he was still in contact with Pogtopia? He wouldn't say he was a “spy” by any means, but he definitely wasn't a hundred percent loyal to him. At the party, Tommy had managed to convince him to start relaying some information to the others, and of course, he agreed. Since both Eret and Niki were now under the President's careful watch, he had to support his friends in any way he could. And if sneaking out sometimes and helping with a few things in the ravine was the way to do it, he didn't have much of a problem with it.

'You're paranoid! If there was someone among us we'd know by now. You got rid of Niki so now instead of making things up focus on raising morale. People need to know they can trust you.', Quackity came closer, clearly noticing the President was incredibly out of it.  
'I'm not paranoid, I'm just careful.', Schlatt claimed between quick, deep breaths. 'We can't just trust everyone in this cabinet. You can never trust anyone close to you. And let me tell you, I learned that the hard fucking way!', he hissed, sitting back down.  
'Quackity is right, Mr. President.', Tubbo spoke up, although he couldn't hide how afraid he was of Schlatt's behaviour in that very moment. 'We need to make sure people trust you and believe in your leadership. Right now Technoblade is the local hero – We need you to take that spot, sir.'.

Schlatt listened to the boy's words, sitting back.

'The people think Technoblade is a fucking hero, huh?', he said with a laugh. 'They think he's a hero? God, they couldn't be more wrong. Those assholes don't know anything about him-'.  
'You know Technoblade? Personally?', Fundy suddenly cut in, having had been silent until now. Schlatt looked up at him, as if only now realizing his own words. He laughed and looked back.  
'What? Of course not. All I know is he's insane. You know what he did at the prison.', the President turned away, his eyes narrowing. 'The Blade is cruel, and people shouldn't idolise him.'.

'Let's remind the people, then.'.

'What was that, Alex?', the President looked back, visibly interested in the idea.  
'Let's remind the people of what Technoblade is. Take the focus away from the fight and back to the prison. We can have Karl go around and talk about the fight. Someone can play up some sort of trauma. Spread rumours so that he's feared again. As simple as that.', Quackity shrugged.  
'So we're going to lie?', Tubbo whispered, his voice growing weaker.  
'This fucking cabinet is built on lies any way. So who cares?', Schlatt stood up and waved his hand. 'Let's do it. I want Technoblade's reputation tarnished by the end of the day.'. He watched as his whole cabinet sat around in silence, staring up at him. 'Well? Did I fucking stutter? Get going!'.

The three all stood up, gathered themselves, and left the room.

'You're a fucking mess.', he heard Minx comment from the side. 'Any particular reason?'.  
'Shut up.', Schlatt picked up a bottle he had hidden under the table, instantly drinking from it. 'Go talk to Niki behind my back or some shit. I've already got a headache, I don't need you on top of it.'.  
'You're lucky you drink as much as you do, I don't have to go out of my way to get rid of all my energy. I could add some nightmares to the ones you already have every night.', the woman leaned closer with a smile, seeing the other's face darken. 'Oh, yeah. I'm always there when you wake up. I hear what you mutter about under your breath, too.'.

'Shut up.'.  
'...You'd never betray me, right Wilbur?'.  
'Shut the fuck up.'.  
'...Partners in crime, till the end of time, right Wilbur?'.  
'Last chance.'.  
'...Wilbur, Wilbur, Wilbur-'.

Minx dodged away as the bottle was swung at her, laughing as she stood back up.

'I wish I never fucking met you.'.  
'Oh hey, for once we agree on something!'.

And as Quackity watched Schlatt talk to himself alone in the meeting room, he knew something was wrong. He had to interfere – After all, Quackity cared about Schlatt. What sort of....

...

...Friend, would he be, if he didn't help him?

\---

'Wilbur?'.

The rain had gotten so severe on that day. It was unnatural.

'Wilbur, are you out here?'.

Techno knew he had to be scared – He knew that rain.

'Wilbur, are you- ...What are you doing here?'.

It was the same rain that had drowned SMPLive years ago.

Wilbur was standing alone by the edge of the river, looking into it in silence. The water was rushing more strongly than usual – The wind was blowing at speeds unusual for the season. His brother's face was soaked from the rain, his hair falling over it. Still, he stood and didn't say a word. Techno moved closer to him, seeing him turn back with his eyes wide with terror.

'Techno... The rain...', Wilbur wrapped his trench-coat around himself more tightly. 'I'm so cold.'.  
'Wilbur, what are you doing out here?', he came closer to his brother, putting his sword aside for a moment. 'Come back to Pogtopia. You're soaked, you're gonna catch a cold.'.  
'I don't understand what he's saying.', the man shook his head, his eyes still wide and focused on something only seen to him. 'Techno, I don't understand... I don't get it...'.  
'Calm down. What did you see?', he came closer, slowly and hesitantly. He noticed his hand was trembling – None of this boded well. 'Wilbur, the dreams haven't made sense, have they? You lied to me, didn't you?'. His eyes filled with tears as he looked up.

'I did.', he whispered through sobs. 'I'm sorry. I'm just scared. I don't... I don't understand...', Wilbur took a few steps forward, collapsing. Techno caught him and wrapped his arms around him as he heard him sob into his shoulder, muttering more to himself while he trembled from the cold.  
'Calm down. I'll help you figure it out. You just need to calm down. Take deep breaths.', Techno reassured the other, stopping himself from mentioning that if Wilbur didn't manage to calm down something horrible could happen.

'You have to tell me.', Wilbur whispered, looking up. His eyes looked so unnatural – Red from crying, wide from shock, filling with more and more tears with each second. 'I can't do this any more. I need to know. Please, just tell me.'.  
'Okay.', Techno muttered, knowing Phil would kill him for this if he were here. 'I'll tell you everything. From the start, okay? Everything that happened in SMPLive. Everything about you, me, Phil and Schlatt. Every single thing.'.

'Everything is gonna make sense, okay?'.  
'Okay.'.

The rain seemed to calm down.

'Come on. Get out of the rain. Sit down, okay?'.  
'Okay.'.

The water in the river slowed.

'And whatever you hear, you have to remember. You're a good person, okay?'.  
'Okay.'.

The wind became less intense.

'Let's start the beginning, then.'.

\---

'Mr. Vice-President?'.

The last person Quackity expected to find at his door in the middle of the night was Tubbo – But there he was, with his clothes messed up, bags under his eyes and with bloodstains on his hands. He was trembling, and seemed to clearly be thinking about something. He wanted to ask questions, but before he could, the boy turned away and waved at him to follow him. It took Quackity a while to realize he was being lead into Schlatt's bedroom, where the other was sitting alone on his bed with his hand laid out in front of him and bandaged. A nearby mirror was cracked and covered in blood.

'Holy shit! Schlatt, what the fuck happened here?', Quackity looked around the room. Everything was turned over and in disarray, pieces of the bloodied mirror were laying on the ground, and the whole place was lit up by a large light Tubbo had put in the corner.  
'He punched the mirror.', the young boy quickly explained as if the statement were to be completely casual, returning to the President and continuing to bandage his hand. 'You need to talk to him.'.  
'Schlatt, what the fuck is going on with you lately?', Quackity came closer, looking at the other man. With a blank stare he was looking ahead of him in complete silence.

'Alex, close the door.'.  
'What?'.  
'Please.'.  
'Right. Okay.'.

The door was closed with a click.

'I can't... I can't deal with this shit by myself any more...', Schlatt started, taking a deep breath. 'I'm gonna tell you everything. Every single fucking thing, from the moment I first met Wilbur Soot to the moment he turned his back on me. And you'll listen.'.  
'Why now-', Quackity tried to ask, but was cut off by Tubbo.  
'I need to bandage his hand more. He's completely out of it. Just let him talk. It will distract him.', because of Quackity's hesitance, Tubbo carried on; 'Do you care about him?'.  
'I...', he looked at the President, considering. 'Yeah, I guess I do.'.  
'Then let him talk. It might help him.', Tubbo returned to his work, a strange amount of maturity and focus coming to him in the moment. If he didn't know any better, he'd think he actually cared about Schlatt himself. But with how he'd been treating him there was no way.

'What do you wanna tell me, Schlatt?'.  
'About SMPLive. Everything about it.'.  
'Alright. Tell me then. Where do we start?'.  
'The moment my whole life went to shit.'.  
'And when did that happen, Schlatt?'.

The President looked into the shattered mirror, still seeing his face in a small part of it.

'When I met Wilbur Soot.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and here we are. the breaking point.  
> the next few chapters are gonna be the fabled schlatt backstory, chapters which ive been wanting to write since i first wrote this fic  
> i am very, VERY excited for what's to come, and i hope you guys are, too!
> 
> see ya on the other side <3


	84. The Truth (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In SMPLive, two boys meet for the first time. A teenager wonders if being different makes him worse.

What happened in SMPLive was not the story of Jschlatt and Wilbur Soot.

It was the story of Schlatt and Will.

\---

Schlatt managed to perform his first successful scam when he was five years old.

But what exactly was the definition of a scam? To him, it was simply managing to get something from practically nothing. You make sure the other person gets barely anything, or nothing at all, if you're very good at it, and you get something in return willingly. It's not about scaring someone into trading, it's not about pushing them into a corner, it's about outsmarting someone and tricking them into thinking they're doing exactly what they want to be doing right now.

But that didn't really apply when you were a five year old trying to get a bit of food, since, you know. Kids are very, very stupid. And if you happen to be a kid a little smarter than most, that would get you everything you wanted. And Schlatt was that very type of kid – Managing to meet a few other less-than-fortunate children by a playground somewhere and making a few deals between them that left them with an empty bag and him with a chocolate bar. Win-win, right? They were the ones who handed it over, so why should he have-

'Hey! This ain't fair!'.

_Here we go..._

'What ain't fair? We had a deal.', Schlatt responded as he turned around, unwrapping the piece of candy he had managed to get for himself. 'You said you'd give me this for a bag with a surprise in it. You got your bag, I got my candy. Deal done.'.  
'There's a rock in here!', one of the other kids, of which there were three total, exclaimed. He opened a small leather bag that Schlatt had handed him and removed a single rock from it. The boy couldn't help but laugh at how much he had tricked the other two.  
'Should have checked before you made the deal!', he turned away, starting to walk. His eyes went wide as he felt his arm being grabbed, suddenly being pushed into the ground.

'Oh no, you ain't gettin' away with this!', the leader of the group, the former owner of a chocolate bar and now the owner of a dirty rock, shouted into his face. The other two kids soon grabbed onto him, pushing him against a nearby tree. The leader of the three came closer.  
'Hey! Hey, stop! Stop, let go of me!', Schlatt instantly started exclaiming, hoping that someone would happen to pass by and hear him. The deal had backfired, that much was clear – And now he had to think of something to try and get out of this situation.

'You want to be smart, huh? You wanna be a smart guy?'.  
'Let's teach him a lesson, Ted!'.  
'Help! Someone, help!'.  
'How about I hit you in the head a few times so you dumb down a little?'.  
'Please-'.

'Leave him alone!'.

If you had asked Schlatt, he'd insist he managed to get out of that sticky situation by himself. All on his own, with some sort of smart trick or by talking his attackers down. But of course, Schlatt, even at the young age of five, had an affinity for lies. The truth of the matter was that someone had arrived on the scene, a boy looking a few years older than him, about the age of his attackers, with a dirty yellow sweater and round, black-rimmed glasses. While two of the kids holding him down did not let go, the leader of the group, apparently named Ted, looked back.

'And who are you?', he asked, tilting his head. The boy fixed up his sweater and looked up.  
'W-Wilbur. Wilbur Soot.', the boy replied, trying to stand tall. It was clear he was scared out of his mind, but still wanted to help. Schlatt never asked for help, and definitely not from a kid like this.  
'And what are you gonna do if we don't leave your friend here alone?', Ted asked with a condescending tone of voice, clearly not expecting the boy's answer;  
'I'll... I'll send my brother after you!', Wilbur insisted, his stammer making his threats sound rather underwhelming. _Is he acting it up or is he that much of a pussy?_

'And who's your brother, Wilbur Soot?', as the boy asked this, the other smirked.  
'Technoblade.', he responded, a proud smile on his face.

Schlatt's attackers begun talking between one another.

'Ted! That's Ph1lza's kid!', one of the three exclaimed.  
'I know who Technoblade is, Travis!'.  
'I-I don't wanna mess with Technoblade, Ted!'.  
'Do you think I want to, Charlie?'.

'Leave this guy alone and I won't send my brother after you!', Wilbur stated with a proud grin. For a bit, the leader of the other kids considered. Finally, he sighed, rolled his eyes and turned around.  
'Come on, he's not worth it anyway.', Ted waved his hand and turned away, walking back into the city. Charlie and Travis looked between each other, nodded, let go of Schlatt and ran as fast as they could after their friend. Wilbur approached Schlatt and helped him up, but he soon pushed him away. He dusted himself off and fixed up his shirt.

'I could have handled that myself, you know.', he muttered.  
'You didn't look like it.', Wilbur commented as he forced a smile. 'What's your name?'.  
'My parents say to never trust anyone with your name.', he informed the other, receiving a frown in response. 'My title is Jschlatt, though. So most just call me Schlatt.'.  
'Right! My title is Wilbur Soot, then.', he reached out with his hand, and Schlatt shook it.  
'Nice to meet ya, Wilbur Soot.', he responded with a grin.

And it was the start of a wonderfully horrible friendship.

\---

Schlatt and Wilbur always found themselves at odds regarding matters. They were both being raised in different ways, after all. They were taught different things. Schlatt lived in SMPLive – Right in the heart of the city, in an old apartment with barely enough space to move. Wilbur lived in the houses on the outskirts – An old, one-floored home, but a stable one. Schlatt had parents who barely ever gave him a passing glance – Wilbur only had a father, but a father that cared.

One of the things Wilbur's father always said he shouldn't do is steal. Schlatt was never taught such things from a father who himself did similar things behind closed doors.

'Here at the market people barely pay attention, Wil. Just grab onto something you like and slip it into your pocket, it's as simple as that.', Schlatt explained as he watched the crowds of people rush around the marketplace. He could see Wilbur rarely came to the city centre of SMPLive – He looked out of place with this many people around him.  
'That's... Illegal, isn't it?', Wilbur asked, unsure of the whole situation. The two were hiding out behind a pile of wooden crates and observing everyone rushing about, as if predators scoping out their prey. They'd look intimidating if it weren't for the fact one was six and the other was nine.

'Illegal things are fun.', his friend claimed. 'There's like... A thrill. When you get away with it.'.  
'I dunno, Schlatt. I won't hear the end of it if I get caught.', Wilbur muttered, looking back.  
'Then don't get caught? It's as easy as that.', the other stated as if it were obvious.  
'Fine, fine... That person there looks rich, right?'.

'Obviously. Look at the badge. That's a Lunch Club person.'.  
'Lunch Club?'.  
'You... Don't know who the Lunch Club is?'.  
'...Um... No?'.

Schlatt rolled his eyes and pulled Wilbur behind the boxes, crossing his arms.

'Well you need to know! That's how you survive in the city. They're super important and stuff.', the younger of the two boys cleared his throat. 'They're like, the guys in charge. There's six of them. VoiceoverPete, CaptainSparklez, AntVenom, Kara Corvus, Sky and FitMC.'.  
'What do they do?', Wilbur asked, getting incredibly engaged in the whole thing.  
'Like, everything. They're in charge of the city. They make important choices. They vote on what gets built, what trades we make, who gets things. They give out things to people who have less.'.

'We never get anything outside of the city...', Wilbur muttered, looking down.  
'Yeah, they don't care about anyone that doesn't own an apartment up there.', Schlatt pointed to large buildings in the middle of the city. 'The people outside the city aren't considered a part of it.'.  
'But Phil still pays the taxes! That's not fair!', he wined. 'Shouldn't they consider us more?'.  
'That's why you should know about SMPLive citizens, Wil.', Schlatt said, looking around the corner again. 'They don't care about anyone that isn't deemed “good enough” for them.'.

'What the hell are you two doing?'.

With fear in their eyes and instantly feeling themselves panic, the two turned around, finding themselves faced with a familiar person. The person stared down at them with rage in their eyes, moving aside some of his shoulder length, light pink hair. There was a sword strapped to his back, and he was wearing a loose white shirt as well as brown trousers. His eyes were a light blue. He grabbed Wilbur's hand and pulled him closer with a rough tug, making his yelp.

'T-Techno! Hi!', the boy exclaimed, laughing nervously. 'What are you doing here?'.  
'I could ask you the same thing. Since when did Phil let you go into SMPLive by yourself?', the older brother asked, shooting Schlatt an angry glare.  
'He... Didn't... But-', Wilbur tried to say, but was instantly cut off by his brother;  
'No buts. You listen to Phil. We're going home.', Techno begun dragging the other away.

'Hey! Can I come with?', Schlatt followed behind, clearly annoying the teenager.  
'No. We don't allow guests in our house.', Techno responded instantly.  
'That's not true! Captain comes over all the time!', Wilbur whined, receiving an instant response.  
'Quiet, Wilbur!', the teenager scolded him, meanwhile the third of the group cut in;

'The Captain comes over to your house?', Schlatt asked, suddenly. 'The Lunch Club never cares about anyone from outside the city! What kind of people are you three?'.  
'It's none of your business. Go home, kid.', Techno dragged Wilbur far more roughly now, practically forcing him to come along. He turned back with a wave.  
'See you tomorrow Schlatt! Bye!'. And as the boy watched his friend walked away, he muttered under his breath, although unheard by anyone;

'Bye...'.

It was strange, Schlatt thought, as he walked back home, how little Wilbur knew about the city. The two had met on the outskirts the year previous when the other saved him from Ted and his friends, and they had been hanging out around that area since. Wilbur showed Schlatt his house from a distance, but he often said Phil, his father, wasn't a huge fan of visitors. A retired adventurer, the man often liked being by himself. The only time when he'd see him in the city was when Techno and him came to the marketplace to sell some stews they made together – The closest thing to potions that was legal in SMPLive – but they'd never bring Wilbur with them.

Schlatt always guessed Phil simply wanted to keep his younger son sheltered. The city wasn't pretty by any means – SMPLive was still very new, messy and in general not the best place for children who wanted to grow up somewhat normal. The Lunch Club had only been established the year previous, a group of six people who had been already taking charge and creating some of the most powerful companies and groups in the city, who started bringing order to the place. It would take some time to make the city better, but it was definitely improving. The market and the apartments were two of those improvements – People had somewhere to live as well as make and spend money. That had to count for something. It was those in the outskirts that suffered.

Small, poor, families that lived in houses outside of the city were often ignored by the Lunch Club, the group themselves putting a higher focus on making the city run more smoothly before they moved on to the countryside. Most money and materials went into the large apartments meanwhile the houses fell apart, forcing the people living there to fend for themselves. The only way they'd get involved was by selling things they made or farmed in the marketplace – Such as Wilbur's father had been doing for most of his life.

But here came the strange thing – Wilbur didn't know about the Lunch Club, about how it operated, and he definitely didn't know that one of the members of it was apparently visiting his home regularly. What possible reason could the Captain have to visit that place?

As he got home he shrugged. He was sure he'd figure it out eventually.

\---

'Hey dad?'.  
'Yes, Techno?'.  
'Do you think the people in the city know?'.

Phil was about half way through cleaning the dishes when he heard his son speak from nearby, the boy himself sitting by the window and looking in the distance. The lights in SMPLive were strange – Some of them seemed like floodlights, others like floating lanterns, and some like show lights. From a distance at night like this it looked beautiful – And to an extent, it even appeared somewhat competent. And in the past year, it truly had gotten better. But under the surface it was far from what it made itself out to be. Techno looked back, his hair falling on his face.

He had taken his contacts out, showing his eyes were ruby red. He only ever did that at home.

'Know what, Techno?', Phil asked, putting aside another empty bowl. Cooking as much of that stew as they did every day for the marketplace always left an impossible mess.  
'...That I'm a freak.', Techno muttered under his breath, his chin resting on his hand. Phil felt the words sting him – Still, he turned away from his work, walked across the room, and joined his eldest son by the window. He hugged his knee and tilted his head with a smile.

'No such thing as a “freak”. You're just different. That doesn't make you worse than everyone else.'.  
'Wilbur keeps hanging out with that kid from the city. He knows the Captain comes over now.'.  
'And he'll never know why. So what's the big deal?'.  
'...What if he finds out? And then tells everyone? And they're all gonna be scared of me?'.

For a moment, Phil stayed silent.

'The people in the city have more to worry about than a kid who's really good with a sword.', Phil said with a smile. 'And you're not the only freak in this house, are you?'.  
'We're all freaks.', Techno muttered, hugging his knees. 'And as soon as they find out, they're gonna chase us out. Just as they did in the last city. They'll hate us.'.  
'If being as unique as us means we're “freaks”...', Phil started. Techno flinched as he felt a familiar angel wing surround around him, instantly making him feel protected.

'...Then what's so bad about being a “freak”?'.

Techno snuggled up to his father, his wing wrapping around him fully.

'I don't wanna run again. I actually like it here.'.  
'Don't worry. We're not gonna run any more. This place is safe.'.  
'Why do you say that?'.

Phil chuckled to himself.

'Because soon enough, we're not gonna be the only “freaks” around.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and here we go!!!! these chapters will be complete 3rd person retellings of EVERYTHING that happened in SMPLive... i am so hyped for this  
> for a while this is gonna be like a completely different fic, hope yall dont mind us getting off-track for a bit- uh-


	85. The Truth (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rainy evening brings about changes. Schlatt looks for a place to stay, Techno gets a visitor, and Wilbur makes a promise.

That one particular night, Schlatt knocked on two doors.

The first door was the door of his own apartment. One, two, three times. He could barely hear it over the chatter and music from all the apartments around him, as well as the thundering rain outside. Four, five, six times. Still no answer, so he begun slamming his fist on the wood, shouting out. Seven and eight times and he was finally told to shut up, and the ninth times was when he put his head up against the door with a shuddering breath.

'...Can I... Can I at least have my-'.

Before Schlatt could fully speak, the doors opened suddenly and a leather backpack was dropped in front of him. He picked it up, checking the inside. Those four discs he had found out in the woods a few years back and had tried to keep in pristine condition since were all there, the only thing he owned he actually cared about. He looked up at the door, flinching as it was slammed shut in his face again. He grasped onto his backpack and spoke quietly;

'...Thank you.'.

He put the backpack on his back, played around with the straps, and turned away.

There was definitely one thing a seven year old didn't want to be in SMPLive – Homeless. Between the high-rise apartments, large offices and seemingly endless dark alleyways and suspicious streets, you wouldn't want to find yourself with nowhere to go. And yet here he was, soaked from the rain and walking from place to place wondering where he could go. Every person who looked at him seemed like they were about to attack him, every building he passed was locked, distant and cold. With every step he took it became more and more clear he was alone.

But there was one place – One place he could do, right outside SMPLive.

He just hoped they'd at least accept him there.

\---

'And then the one-eyed knight stabbed his sword into the beast's heart-'.  
'Ouch... Does it hurt to get stabbed in the heart, Phil?'.  
'Can't say I have experience myself, but I'm guessing it's pretty painful.'.  
'How did the knight see where to stab if he only had one eye?'.  
'Well he could still see with the other, could he not-'.

A knock at the door made the man and his two sons flinch.

'Wilbur, get me my sweater, quick.', Phil asked as he watched both of his son's scatter, Wilbur running to his father's bedroom, meanwhile Techno reached for the table and grabbed onto a pair of light blue contacts. The father slipped a journal he was reading from under the couch.  
'Here!', Wilbur exclaimed as he passed his father's sweater to him, one he quickly slipped over himself to conceal his wings. Once he was ready, the man walked to the door, his two sons shoving themselves into the doorway, curious as to who the person could be.

The last thing they expected was a rain-soaked seven year old.

'...Schlatt?', Wilbur asked, coming closer. He was instantly grabbed by Techno, being held back slightly. He looked about ready to jump forward. 'What are you doing here?'.  
'I, uh...', the boy rubbed his arm slightly, the rain still falling on him. 'I... Got kicked out... Of my house... So I have nowhere to stay. I was wondering if I could-'.  
'You got kicked out?', Phil asked, kneeling down. 'Where are your parents?'.  
'They're the ones who... Uh... Kicked me out.'. To his statements, Phil appeared disgusted. The boy continued standing in the rain, shivering as he did. 'So can I just... Stay one night? Just one night-'.

'Come in, get out of the rain. Come on.', Phil pulled the other in without hesitation, getting instant confused looks from his eldest son. Techno's eyes narrowed as he spoke.  
'Dad, we can't have someone else staying here when-'.  
'I'm not gonna leave a kid all by himself in the rain. Now, come on.', the man allowed Schlatt to step inside, rainwater dripping down on the floor everywhere he went. While Techno closed the door behind everyone and watched them enter the living room, his younger brother exclaimed, clearly a lot more de-synthesized to the gravity of the situation;

'Sleepover!'.

\---

Phil was a very strange man - That was what Schlatt concluded.

For one, Phil wore a green sweater that seemed way too big for him. He'd roll up the sleeves while he worked, such as when he was preparing supper for the whole family. Another thing Phil did was insist that his two sons stay away and give the two space, but completely ignore them even though they were obviously spying on them from the doorway of their room down the hall. They were also arguing in whispers between each other quite viciously and loudly, making it impossible to miss them. Still, their father carried on with his “private” talk with Schlatt.

'So how come your parents kicked you out? Did something happen?', Phil's tone of voice was unusual. With how quiet and gentle he was, Schlatt couldn't help but trust him. However, something in the back of his head also told him not to be fooled by appearances.  
'...They're leaving town tonight. They didn't want me to come with them.', Schlatt muttered, fixing up the shirt Phil had given him. It was a bit big, but at least it wasn't soaked from the rain. His own clothes were left drying out by the nearby fireplace, which was burning and giving off a large amount of warmth. Schlatt himself was sitting by it and warming his hands.

'...And they just wanna leave you? Like that?', Phil whispered from the kitchen with disbelief in his voice. He looked down at his own hands, mumbling to himself; 'What sort of parents-'.  
'Assholes.', Schlatt said with a shrug. 'That's what they are.'.  
'You've got a mouth for a seven year old.', Phil admitted with a quiet chuckle.  
'Why thank you.', the boy responded, grinning. 'I pride myself on my vocabulary.'.

'Schlatt, do you...', Phil paused before he said anything. 'Do you wanna stay here for a couple of nights? Until we can figure out where your parents have gone, that is.'.  
'You won't find them.', the boy said with a sad smile. 'It's fine, though. It's not like they did much. Just gave me a place to stay, I guess. And even that wasn't always guaranteed.'. Schlatt was silent for a moment, looking at Phil. 'But... It'd be nice to have a place. Just for today.'.  
'Great!', Phil said with a wide smile. 'About time Techno gets his own room. I can sleep on the couch. You don't mind sharing a room with Wilbur, right? I've heard you two are good friends.'.  
'...Yeah. Okay. Sure.', Schlatt nodded along, unable to hide how relieved he was he had managed to find somewhere to stay. He wasn't sure what could have happened to him if he hadn't.

Phil shot the boy a quick smile and turned away.

'Techno! Wilbur! Stop listening in and come get supper!'.

\---

'I know you convinced your dad to let me stay.'.  
'He didn't need much convincing, to be honest...'.  
'Still, you helped out.... I can see that.'.  
'Well... Why wouldn't I?'.

Schlatt and Wilbur hadn't been able to sleep, not with everything that had happened. They found themselves sitting on the floor of the older boy's bedroom, talking through everything that had gone down. They'd joke around about things, talk bad about some of the other kids in the area, and then joke some more. To an extent, it almost felt like they were trying to avoid the most pressing topic at hand. But it wouldn't be long before it came up – Just as it did at that very moment.

'...Why did you make sure I could stay, Wil?', Schlatt asked at some point. Wilbur looked up, a little confused, as if the answer to the question should have had been obvious.  
'Why wouldn't I?', he asked with a laugh. 'You're my friend. Friends look out for each other. And you know what? We're more than just friends! We're partners!'.  
'Partners?', Schlatt repeated, squinting his eyes.  
'Yeah! Like uh... Partners in crime!', Wilbur suddenly exclaimed with a smile.

'Partners in crime, till the end of time!', the boy exclaimed, laughing. 'You know it's gonna stick because it rhymes. Things that rhyme always stick in your head, you know.'.  
'Partners... In crime...', Schlatt repeated slowly, a smile coming to him. 'Till the end of time...'.  
'Yeah! Like that! But with more confidence!', Wilbur reached out with his hand, putting up his pinkie. 'Let's swear on it. We're gonna be partners in crime... Till the end of time, okay?'.  
'...Okay. Sure.', Schlatt moved forward his own pinkie, entangling his with the other's.

'Partners in crime, till the end of time. Let's call it a thing, I guess.'.

\---

A visitor came to the house at around eleven pm that night.

Wilbur and Schlatt, who, at least according to what Phil told them, were supposed to have been long asleep, were both curiously sticking their heads out the doors of their shared room after hearing a knock on the door. Wilbur seemed to know what was happening, and when Schlatt insisted on giving it a peak, he allowed him to. He was, however, incredibly hesitant about it.

'Move over, I can't see!', Schlatt scolded the other in a harsh whisper.  
'Stop pushing, you shouldn't be looking anyway!', Wilbur responded in a similar tone of voice.  
'Who is that? Move your head down!'.  
'Ow, ow, ow! Stop pushing!'.

The mysterious visitor, who had just gotten in from the rain, was now standing in the living room, in the space right between it and the kitchen. Techno was sitting up on the counter, meanwhile Phil stood nearby by the fire. The stranger removed a hood he kept over his head, taking off his coat. He placed it aside on a nearby couch, the whole thing drenched in rainwater. Under it he had tangled black hair and some facial hair – He also had sunglasses which he swiftly removed. He got closer to Techno, who leaned forward, and shone a small light into his eye. Schlatt had noticed it wasn't that blue shade he saw normally – It seemed to be more ruby red than anything.

'How does it look?', Phil asked from where he stood, giving both of the people nervous glances.  
'Like normal. No abnormalities, just the usual discolourings.', the stranger responded, putting the light away. The teenager in front of him sat still. 'How have you been eating, Techno?'.  
'Normal.', the other responded, shrugging.  
'Everything tastes the same?', the stranger continued with this questions.  
'Yeah, I guess.', Techno spoke in a mutter, clearly not too talkative with the man.  
'And what about... What was it you called it last time?'.

Phil and Techno both gave each other nervous glances. Techno cleared his throat.

'The... Voice?'.  
'Can you speak up, please?'.  
'The voice. That's what I called it.'.  
'Any changes with that?'.  
'...It's quieter.'.  
'So the stew is helping, then?'.  
'I dunno.'.

'Techno, The Captain is just trying to help you. You don't have to be embarrassed with him.', Phil reminded his son from nearby. Schlatt covered his mouth with his hand as he gasped. The Captain? Right here at Phil's house? What possible reason would he have to be here?  
'...Sorry.', he responded with a shrug. 'It's weird. Because I'm weird. So...'.  
'Don't worry too much, Techno. Soon enough everyone around here is gonna be going around with an animal limb or two. Can I see your teeth?', the Captain carried on, and as the teenager followed his instructions, his father spoke up from the side.

'How's all of that coming along?', Phil spoke up, crossing his arms. While the other worked, now going from checking the teen's teeth to grabbing his arm and checking something else.  
'...It'd be nice if the others listened to me a bit more.', the Captain said with clear spite in his voice. 'But things are finally getting going. Soon enough, we're gonna start work on a portal up in the city centre.', the Captain paused, grinning at Phil. 'Once it's done we're gonna try to open up trades between here and our outpost up in the North. If my calculations are correct, travel times should be cut by ten times. Isn't that amazing?'.

'And the side-effects?', Phil watched as the Captain continued checking his son for... God knows what, not commenting much on it. 'Isn't that gonna be a problem?'.  
'Calculated risks are our best bet here.', the Captain explained. 'If we figure out everyone's tolerance properly, take in account travel times and manage to map out safe zones... We could travel through the Nether and get small side-effects at worse. And don't tell me it wouldn't add a bit of spice to everything if someone else apart from you started flying around.'. To this, Phil laughed.  
'So I guess the Nether is not so scary any more?', he concluded with a smile.  
'Not to most, but... It's best if you guys stay away for a while.', the Captain warned. 'You had a rough run-in and it's hard to tell how your bodies will react if you were to go back in there. Speaking of...', the Captain suddenly turned to the corridor, forcing the two boys to quickly hide in the room for a moment. After a few seconds they peeked out again, watching the scene.

'You sure you don't want me to check on Wilbur?', he asked, turning his attention to Techno once more. Phil shook his head quickly, crossing his arms.  
'He's fine. It's as you said, he's most likely just an Ancestor.', Phil quickly said. 'I haven't seen anything else in him. If something comes up you're the first person I'll go to.'.  
'Does he even know?', the Captain asked, giving Techno a nod. As soon as he did, the teenager jumped down from the counter and walked into the kitchen, starting to look for something.  
'He's heard stories, but he was too young to remember.', Phil reassured the other, waving his hand. 'Don't worry about him too much.'.

'And yet you're still keeping him out of the city.'. Phil's eyes widened.  
'That's for... Other reasons.', he claimed, nervously clearing his throat.  
'I've seen him around the market a lot. Him and Schlatt do nothing but cause trouble.'.  
'Well, they're kids. What do you expect? At least they're not... Doing worse things.'.

'You old men would never get it.', Techno muttered, passing the other two. As soon as he passed Phil, he was playfully punched in the arm, causing him to laugh.  
'Oh shut up already. And since when did I let you have snacks this late at night?'. Schlatt and Wilbur hid themselves once more as Techno passed them and entered Phil's bedroom.  
'I've had a long day! I deserve it!', he shouted back, shutting the door and disappearing. And as they had before, the two young boys peeked through the doors with curiosity in their eyes.

'...The Lunch Club is actually making SMPLive better, a Nether Portal is gonna be opened and my son is two years away from being an adult... Maybe he's onto something, Jordan.'.  
'Speak for yourself, old man.', The Captain responded, laughing to himself. 'I'm in my prime over here.', he paused, for a moment, grabbing onto his coat. 'Well, I better get going. We've still got some plans to figure out for the opening, and that's a good few months away. Goodnight, Phil.'.

'Night, Jordan. Thanks for checking in.'.  
'Any time. And make sure to tell me if anything-'.  
'If anything changes. I know the drill.'.  
'Alright. See you soon, then.'.

The two boys closed their door and quickly crawled into their beds before anyone could check on them, whispering between each other about everything they had witnessed as they did. Eventually, about half an hour later, Wilbur turned to the side with a wide grin.

'Hey, Schlatt?', he whispered. 'Wanna hear about the time I went to the Nether?'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> foreshadowing and tingz like that :)  
> also ayyyy jordan is back
> 
> i started binging the queen's gambit while writing this and omg its so good  
> everyone watch the queen's gambit RIGHT NOW  
> its chess but make it DRAMATIC


	86. The Truth (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt learns more about his new family. Wilbur talks about his brother, Techno shows his skill, and Phil tells a story.

Living with Phil and his sons, Schlatt learned many things.

What was meant to be a few days at their home soon turned into two weeks, eventually becoming three, that followed by a month, and before he knew it, Schlatt was being bought clothes, doing chores, contributed to the family's main income of money and knew the ins and outs of all of their secrets by the end of that year. But of course, he couldn't get ahead of himself.

The first thing he learned about was the family's love for adventure.

\---

'My dad used to be an adventurer.', Wilbur whispered to him from across the room that night. 'He would travel all around the Overworld searching for places and people to write about in his journal. He has a million stories in there he heard from different cities and towns all over. He usually tells us them as bedtime stories. He might tell you one sometime if you stay longer.'.  
'Bedtime stories are for kids...', Schlatt muttered in response.  
'And what do you think we are?', his friend quickly reminded him, putting more covers over himself as he carried on; 'But then, during his travels he met this really, really pretty woman. And then they had Techno, and then they had me. And then she... Disappeared.'.

'Disappeared?', the younger repeated. 'How?'.  
'Dunno.', Wilbur shrugged. 'Phil won't tell.'.

'So what happened next?', Schlatt inched closer, clearly engaged in the story.  
'When I was a few months old and Techno was six, Phil was out exploring and he found a portal. A Nether Portal. Have you ever heard of the Nether? It's like, really cool.'.  
'Isn't that place a myth?', the boy whispered. 'My parents always told me to stay away from it.'.  
'Not at all. It's real. And Phil went in there with us when we were little. He wasn't supposed to, but Techno sneaked in with him, and he was taking care of me. Now, I don't remember this, I was a baby, obviously, but Techno told me all about it. They were in the Nether for a long while, and Phil wanted to get something there, and barely managed to get out. That's why...'.

Wilbur went silent, catching himself before he said something he may have regretted.

'...What?', Schlatt asked, and as he noticed the other's hesitance, he rolled his eyes. 'Oh come on, you can't say something like that and then stop there!'.  
'I'm not supposed to say...', Wilbur muttered, covering his face with his bedsheets. 'Techno won't let me hear the end of it if I tell someone... Sorry...'.  
'Oh, come on, please! I promise I'll keep it quiet...', Schlatt put his hand under his pillow, sighing. 'We're supposed to be partners in crime, right? So we have to trust each other. Just put your trust in the fact that I'll keep a secret, and I'll trust you with something else some day. Okay?'.

'...I... Fine, I guess. But you can't tell a single person about this, okay? Not even one!', Wilbur exclaimed at the other rather aggressively, causing him to laugh.  
'I don't have any other friends than you, so I don't even have anyone to tell it to...', Schlatt admitted with a sad sigh. 'Come on, what's the deal with your family? I wanna know.'.  
'We're... freaks. That's what Techno calls us.', the older said with a frown.  
'What does that even mean?', Schlatt leaned in even closer, now more interested than ever.

'...The Nether changes you.', Wilbur explained, looking up at the ceiling. 'The Captain taught us all about it when we moved here. The Nether's energy can change your body. That's why Techno's eyes are red. He also hears a voice – But he won't talk about that part to me much. I only overheard that from when the Captain comes over for check-ups.'.  
'And what about you and Phil? Did it change you too?'.  
'...Me, a bit less. The Captain says I'm most likely something called an Ancestor. I won't change, but if I ever have kids they might have animal parts and stuff. Phil has animal parts – But he hides it... And you have to keep this a secret especially! No one knows about this-'.  
'Oh, come on, just tell me.'.

'He has wings.'.  
'What?'.  
'Phil has wings. That's why he wears oversized shirts like that. It hides them.'.  
'For real?'.  
'Oh... I'm gonna get in so much trouble for telling you...'.

'Why is it such a big deal?', Schlatt tilted his head. 'It sounds badass. To have wings and shit.'.  
'It's not.', Wilbur shook his head. 'That's why we had to move here. The people in the previous city found out and called us monsters. They kicked us out... That's why no one can know.'.  
'But the Captain does. And he's in the Lunch Club. Isn't he gonna say something?'.  
'Captain and Phil are old friends. Back from when he was an adventurer.', as Wilbur spoke, he yawned and rubbed his eyes. 'He trusts him. And the Captain has been researching the Nether for years, so he knows a bit about us. He comes once a week to check up on Techno and make sure he isn't getting worse. His thing it the worst, you know.'.  
'That voice you mentioned?', Schlatt asked, receiving a nod. 'What even is that?'.

Wilbur yawned again, closing his eyes.

'Sorry... I'm real tired... Can we talk tomorrow?'.  
'Okay I guess. But you better not leave me on a cliffhanger like that.'.  
'I won't. Night Schlatt. Partners in crime?'.  
'Till the end of time. See you tomorrow.'.

The boy's eyes, for a moment, wandered to the window, watching the rain slide down the glass. He could hear Phil walking around the living room, working on something, and he could see light peeking in from underneath the doors. He covered himself with a nearby blanket, wrapped it around himself and let out a long, relieved sigh.

Having a home wasn't so bad.

\---

About a week into living with the family Schlatt learned exactly why the name “Technoblade” was as well known throughout the city as it was. Phil himself was quite known for his adventures, so being his son alone upped his status. Another thing was his fighting ability – One Wilbur had attributed to a “voice” in his older brother's head, that “told him what to do”. It was often during this week that Schlatt and Wilbur would find themselves watching in awe as Techno and Phil trained.

Every dodge, every roll, every strike between the two seemed so perfect and so calculated. All Wilbur and Schlatt could do was watch with their eyes wide, gasping every time the father and son got even close to hitting each other. Eventually, Techno managed to kick forward and knocked the other to the ground, triumphantly standing over him with his sword grasped in-hand. While Phil lay on the ground, breathing heavily, Schlatt and Wilbur cheered from the side.

'I can barely even beat you any more.', the man admitted as he was helped up by the teenager, shooting the two boys a glance. They were technically supposed to be doing something else, but with a match as vicious as the one displayed they could hardly look away.  
'You're getting old.', Techno claimed with a grin. 'Maybe you should start to teach Wilbur now?'.  
'Oh! Can you? Dad, please!', Wilbur practically started bouncing up and down, forcing his father to give his eldest son a quick smack in the back of the head.  
'Look what you've done! Now we've got two fighters in our family. As if one kid running around with expensive swords wasn't enough...', Phil muttered. To this, Schlatt raised his hand.

'Can I learn to fight?', seeing the man's expression, he begun laughing to himself. 'Just kiddin'. I'm not big on exercise anyway. It'd be so cool if Wil could fight like Techno does, though.'.  
'Yeah! Exactly! And unlike Techno, I'd fight in the tournaments...', Wilbur muttered.  
'I'd be unfair for me to go to any tournaments.', Techno claimed as he looked down at his sword. It was made of diamond – It must have been the single most expensive thing this family owned. Swords like that didn't come cheap by any means, and it was clear the teen cared for it with how he handled it. He cleaned it carefully after the fight, talking on as he did; 'And you know that.'.  
'No one would know if you went.', Wilbur muttered. 'And you could win us some money.'.

'Enough chit-chat already. We've all had a break, now back to work. We need to get a few more stews done before the market opens up, okay?', Phil cut in, silencing everyone. All three rolled their eyes and got to work, Techno coming in to help Phil prepare, meanwhile Schlatt and Wilbur begun gathering some of the vegetables in the garden. And just as they did, while doing all their usual work, the two talked;

'Techno should try out for a tournament. He'd kick ass.'.  
'Well, he'd need a lot of convincing. And I doubt even that would work.'.  
'And what if he taught you, and you tried out for it instead?'.  
'I guess... That could work... But there's not a lot of tournaments for kids.'.

'We could organize one. We could make money from entry fees. Only give out half of it for the prize. Techno could judge it, since he knows it. Judge them based on their form and stuff?', Schlatt suggested, digging his hands into the ground and pulling something out.  
'I guess. But that seems like a lot of work. And Techno doesn't like being around that many people.', Wilbur cleaned the dirt off his hands into his sweater. 'He says that's when that Voice gets the loudest. And if it shows up when he's not fighting, it could hurt someone.'.

'...Is that why you guys don't come into the city a lot?'.  
'Techno does. To the market. But he always keeps a distance.'.  
'And you? Why doesn't Phil let you come?'.  
'He's worried I might be like Techno. Things might show once I'm around people.'.  
'But I've sneaked you into the city. And you were okay.'.  
'Yeah... I guess I'll wait... Phil's got to let me into the city eventually.'.

Schlatt nodded along, looking away.

Growing up in the city, the furthest he ever went out was just to the outskirts. With the time he had spent with this family, he finally had the chance to watch it from afar. The large buildings practically reaching for the sky, lights glimmering at night once the citizens all headed home, and the endless noise echoing from it. Build sites always working, the sounds of machinery being projected all around thanks to all the walls. It made him realize why not everyone here in the homes liked to go in... It didn't seem inviting at all.

But SMPLive was all that he had, so he'd be forced to return eventually.

\---

'I can't believe this.', Phil sat back, his eyes wide with shock. '...How is this possible?'.  
'Guess I'm just too good.', Schlatt responded, a proud grin on his face. 'And you're too bad.'.  
'Beaten by an eight year old.', he glanced down at the chessboard, the other laughing at him.  
'Get good, old man.', he said as he stood up, reaching over and shaking his opponent's hand.

When Phil allowed Schlatt to moved in, his initial plan was to simply provide him with a home until he got somewhere to stay until he found him a place in SMPLive. It was then he learned he was that very same troublemaker Wilbur had been hanging out with, leaving him conflicted on what to do. But it only took a week of Schlatt staying there for him to forget all that – And instantly start considering him an addition to their family. Wilbur seemed happy to have him around – Techno, not so much at first, but eventually getting used to him, too.

Half a year in, Schlatt was already pretty much a third, unofficial sibling to the other two. Techno would pick on him in the same way he did on Wilbur, Wilbur would have him help out in all of his chores, and Phil eventually found himself getting the boy to help with housework, as well as teaching him the same things as he did with his own sons. Basic Maths, English and general knowledge, but still things he found important – And it was here that he discovered that the boy was more brilliant than he seemed initially.

He could multiply things incredibly fast, managed to beat him at chess a multitude of times, and spoke about as well as any other adult in SMPLive managed to. Not only that, he had an eye for business, too. Maybe it was something he picked up from either of his parents – Always asking Phil about how much he spent on materials for his stews and how much he sold them for, requesting to come along to the market and help out, and insisting on putting some creative “spins” on their ideas – That was the one part of him he was a bit worried about. His “creative” ways of getting things.

Still, he had become a part of the family as much as his sons were. So who was he to judge?

'Alright. It's getting late. You three better get to bed soon.', Phil scolded all three of the boys in the room, the younger two talking about something excitedly, meanwhile the eldest sat reading by the window. All three, still, rolled their eyes in near-unison.

'Can we have a bedtime story?', Wilbur asked suddenly, his eyes lighting up. Phil laughed.  
'Aren't you a bit too old for that?'.  
'Schlatt isn't.', the boy pointed to his friend, who slapped his hand away.  
'Oh, shut up!'.  
'Dad! Please? Pretty please?'. Phil sighed. Why did this kid have to be so convincing?

'Fine. Just one. Get over here.', the man sat down by the couch, feeling the fire warming him up. He soon saw the two boys snuggle up to him, his eldest son still sitting at a distance. 'Techno? Are you planning to join us?'.  
'...I think I'm a bit too old for bedtime stories.', he said with a laugh.  
'Stop being boring and get over here. You'll like this one.'. While hesitant, Techno still put aside his book and joined the other three, resting his head on the couch. While all three kids watched him expectantly, Phil cleared his throat and looked up.

'I've told you about the Ender Dragon... But did you know there's a beast far worse than it?'.  
'No way!', Wilbur exclaimed with a gasp. He was always the most engaged in Phil's stories.  
'There is. Now, I've only heard of this one in a few villages. Few even know of the stories, and even less believe it is real. No one has ever tried summoning it before.', Phil shut his eyes for a moment, thinking. 'A three-headed monster spawned from the Nether itself, a beast that corrupts the earth it touches and poisons anyone who dares to come near it. It blows up land, sucks the life out of people and animals, and leaves nothing but destruction in its path.'.  
'What is it called?', Schlatt asked, inching closer. His voice was trembling.

'They call it... The Wither.'.

'...What is it like?', Techno chimed in, getting interested in the story. 'Is it tough to fight?'.  
'The toughest.', his father claimed. 'They say it is the beast every warrior must face one day to prove themselves – But there are none in the Overworld who have defeated it. However, if you do, it is said it gives out a magical item knows as a Nether Star. The energy contained within one is said to be infinite. It could power a whole city for years.'.  
'How do you... Create a Wither?', Techno spoke once more. His father appeared... Concerned?  
'A mix of soul sand and Wither Skeleton skulls. Things only obtainable in the Nether.', he explained despite his hesitation. 'They say you need three skulls and to form a body from the sand – It's one of the most difficult rituals one can perform. And of course... It could be untrue. I've never seen one myself. Like the Ender Dragon, it is simply a myth and nothing more.'.

'I reckon I could make one.', Techno whispered to himself. 'And slay it, too.'.  
'Sure, thing, kid.', Phil said, ruffling his hair. It was then that he noticed the two boys by his side had already long fallen asleep, silently snoring.

He got Techno to carry his brother to his room, meanwhile he took care of the other boy. He closed the door to their bedroom as quietly as he could, and as he often did every evening, found himself working in the kitchen while his eldest son read his book by the window. It was quiet moments like these that often reminded him of things – The bills he had to pay, the taxes getting higher with each day, and the garden getting weaker and weaker... He'd try to hide it from his son, but his low mood at the end of each day was quite clear. There was, however, something that could make it better.

Once Techno finally headed off to bed he'd often sit alone by the window and think through all of his adventurers, and all the amazing people he had met along the way. He'd look at the lights in SMPLive and remove a small box of memories from a nearby shelf, going through all of his items. One of those items was a glimmering gem hidden inside a glass container. He'd look at it, as if hearing the distant sounds of a battle long over and done with. He'd touch a scar on his arm.

He'd put away the Nether Star with a laugh. Indeed, the Wither had been a worthy opponent.

But nothing Ph1lza couldn't handle, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i finished watching the queen's gambit  
> so i guess you can guess what the chess bit was inspired by  
> he he he
> 
> anyway sorry if the story is going a bit slow, i have a lot to get through in the sbi dynamic  
> i promise these boys are gonna grow up and start wrecking shit soon >:)
> 
> also uh oh techno has learned about the wither


	87. The Truth (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Work begins on The Nether Portal in SMPLive. Techno and Phil share their concerns, Schlatt teaches Wilbur about his hero, and Kara and the Captain find themselves bothered by a particularly invasive reporter.

'I don't like the look of this...', Techno muttered to himself as another worker passed him.  
'I don't think anyone here does.', Wilbur admitted, watching the person lay down a pile of obsidian.  
'I definitely don't.', Schlatt whispered, glaring at the ones forming a large frame out of the material.  
'Well... There's not much we can do.', Phil concluded, turning away from the build.

By the time Schlatt was nine, SMPLive had gotten a lot more developed, and definitely a hundred times safer. The streets were cleaner and more open, and more citizens begun coming in. The Lunch Club was truly doing all they could to make the place work as best as possible, but they would still often neglect the outskirts, not making their life any easier. It was clear Phil was getting more and more stressed with each day and had less time to spend with the other three, those peaceful evenings together becoming something of the past.

This also meant, however, that he'd finally bring the three into the city a lot more for work around the market while he tried to open a proper store – Hopefully earning them the money they needed to stay stable. And on this particular day, the whole city had found themselves drawn to the plaza, where a few builders begun work on one of the most ambitious projects of the city.

A Nether Portal.

Until then, the Portal had only been a rumour. Something the Lunch Club was said to have been working on, but eventually had to put aside because of how much had to be done to bring SMPLive to a point of stability. But now, finally, jobs were given to anyone willing to build, and the Lunch Club was directly overseeing the project. Or, CaptainSparklez and Kara Corvus at least. The others seemed to have another matter to work on.

'What if something comes out of it? Have they considered that?', Techno continued giving about a million different reasons why the Portal was a bad idea, his father responding quick after;  
'I'm sure they have it figured out, Techno. They wouldn't be making it in the city centre if it wasn't completely safe.', Phil reassured him, himself watching the build intently.  
'Have they even tested it? Have any of them been inside?', he carried on, crossing his arms.  
'I don't know, kid. I'm not part of the Lunch Club. But you know who is?', the man asked as he noticed someone approaching them. The whole family straightened up as they found two people standing in front of them – Two people with badges that made them stand out.

'Ph1lza, a pleasure. You've been appearing around the city a lot lately. How are you liking the build?', Kara asked with a smile as she approached. She had always been the friendliest of the Lunch Club, soon after Jordan. It was good that they happened to run into these two specifically.  
'...It's looking... Stable. I assume it's safe?', Phil asked, feeling Techno tug at his sleeve. He probably wouldn't ask the question himself – He rarely found himself talking to the locals.  
'We've tested every possibility. On the other side is an empty field with low energy levels. Even people with small intolerance will be able to enter the hub without most long-term effects. Honestly, SMPLive is in a really lucky spot as far as our position in the Nether goes. Maybe, if we try, we could even contact other Overworlds-'. The woman next to the Captain grabbed his arm.  
'Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Jordan. For now getting to the other side without anything going wrong will be a win.', Kara said, turning back to the others.

'So, are you guys gonna get tested for the-'.  
'Excuse me? Um, excuse me, over here!'

The whole group turned, soon finding a young woman standing by them. She looked to be about eighteen in age, with shoulder-length hair and a short-sleeved shirt with a pocket full of pens. She was holding onto a small notepad with one hand and a pencil with another. The moment the Captain and Kara saw her their faces seemed to drop. Still, the woman spoke. She reached forward with her hand, grinning as she did.

'Kara Corvus, Jordan Maron, absolute pleasure to be speaking to you!', after the two shook her hand rather hesitantly, she cleared her throat. 'I'm Imane Anys, from the Live Daily, I was wondering if you would mind answering a few questions of mine regarding the opening of the Portal?'.  
'You're from the paper?', Kara asked hesitantly, laughing nervously. 'Right... Always love the presses... Could you just give us a-'.  
'I'm afraid it can't wait. This thing has got people talking.', the reporter leaned forward, forcing a rather unpleasant smile. 'And trust me, you don't want the people talking too long. That's how rumours get made. I'd know. It's my job to keep track of those.'.  
'Right... Sorry, guys. See you around another time, I suppose.', the Captain waved Phil goodbye, giving the three kids around him a pleasant smile. Kara simply gave the whole group a quick bye and turned her attention to the reporter once more.

'What's the Live Daily?', Wilbur asked, watching Imane speak with the other two, writing down word-for-word anything they said to her. 'Never heard of it.'.  
'Must be new. I don't know it either.', Schlatt said with a shrug.  
'That's the local news. Only established a few months back.', Phil explained, crossing his arms. 'And that there is Pokimane, their number one reporter. Known for being... Uh...'. The two watched as the woman continued speaking in the distance, her words unheard to them but clearly annoying Kara and the Captain quite a bit. '...Very persuasive.'.  
'Guess we're gonna read about the Portal in the news tomorrow.', Techno concluded. 'Can we go home now? There's way too many people here...'.

'Sure...', Phil muttered, giving the obsidian frame one last look. 'Let's head home.'.

\---

_ Nether Portal construction becomes the talk of the city overnight – But does the Lunch Club truly know what's best for SMPLive at a time as fragile as this? _

_Another week comes to an end and progress is unending – But there are also some concerns arising already. It's no secret the Lunch Club has made a massive difference to SMPLive with their focus for constant improvement and expansion, bringing us homes, jobs, and opening us up to different businesses. I mean, I know I wouldn't have a job without them. But there have also been some issues – The Nether Portal, something you, dear readers, most definitely have not missed in the plaza, has brought about a lot of concerns regarding the city's direction from here on._

_Now let me tell you, I am a woman supportive of progress. I've been behind it all from the first day the Lunch Club formed itself. I think their leadership has given us the structure and direction we needed to get out of that rough patch our city has been in since... Well, pretty much since it first showed up. But here come the issues – Is a Nether Portal really what we need right now?_

_It's no secret that the outskirts of the city have been neglected by the Lunch Club for years now, and this project is only gonna make them suffer more. Citizens who don't have the luck of owning and apartment in the housing district get next to no benefits and yet are expected to pay equal if not higher taxes to everyone else residing in SMPLive. How is that fair? It's not. That's the problem. And this isn't the only issue. Not only is the Lunch Club ignoring the cries of its people, they're also expecting us to risk a lot in exchange for this “fast and easy” travel network._

_I spoke to Kara Corvus and CaptainSparklez regarding the matter and have been informed of a few interesting facts. First of all, we are apparently to take “tolerance tests” before we will even be able to step inside of the Nether, and these tests are said to be incredibly painful and strenuous. Only people with their tolerance measured will be allowed inside, and you'll need a really high score for that. If the Nether will be such an exclusive feature, why should we put so much money and resources into it? To me it seems like a waste of time that could be spent figuring out how people from outside the city who still have citizenship can be better accommodated._

_Is the Lunch Club slowly but surely sending us to our doom, or is this the right move? Only time will tell, and days until the portal's official opening are only growing shorter._

\---

'Move over, I don't wanna be in the front!'.  
'Stop pushing, asshole!'.  
'Techno, let me get on your shoulders!'.  
'Boys! Quiet down!'.

A mix of claps, cheers and chatter went through the large crowd as Phil, his sons and Schlatt watched in silence as the six, practically untouchable people entered a small stage in front of them, standing right before the now-completed Nether Portal Frame. They knew the Captain and Kara quite well, but the other four were more like distant celebrity-like figures than friends. Schlatt begun pointing to each individual and whispering their names to Wilbur – VoiceoverPete, the oldest member of the Lunch Club and a ruthless businessman, Sky, an amazing strategist, FitMC, a local historian who used knowledge from other cities and their pasts to advance SMPLive, and-'.

'That's AntVenom! It's actually him!', Schlatt suddenly exclaimed, barely able to contain his excitement as he watched the last of the six approach the stage. 'Holy shit it's him!'.  
'Who is he?', Wilbur asked, tugging at his arm. The other seemed disappointed.  
'Who is he? Who is he? Uh, only like, the most brilliant warrior to ever exist, an amazing adventurer and the best member of the Lunch Club, duh!'.  
'An amazing adventurer?', Wilbur repeated, unconvinced. 'I'm sure Phil's better.'.  
'AntVenom isn't the one standing in the audience in a dirty sweater and with three kids he can't control, so that says otherwise.', Schlatt muttered. His friend appeared shocked at his comment, punching him in the arm as he begun laughing. The two's attention returned to the stage as a voice echoed through the crowd, projected by one of the microphones up above.

'Hello, everyone! Thank you for coming! Please, settle down! We'll answer all questions after we're done talking, but until then, please, simply listen.', Kara, as she often did, spoke first for the whole group. 'We know you've had some concerns regarding this portal, so we'd like to try and address all of them. And make sure to get rid of some... Misconceptions, you may have had.', the woman carried on, shooting a certain journalist in the crowd an angry glare.

'First of all we'd like to address any concerns you may have as far as the safety and necessity of the Portal goes. And trust me, we have thought deeply about this particular idea.', Fit spoke up, leaning back in his chair. His tone of voice was almost... Cinematic. As if he was often telling some sort of ancient tale. 'And we can assure you it is exactly what SMPLive needs right now.'.

'The biggest problem we have had with development thus far is a lack of supplies. Travel times between our outposts are way to much. We had to cut them down.', Ant was the next to talk, Wilbur hearing Schlatt practically squeal as he did. 'And the Captain came up with an amazing solution to this issue. Captain, we'll hand this over to you. You're the expert, after all.'.

'Right...', the man cleared his throat, looking down at some notes he brought along. 'The Nether is not a myth – That's the first thing we have to get out of the way. It's an actual realm, an incredibly unstable but a tameable one. With how it works, it is possible to spend less time travelling inside of it and come out further away – Currently, getting to our Northern outpost takes about five hours. Through the Nether, with the right accommodations.... It could take about half an hour, or less.'.

There was an excited whisper through the crowd.

'I've been researching the Nether for years now, and I can assure the safety and efficiency of the travel. The only issue that may arise is some of the side-effects – Things I've started calling Mutations. A total of three can show up at once, but most often, only one will show itself. Now, I know this sounds worrying, but please bar with me here.'.  
'Mutations are not necessarily a bad thing. I cannot say any names, but I've had a patient for a large amount of years now in SMPLive that has been to the Nether before. With my study of them, I have concluded Mutations only develop further in the Nether. Therefore, you will only Mutate as much as you spend in the other realm. You reap what you sow, in other words.'.  
'Mutations range between three main possibilities. Hybrids, Ancestors and Anomalies. I've interacted with all three types and can tell you that they're not dangerous – To an extent, they can be beneficial. Depending on one's tolerance of the other realm they will Mutate to certain extents. And this is how I've figured out a safe way to handle the Nether.'.

'Tests for tolerance will be provided to all who wish to step inside – A test is required to be allowed on the other side to prevent possibly dangerous accidents. With this test everyone will be given a total safe amount of time they may spend in the Nether before Mutating, or gaining more bothersome Mutations. This will allow us to make the travel completely safe.'.  
'For the first few months after opening the Portal we will only allow builders on the other side. Once the Hub inside is done, as well as the pathway to the Northern outpost, we will permit travel. The following few months are going to be more testing than anything – But we're gonna hope everything works out as planned.'.  
'We will have to open the portal in private, however. If anything ever happens and we need it to be shut down, we can't risk someone relighting it when they're not supposed to. Which is why we will clear the Portal and the area around it following this event – It's nothing personal against any of you, it is simply safety percussions.'.

'Thank you, Captain, for the wonderful summary of things. I'm sure it clears up any confusion.', Pete spoke up, turning to the crowd. 'Now, if there are any questions at all you'd like answered, we definitely do not have other more important things to do-', the man cut himself off as he was punched in the arm by Sky. 'I mean, please, do ask away. We love answering questions!'.

Noise rose through the crowd almost instantly.

'What are the tests like? When are they gonna happen?'.  
'How bad are the Mutations? Or rather, how good?'.  
'How do we know nothing comes in from the other side?'.  
'Is it true connection with other Overworlds is possible?'.

Phil grabbed onto Techno's shoulder with one hand, pulling at Wilbur's sleeve with the other.

'Come on boys, let's get home.'.

Schlatt felt Wilbur grab him and drag him along, but before he followed, he first took a quick glance back at the audience. He looked in awe at every amazing person up there, wondering what it would be like with that many people looking up to you and wanting to be like you. Everything about them was brilliant, everything about them made him want to be like them, everything about them was so incredibly-

'Fake! They're so fake!', Schlatt heard Wilbur shout, being snapped out of his trance. 'They're treating this as if it was the most important thing, but they won't even help us!'.  
'No one said the Lunch Club was perfect, kid.', Phil spoke up, looking back at the large crowd behind them, still shouting out questions. 'They're definitely ignoring the big issues at hand. But we can handle ourselves. We've got enough money to push us through to the next year.'.  
'And what after that?', Techno muttered with a rather grim tone of voice. 'The tax is only supposed to get higher to make up for the money that's been put into that Portal.'.  
'We're gonna be fine, Techno.', Phil said, although he sounded quite unconvinced.

'We're gonna be fine...'.

\---

They were not fine. But as always, Phil would not let it show until he was all alone.

He'd play with the small glass container in his hand, tossing it between his fingers as he looked down at the letters in front of him. SMPLive was only raising taxes on the houses outside the city due to wanting to chase the locals out and force them to move in, leaving land for expansion. But the last thing he'd do is give in – So he stayed up every night, rationing out every piece of food, every piece of clothing and every small scrap of whatever they had.

They'd have enough for a little longer. There was no need to worry.

Phil thought about everything, playing around with the glass container. The Nether Star was still inside, as bright and as pristine as it had been after the first time he picked it up from the battlefield following his lasts strike on the Wither. God, how he missed adventuring, going from town to town without a care in the world, no home to take care of and no one to be responsible for. But, of course, there was also a positive to all of this. He looked down the hall, seeing the doors to the two bedrooms with three amazing kids behind them.

It was tough, but he wouldn't give up yet.

For the sake of his sons, he would try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> obligatory "all characters in this are characters and how i portray them or treat them does not reflect my views on the actual content creators"
> 
> just because someone is here doesn't mean i support them  
> just because someone is portrayed as bad doesn't mean i see them as such  
> and just because someone is portrayed as good doesn't mean i think they're good
> 
> just wanted to... clear that up
> 
> also hey we got news now  
> epic new plot device


	88. The Truth (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Struggling with monetary problems, the family crumbles. Phil makes sacrifices, Techno loses himself, Wilbur feels concerned and Schlatt comes up with unique ideas of getting money.

'This is so unfair!'.  
'Schlatt, there's nothing I can do-'.  
'I know, I know, but... It's not fair.'.  
'You're right. It's not. At all.'.

Schlatt was ten when he first realized how fucked up SMPLive really was.

It wasn't anything big they did, but it was something that definitely pissed him off more than a little. With the Portal only a few weeks away from opening to the general public, the family finally decided it was a good time to test their tolerance.

They knew they had to be extra careful, considering they had been to the Nether before, and had to make sure their condition didn't get worse. The Captain had even come by to check them a few extra times following the tests, but found nothing. By this point, of course, Schlatt had been living with the family long enough for their “features” to be common knowledge, and even found himself sitting nearby with Wilbur and watching while the Captain took care of Techno.

He had told them Techno was a mix of a Hybrid and an Anomaly – He had started showing pig features, such as slightly longer teeth bordering on hog-like tusks. On the Anomaly side of things, Techno's red eyes, pink hair as well as that “voice” in the back of his head were another thing he received from his trip to the Nether as a child. It was nothing more than slightly sharper instincts when fighting, something he could easily control after spending some time training and letting out the urge to fight constantly. Phil, on the other hand, was simply a Hybrid with some sort of bird, and Wilbur was most likely an Ancestor, or had tolerance high enough to leave him without any long-term effect at all from being in the realm in the first place.

But none of that mattered right now.

The thing that had made Schlatt as angry as he was was how the tests were overlooked. Phil went first, getting a pretty average score. Techno's was slightly lower, but still a pass for the Portal. Wilbur's was exceptionally high, meaning he could easily travel around the Nether without much of an effect ever showing itself unless he walked into a particularly powerful spot. And then came Schlatt. Because of his young age, same as Wilbur, he needed consent from a legal guardian to take the test. Easy enough, right? Well, not when your birth parents were god knows where and the people there insisted it had to be them who gave consent. The boy came back from the test with that one statement still in his head – What the man handling the tests had told Phil after hearing of the family's particular situation.

_'Schlatt can't take the test until he's eighteen.'._

'Eight years. I have to wait eight years. Is this shithole even gonna be standing after eight years?'.  
'Watch your language', Phil quickly warned the other, something he had noted to be futile with Schlatt. 'We weren't planning any big trips anyway, not with how low Techno's tolerance is. And the Nether isn't going anywhere. You can go when you're eighteen.'.  
'I don't get why you can't sign off for me. You're basically my...', Schlatt stopped himself, shaking his head. 'Whatever. I'll wait. I can wait. Eight years isn't that much...'.

Phil watched the boy get up from the couch, heading down to his and Wilbur's room. He could see that he was incredibly upset over the whole ordeal, but he hoped he wouldn't worry about it too much. It wasn't like the family would benefit that much from the Nether being open – They didn't have any connections with the outposts, and didn't know much about them in general. It would only remain a distant possibility if they ever felt the thrill of adventure calling out to them – Or so they thought, at least. At first.

The Nether would become a direct issue sooner than they thought.

\---

'...We're not gonna be able to cover for the market stand payment. If we don't we're gonna lose it for good. People buy out those spots before they even properly go vacant.', Phil muttered under his breath, looking down at a page full of calculations. Techno was sitting across from him, trying to help him figure everything out. Wilbur and Schlatt were in the city... Causing trouble, most likely. At least it gave them some peace and quiet to work in. There was some silence between the two before the nineteen year old finally spoke up.

'I could sell my sword.', he suggested. 'It's in good condition. It could get us enough to-'.  
'No. No way.', Phil instantly snapped. 'That sword is yours. You're my son, I'm your father. I'm the one that's supposed to be making sacrifices, not the other way around.'.  
'You've got more to take care of than me. Let's say I'm doing this for my brothers.', Techno picked up his sword from where he had placed it nearby, looking at it. His finger traced the edge of the blade, sending a strange rush of energy through his body. He could already feel himself rethinking his statements. Phil suddenly grabbed onto his hand.  
'There's other things we can still do. You don't have to give this up.'.  
'That's the scary part, dad.', Techno responded, looking at his reflection in the blade.

'I don't think I'd be able to.'.

'...What if I tried out for some tournaments?', Techno looked up suddenly, moving his sword aside. 'The prizes in the big ones should be enough to cover for some things. And... It's about time I get some sort of job, right?'. The man looked aside, fixing up his hat.  
'I suppose. But it's your choice. I wouldn't force you to work for my sake.'.  
'And you also can't force me to ignore everything and keep acting like I'm not old enough to contribute somehow.', the younger claimed, crossing his arms and grabbing onto a nearby newspaper. 'I'll see what I can find. God knows there's no actual jobs left in the city.'.  
'With this many people coming in, the best you can hope for is apprenticeships. You'd have to catch someone's attention to get that, though.', Phil stood up and started sorting through some more letters he received, meanwhile his son begun going through the offers in the paper.

'Well, kicking everyone's ass in a bunch of tournaments is sure one way to do that.'.

\---

The next year, as Schlatt described it, was like silence before the storm. A lot of things happened, a lot of things he could barely put together, and a lot of things that became a fast blur of frustration, hard work and more loses than he could count and keep up with. The number one goal was to gather enough money to pay for Phil's stand in the marketplace – Their one source of income.

Techno was first to come up with solutions. He begun signing up for fighting tournaments, slowly but surely earning himself a name as an unbeatable warrior. He wouldn't of course, ever give away the mystery behind his victories, afraid of being called a cheater. There was, however, an underlying issue beneath everything. He had his loses, too. Even with his ability, with how much he fought every day, he'd eventually run into someone better than him and lose. And while it was only natural, he himself didn't seem to handle it as well as one would expect. It was probably since he was so set on victory for the sake of getting money for Phil, and any loss in battle seemed like a loss for everyone relying on him. Wilbur and Schlatt couldn't let him handle something like that alone.

They started out small as far as their “help” went. Wilbur insisted they did something that was somewhat legal and would keep them from getting into trouble – Schlatt insisted on the contrary. While in the city, they would often find themselves taking a few things that weren't exactly theirs or selling their loot in exchange for prices that were definitely far too high. Slowly but surely, the three brothers managed to provide their father with enough support so that he could continue paying for their home and all needed accommodations. To an extent, it seemed ideal. Almost too easy to possibly work. And, just as Schlatt expected, peace did not last for long.

First there was the Lunch Club. Following the opening of the Potal, they insisted on “expansion” for SMPLive. By expansion, of course, they meant using the free land surrounding it. The only people in their way were those who owned homes there and refused to sell them – One of those people was Phil. Eventually, taxes on the outskirts were raised more and more with each day and the desperate need for money showed itself once more.

Secondly, there was Techno. He begun growing... Erratic. He would go out of his way to get into more fights, even some without any monetary prizes involved, and often found himself sneaking away somewhere in the middle of the night. At home he'd snap easily, accidentally hurt everyone around him, and sometimes, would refuse to speak to anyone all together for long periods of time. He even received a work proposition from VoiceoverPete himself – A member of the Lunch Club with good pay, a free apartment included and too many positives to count. He could have easily taken the offer and finally received a well-paying job – And here came the issue.

Technoblade refused.

'Techno, this is the single best opportunity you could have gotten. Why don't you want to go?', Phil asked him about the hundredth time that week, and as he often did, his son would refuse to answer. 'You would have money, an apartment and you could put your skills to good use. It's better than-'.  
'I'd rather fight.', Techno's foot was tapping on the ground, and he was rubbing the back of his neck. Why was he so disturbed? It had been a question his two brothers had been asking themselves for a majority of the year now. 'He wants a bodyguard. I'd just stand there. The fights pay better.'.  
'If you win.', Phil reminded him. 'Money from Pete would at least be stable, and it's still-'.  
'I always win.', the other claimed, as he often did. 'And I like fighting more.'.

Schlatt wanted to say something. So did Wilbur. They wanted to point out that unnatural look in the man's eyes, the way he spoke, how jumpy he had been. They knew Phil saw it too, but was clearly too afraid to make any assumptions. He would go to his room and try to speak with him in the evenings, and it would usually just turn into a shouting match that the other two were forced to endure from behind the walls. They knew something had to be done, and that Phil didn't nearly have enough strength in himself to force the answer out of Techno.

His brothers, however, did.

Not directly, of course. Trying to hurt him in the state he had been in recently was a death sentence. But they could at least try and figure out the mystery. While Techno was twenty and struggling with something they could never fully comprehend, Schlatt and Wilbur were still eleven and fourteen respectively, and were still trapped in their own little worlds that convinced them they could tackle anything if they worked through it together. But things were not as simple as that any more.

They realized it the moment they caught Techno sneaking into the Nether Portal.

They didn't understand it, at first. Why their brother would go inside at night for god knows how long and return with seemingly nothing. Was he even going anywhere? Or did he just sit on the other side? They found him doing it most days, usually after losing fights, often coming out shaken and agitated. Schlatt instantly started suggesting that he was training on the monsters there – Wilbur, on the other hand, had a theory that he was trying to get something. Still, the two, lost on what to do, as they often did, found themselves simply telling Phil.

And Phil, for a reason known only to himself, seemed horrified.

\---

The doors opened in the middle of the night, a figure stepping inside.

'You're back late.', Phil muttered from where he sat in the kitchen, not even looking up from a book he was, a fact unknown to his son, pretending to read. 'What were you up to?'.  
'Training.', Techno responded rather coldly, laying his sword down. 'Sorry I missed supper-'.  
'Take your hood off.', the man suddenly said, keeping his eyes focused on the book.  
'Sorry?', his son asked, confused by the statements. Phil flipped a page.  
'You heard me. Take your hood off. I want to check something.', finally, the man glanced up, his eyes narrowing. Schlatt and Wilbur could practically feel his anger from where they were hiding down the corridor, looking between each other nervously as they observed.

'Why?', Techno fixed up his hood, backing away slightly. Phil stood up, causing him to flinch.  
'Why is it a big deal? Do you have something to hide?'.  
'No, I'm just wondering why you'd make a request like-'.  
'Take off your hood, right now-'.  
'Don't touch me!'.

Phil grabbed onto the other faster than he could react, ripping his hood off. Schlatt and Wilbur felt their eyes widen while their father gasped, staring at his eldest son in shock. He moved back slightly, meanwhile Techno stayed completely still, breathing heavily. Phil came closer, moving some of his son's hair aside and behind his ears – Ears that had now been replaced with not that of a human, but that of a pig. He didn't say a single word – His face said it all.

'What did you do, Techno?', Phil asked as he moved more of his son's hair away. He lifted his hand, as if wanting to stop him, but eventually, put it back down. It seemed like, for the first time during the course of those few months, he actually wanted someone to be as close to him as he was. Eventually, he felt himself being pulled into a close hug, his father's arms wrapping around him as if he were a kid again, looking for guidance after some minor accident.

But this was something worse. Far worse. And yet, Phil was still there to support him.

'I'm sorry.', he whispered already feeling tears flood his eyes. 'I'm sorry...'.  
'What have you been doing, Techno? You have to tell me.', his father asked as softly as he could.  
'I didn't want to, I just thought...', Techno continued muttering through sobs, barely being able to be understood now. Phil slowly lead him to the couch, telling him to sit down.  
'Hey. Calm down. Everything is okay.', the man grabbed onto his son's shoulder, shooting the other two watching from down the hall an angry glare. Instantly, the two turned away and hid inside their room, but listened to the conversation through their door regardless.

Techno allowed himself to calm down, looking into the nearby fire as he did. This whole situation felt like he was a kid again – Hiding some sort of cut, or lying about something another kid had said to him. Phil would always find out, call him out, and leave him breaking down under the weight of all his guilt. Every time his father supported him, and yet every time he was too afraid to say the truth. Why? Well, not everything always made sense. But the moment his father sat down next to him on the couch and passed him a freshly made cup of tea, it almost seemed like everything did.

Almost everything.

'...What have you been doing?', Phil asked for the second time that night, this time actually receiving a somewhat coherent response. Techno looked up, his voice low and tired;  
'...Going into the Nether every time I lost. Trying to... Make the voice louder... And stronger.', as the man spoke, he kept stammering, as if barely believing what he had done himself.  
'You Mutated yourself on purpose?', Phil asked, shocked.  
'It didn't work. It just made the Hybrid traits worse. It barely changed the Anomaly.', he admitted, rubbing his eyes. 'I was... So stupid... I just wanted to win more so I could... Make more money.'.  
'Techno, I told you already. I'm the one who's supposed to make the sacrifices.', the man pulled his son closer, putting his arm around him. Alongside it, he wrapped one of his wings around him, too. Techno closed his eyes and sighed in relief... It was almost like being a kid again, always under his father's protection no matter what.

'You don't have to feel responsible for me any more. You have to go out there and start living for yourself. You're hurting yourself trapping yourself here.', Phil, once more, moved some of his son's hair forward, forcing a smile. 'You can let go. We're gonna be fine without you.'.  
'...I don't know if I'm ready. To leave you. To be on my own.'.  
'No one ever is. But that's the beauty of it. Pushing past your fears, going into the unknown...', Phil laughed to himself. 'Why do you think I started adventuring? The thrill of the unknown... There's nothing quite like it, you know?'.

Phil went silent for a while, giving his son a look of pity.

'Talk to Pete, Techno. See if the offer still stands. Alright?'.  
'...Alright... Yeah...'.  
'We're gonna be fine on our own. Don't worry.'.  
'I know you will be...'.

'...But I don't know if I will be, too.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's been too much fluff lately.  
> the angst had to come eventually.  
> i guess i could have warned yall...
> 
> but i didnt...  
> sorry not sorry ;)


	89. The Truth (Part 6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Techno gone, things slow down around the house again. Schlatt and Wilbur scam a naive boy, meanwhile the Lunch Club makes some bold changes.

Techno was twenty when he finally left home, Pete granting him an apartment in the city as an extra bonus to his regular payment. Phil moved back into his room once he was gone, feeling everything return to that usual way of things before Schlatt had arrived. Only two kids to take care of and an unreal amount of bills to pay... It felt right at home, didn't it?

It would, except this time, the eldest kid was not obsessed with fighting and the youngest wasn't naïve and sheltered – This time the oldest was thirsting for new experiences, and the youngest had a knack for scams and other... unique, if you will, business strategies. This was not a good combination – And he would learn this the hard way rather quickly. But what was he to do? They were his sons, after all. They were simply trying to help.

Their methods definitely didn't help, but... They were welcome attempts.

\---

'And this will make me rich?'.  
'Absolutely.'.  
'And you two are sure about it?'.  
'Positive.'.

Schlatt and Wilbur managed to perform their first successful scam together when they were twelve and fifteen respectively.

Their victim this time, instead of a group of rather impulsive kids like Schlatt's first scam had been seven years ago now, was a rather short boy with curly hair and dark skin. He was only two years younger than Wilbur, and from that same dying breed of outside-the-city kids, making him an excellent target for their scheme – This being what they called the “millionaire's stew”. A stew that could boost one's luck as far as money went, and make them rich. Of course, there was no such thing. But a thirteen year old with nothing better to try wouldn't question it.

'Eh, seems legit enough.', the boy eventually said, removing some money from his pocket. 'And it's my best bet right now... And your dad's stews usually work, so-'.  
'Money, please, Connor.', Schlatt reminded the other, reaching out. A small pile of money was placed in his hand and he grasped it as he grinned. 'Thank you for your generous contribution!'.  
'Here you go. Enjoy.', Wilbur said as he passed the boy a small bowl of a strangely smelling stew. The two watched Connor walk away, and as he left their sight, begun giggling between one another.

'That was way easier than it should have been...'.  
'It's because it was Connor. He makes this too easy.'.  
'How much did he even- Holy shit!'.  
'I told you he was an idiot! Now come on, let's go home.'.

As the two turned away, Wilbur suddenly stopped the other, putting up his clenched fist.

'Partners in crime?', he asked, reaching forward. The other giggled, fist-bumping him.  
'Till the end of time!', he exclaimed instantly, grinning as he did.

While the two walked home, excitedly talking through their plans for the future, it was becoming more and more clear to Schlatt that there was a future in a business like this. Sure, it was unfair. But with the amount of money in Wilbur's hands, it felt irresistible. He found himself wondering how many different things they could come up with if they kept working like this, how many more people they could trick, how much more they could make to help-

Phil was standing in front of their house arguing with someone.

'Whether you like it or not, eventually you're going to have to hand this land off to us.', the stranger was saying, meanwhile their father argued to the contrary;  
'This is my home! You can't take this away from me! I built this house with my bare hands!', he was exclaiming. They rarely saw him this emotional these days.  
'We can grant you an apartment in the housing district at a lower price if you simply move out of here. It's a good deal...', the stranger's voice trailed off as he noticed the two boys approaching them. 'Ah. Perhaps we should continue this conversation on another day?'.

Schlatt looked at the stranger. No. No way. He wouldn't-

'Leave my house, AntVenom. And don't come back.', Phil hissed at the other. The boy's heart dropped as he heard the name – He felt... Betrayed? Why would someone he admired so much-  
'Whatever you say, Phil. But stop living in the past, hmm?', the man looked down at Schlatt, as if knowing what he was feeling from his face alone. 'The future is in the city. And the future always catches up with old-timers like you. At least give those kids of yours a chance at it, how about that?'. The man crossed his arms and looked up at the other with a condescending smile.

'Your eldest seemed to have gotten that. Techno is loving the city-'.  
'Leave. Now.'.  
'Right, right. My apologies. I've got work to do, after all.'.  
'I'm sure you do.'.

Schlatt watched his hero walk away, his words echoing in the back of his mind.

The future is in the city.

\---

Schlatt had just turned fourteen when Wilbur ran into their house, shouting;

'The Lunch Club is dissolving!'.  
'What?'.  
'Come on, quick!'.

The plaza, as it often was when the Lunch Club met for the sake of answering questions, was crowded with people. Some were coming out of the portal, others were flooding in from the housing district, and few wandered in from the outskirts. Wilbur helped Schlatt up to the top of a market stall nearby, allowing them to both see the six figures from where they sat without having to push themselves to the front of the crowd.

They could see Techno standing behind Pete – His infamous bodyguard. Cold, quiet, only ever speaking when spoken to. And even with his perfect stance and proper demeanour, they could see him smile and give them a small wave as he spotted them – Just to remind them he was still their brother, even underneath all the layers of work and professionalism.

'Is it true that you're planning to dissolve the Lunch Club?'.  
'Did something happen between the six of you to warrant this?'.  
'Who will lead SMPLive now?'.  
'Why take such a risk while we're at our best?'.

Kara was trying to calm down the crowd, exclaiming over the people;

'Please, everyone! Settle down! I assure you, you've misunderstood the situation! Allow us to explain and reserve your questions for the end!', she shouted, raising her hands. A few people listened, but there was still a large amount speaking over her;  
'Are we supposed to form some sort of new leadership?'.  
'Is SMPLive gonna manage without the Lunch Club?'.  
'The Lunch Club isn't going anywhere!', Ant suddenly snapped, leaning forward and speaking into his microphone. Schlatt didn't feel nearly the same amount of excitement he used to listening to him now after everything that had happened. 'Now listen and let us explain ourselves!'.

The crowd finally quietened down.

'I suppose “dissolving” was not the right word to use.', the Captain admitted, lifting his head. 'What I did mean is that we are stepping down. And we have a good reason to be. We believe that we have done all we can for this city – We are no longer capable of knowing what the people need. Which is why we're stepping down as the Lunch Club... And appointing a second generation.'.  
'And before you start throwing questions at us...', Fit cut in, noticing the expressions on all of the people at the front of the crowd. 'We already have six candidates in mind. Six young people who have shown nothing but interest in this city, and six who have grown up under our rule and know better than anyone where we succeeded and where we made mistakes that they can correct.'.

'And it's today that we'd like you all to welcome them. We will only remain in power until the end of this year – And then, these here brilliant people will take charge.', Pete spoke up, although the slight hesitance in his voice was clear. He didn't seem one open to willingly handing over his power like this. 'Now, shall we introduce them?'.  
'Know where they made mistakes?', Wilbur hissed under his breath. 'That should be us, then! We know better than anyone what those assholes have been doing to us!'.  
'Yeah...', Schlatt muttered along, watching the six clear the stage. '...That should be us.'.

Six people entered the stage accompanied by the sounds of applause – All male, looking to be around Wilbur's age, if not a bit older. There was one that looked to be about Schlatt's – He definitely stood out among the others. One or two of them appeared out of place on the stage – But the others definitely enjoyed the spotlight. He could see exactly what type of people these six were. The kids that got to grow up in the city, had everything, and idolized the Lunch Club above everything else. And it was hard to admit, but... He was just like them, to an extent.

While Wilbur looked at the six with spite, Schlatt couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like standing there with them, calling the shots.

'First up, in the new Lunch Club, all welcome...', Sky stepped back, holding onto a microphone. The whole group lined up, looking around with mixed feelings. '...Joko!'. A mix of cheers went through the crowd, meanwhile the mentioned man, a brunette, simply awkwardly waved and didn't say much. Schlatt chimed in from the side.  
'Knew him before I moved in with you guys.', he said, giving Joko a look. 'No social skills when it comes to women, let me tell you that much. I'd always act like I was his friend and he didn't even know my name – Funny stuff, if I'm being honest.'.  
'Sounds like it. Why do you think he got picked?'.  
'Uh... Best bet is on management skills. Guy knows how to figure a thing out if he puts his mind to it, but he seems to forget that the moment he's around friends and starts joking around.'.

'Next... Noah 'Hugbox'!', Sky announced, once more, followed by cheers. The man standing next to Joko was interesting. It wasn't unusual to see “unique” people around the city with how much people used the portal now, animal features and what not popping up all over. That did not make the... TV? On the man's head any more confusing. Well, Schlatt guessed it was most likely only a cardboard cut-out of one, and a lazily painted one, at that. He didn't have much to say about the man – If he had ever seen him before, he definitely wouldn't know. His face was completely hidden.

'After that, Cooper 'cscoop' Shulz!', Sky continued. This individual Schlatt did know – Although not as personally as Joko. He was rather short, with fish scales and fins covering most of his limbs together with gills on his neck, holding a skateboard under his arm. He definitely looked the most relaxed out of the whole group, leaning back without much of a change in expression as the people around him clapped. Schlatt tugged at Wilbur's sweater, muttering into his ear;  
'All I know about this guy is he doesn't talk much. You'll never see him without that skateboard though – Guess someone didn't grow out of a teen phase...'.  
'He barely seems like he belongs up there, with how professional they all look.'.  
'Oh, trust me.', Schlatt gave the six a good glance. 'None of them are.'.

'Next... Travis 'traves'!', Sky exclaimed, to which Schlatt seemed pleasantly surprised. The teen that stepped up was clearly a bit younger compared to the rest of the group, with nothing but a hoodie and shorts on. The hood of the hoodie was wrapped over the top of his head, and he kept pulling at the strings to make it only tighten around his face more. Was he hiding something under there?  
'This guy I know. Probably only thrown in there to add some heart to the group.', Schlatt carried on with his commentary. 'Out of all the kids I knew before I moved out of the housing district, he was the only one who I could actually stand. Sweet guy, really. Barely fits in with the rest of them.'.  
'Think there's another reason he's up there?'. Schlatt thought about it – From where he was, Travis seemed practically harmless. But so did Techno, if you caught him getting his hair braided by his father when he visited. Looks could be easily deceiving.  
'Maybe.', he muttered, giving the boy one last look. 'Maybe...'.

'Followed by … Charlie 'Slimecicle' Dalgleish!', Sky said. This time, Schlatt was surprised. Charlie was one person there he knew personally – He didn't recognize him until he was named, of course. He'd changed quite a bit since they were kids, now wearing glasses and with his hair being... Light green? It almost seemed to resemble slime in its texture... Must have been something he picked up in the Nether. He leaned forward with a grin.  
'Slimecicle! In the Lunch Club! Who would have thought?', Schlatt exclaimed with a laugh.  
'What's his deal?', Wilbur asked, watching the man wave to a few people and say something to the people around him, inaudible to them.  
'Cool guy, honestly. A bit all over the place, but maybe he got better with that, since he's up there right now. I heard he's a Slime Hybrid – The first to show up in the city. He's a smart guy, but gets easily overwhelmed around more... “colourful” personalities, if you will. I can see why they picked him.', Schlatt concluded, looking at the last of the six.

'And finally, last but not least... Ted Nivison!', Sky shouted out, this time getting a far louder cheer than when it came to the previous five. Schlatt leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. Ungodly tall, neat black hair, round glasses and wearing nothing but white. There was no doubt about it – It was him. He may have changed a lot, but it was still him.  
'No fuckin' way!', he exclaimed. Wilbur was instantly interested.  
'Who is that? What's the big deal?'. The two watched as Ted, unlike everyone else in the group, walked across the stage and muttered something into Sky's ear.

'That's the kid who tried to bash my head in with a rock nine years back! Remember?', Schlatt turned to his friend, who seemed confused. 'When you threatened him with your brother?'.  
'Right! Right... That's him?', Wilbur watched the man walk back across the stage, now with a microphone in hand. 'Also how do you remember something so far back?'.  
'Memorable day. One of the most important ones of my life.', he turned to Wilbur with a smile, seeing his eyes light up. 'That's the day I met you.'.

'Hey! Everyone! Wow, I am so happy to be up here right now, honestly, it's a great honour!', Ted spoke from the stage above them. There was something in his tone of voice – Something incredibly forced, fake, and strangely foreboding. Schlatt leaned forward – He shouldn't have been surprised, considering what he knew about him as a kid. He was always kind and generous until it came down to him or the other guy – Then he would not hesitate to put himself first. He was exactly the kind of person Schlatt would expect to see in the Lunch Club.

'Let me just tell you, I am so proud of all my friends for making it here! And well, I suppose, I am also proud of myself, too. And I'm excited. _Incredibly_ excited for the changes we have in mind.', Ted turned for a moment, giving the crowd a glance. 'SMPLive, let me tell you, things are gonna change around here. This place will be a lot different tomorrow.'.

For a moment, the man looked forward, and Schlatt could swear he was staring right at him.

'Let's start making it happen.'.

'The first decree of the new Lunch Club will be simple – When we assume power next year, we will get rid of the single problem that has been plaguing this city for years... Those outskirts.'. Now Schlatt was sure. Ted was staring dead at them, as if taunting them with his very statements. 'By next year we will have every home there vacant and the land free for expansion – And will finally begin work on some real changes. I can't wait already.'.

Wilbur and Schlatt looked between each other, feeling their hearts drop.

'See you next year, SMPLive. And thank you for choosing us.'.

The two brothers headed home that day knowing things were about to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *chanting* villain ted villain ted villain ted villia-
> 
> anyway uhhh  
> obligatory "dont support everyone who appears in this fic" please dont cancel me
> 
> ALSO dont ask me why mr hugbox has a tv on his head i imagined him as looking like pyrocynical's sona and it stuck around  
> he has a carboard tv on his head now and you cant make me change it


	90. The Truth (Part 7)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While trying to make more money, Schlatt makes a fatal mistake that tears the family apart.

They had to get creative. That was the only way to stay alive.

They were on a countdown – A single year until the new Lunch Club would take power and begin enacting taxes heavier than ever on the outskirts of the city. With how things were going, even with the money Techno had been sending in and with double the work Phil, Schlatt and Wilbur had all been doing, there would be no way to cover for their house and everything else they needed. There were ways to get such amounts of money, of course.

But those ways weren't always a hundred percent legal.

\---

Wilbur was holding a small bottle in his hand, carefully inspecting it. He turned it a few times and watched the liquid flow inside, noting how it changed and shifted around. He knew that what he was holding in his hand was one of the most sought-after liquids in SMPLive – But it was also one of the most dangerous. He had managed to put together a potion, something outlawed in the city since its very dawn. But they were also something so powerful – So, so incredibly powerful and desired by everyone. People were willing to pay thousands for these little-

'Are you ever gonna stop staring at those damn bottles?', he heard a voice behind him, making him jump. He caught a bottle that slipped out of his hand last second, putting it down on the desk in front of him. God, he was lucky Phil had enough decency to never check his and Schlatt's room. If he had found all of these tools, bottles and supplies, he'd probably be grounded until his eighteenth.  
'...They're potions.', Wilbur quickly explained, finding Schlatt now standing next to him and leaning over his shoulder. He picked one of the bottles up, smiling as he looked inside. Something about the colours was incredibly mesmerising to him. '...Born of alchemy... They're really... Magical.'.  
'It's just fancy chemistry though, isn't it?', Schlatt leaned forward and looked at all of the colours in front of him. 'Put things together and to make something cooler. Science is all experimenting and never profiting, if you ask me.'.

Wilbur felt his heart drop as his friend grabbed onto a poison he had prepared earlier. He quickly snatched it out of his hand, setting it down. The last thing he wanted from all of this was someone close to him getting hurt – He was already risking a lot making these things alone. Schlatt carried on talking as he moved some ingredients aside and sat down on the table;

'If you ask me.... You need something bolder than some potions to make real cash. Might if I give you a little pitch, see how you like it?'.  
'Do I have a choice in the matter?', Wilbur responded with a dry laugh.  
'Alright... So imagine this.', Schlatt traced a circle in the air with the tip of his finger. '...We have a coin, right? And we tell people it's worth a lot. We sell it at let's say... Twenty diamonds!'.  
'No one will buy that... Far too expensive for some coin.'.

'Ah, you see. That's where the twist comes in. We tell them that the prices of the coin will rise as more people buy them. And then we announce that we will buy them back – For said raised prices.'.  
'...So people blindly invest in something they don't know?'.  
'People are dumb! You know they'll follow the crowd! The hard part is forming the crowd!'.

'And here's the big finale – We say the price dropped to ten iron ingots and leg it with the money!'.  
'...A scam.'.  
'What?'.  
'What you're describing there is a scam. You want to scam people.'.  
'I mean... If it gets us free diamonds... Sure!'.

For a moment, Wilbur thought back to the day he met Schlatt. He shut his eyes.

'You're gonna make some dangerous enemies one day.', he said with honesty flooding his voice. He knew with how things were, those enemies would be his, too. 'I'm worried about you.'.  
'Well, I'll have you by my side, right?', Schlatt suddenly jumped down from the table, wrapping his arm around Wilbur's shoulder. 'Partners in crime, till the end of time! Ain't that right, my friend?'.  
'Ugh...', he rolled his eyes, a hesitant smile coming to him. 'Yeah, I guess so. Partners in crime.'.

God, Wilbur should have had shut down that damn coin idea when he had the chance to.

\---

Phil knew.

He knew they were up to something. Maybe he didn't know the specifics, but he knew something was going on. They were bringing in way too much money for people their age to ever make, even if they claimed to have “found jobs” in the city. He could smell herbs in Wilbur's room, he caught Schlatt talking to some shady individuals in the market one day. But did he stop them? It was difficult to. It wasn't like there was any other way for them to keep up with how the Lunch Club had decided to treat them. But what sort of father would he be if he let his sons run around and risk their safety for his sake like this? He had to do something, and he only saw one solution.

'I'm thinking about selling the house.', he brought up over dinner one day, watching as both Schlatt and Wilbur looked up at him with their eyes wide. They didn't say much as they looked between each other – So Phil carried on. 'The Captain managed to get me a good offer. I could get us a large apartment to fit all three of us. Even Techno, if he'd want to move in with us again. The rent is low and it's close to the market. It could make-'.

'You're joking, right?', Schlatt suddenly cut in. 'After everything you just want to hand it over?'.  
'The city is changing, Schlatt. Maybe AntVenom was right. Maybe I need to start living in the future.', Phil looked down at his food, a million thoughts clouding his head. 'And this land could be used for something much better. More homes for people. More jobs. What if we're-'.  
'You built this house yourself.', Wilbur cut in, his voice filled with melancholy. 'You built it with mum, didn't you? You told me once, it's all you have left of her.'.

'...You never even met her, Wil. Why do you care so much?', the man said with a laugh.  
'Because you do. It's important to you, so it's important to us.', claimed Schlatt. 'You always talk about how she wanted this place to be special. So why would you hand it over?'.  
'She's long gone. Maybe it's time for me to move on.', Phil continued with his statements, only riling up the two boys in front of him further. Wilbur narrowed his eyes.  
'As long as we can we're gonna keep fighting for this place. It's not just for you. It's for the sake of our family.', the boy stated, crossing his arms. 'You don't have to worry about it, dad. We're gonna figure this out. And we're gonna show the Lunch Club they messed with the wrong family.'.

Phil felt himself smile as he looked at the two in front of him.

'Maybe I'll hold onto the house a little longer. We're managing for now.'.  
'And we're gonna manage for a while, Phil. Don't worry too much.'.  
'Yeah, dad. We're gonna be fine. Just trust us.'.  
'You're my sons. Of course I trust you.'.

He shouldn't have. He really shouldn't have.

\---

Schlatt's “suit” wasn't anything pretty by any means, but it did the trick.

He wouldn't have been able to afford something that made him look presentable, not with how a majority of his money was being handed off to Phil to keep the Lunch Club away for a little longer – So he had to improvise. Techno left behind a large amount of his clothes, most too small to fit him by this point, which meant they were as good as free to take. And here Schlatt got creative. Or as creative as he could with the things available to him.

A white shirt he managed to recover from the other's old pile of clothes fit him just right, and looked clean enough for use. He put aside that blue sweater he had been wearing for a majority of his time, replacing it with the shirt and rolling up his sleeves. He knew a tie would sell the whole look a lot more, but with how Techno dressed there was no hope for that. Instead, Schlatt found himself grabbing onto one of the other's infamous red capes, cutting up a small part of it. Wrapping it around and cropping it in just the right places lead him to creating something that resembled a tie well enough at a distance. There was no hope for getting a nice jacket, but paired with black jeans, the whole outfit seemed close enough to a suit to work.

'How do you always manage to look older than me?', he heard Wilbur say from behind him, lost in his work with his head hung over a table full of ingredients, bottles, and completed potions. They were selling better than he'd ever expect them to – But he had to spend a lot of time on them. Schlatt, on the other hand, insisted on his own approach.  
'Guess I'm just a lot more mature. Suck it, loverboy.', he responded with a laugh.  
'Loverboy? Since when do you call me that?', Wilbur asked, putting aside his work for a moment.  
'Since now. Get used to it, loverboy.', Schlatt said with a grin, turning to a nearby mirror again.

He'd look great in an actual suit. Maybe he'd get one one day.

Maybe, one day, he'd be sitting behind a proper desk with his nameplate on the front and a special title above it. Maybe, one day, he'd look into a mirror and see some sort of badge on his chest showing everyone he made it. Maybe, some day, he'd be able to look Phil, Techno and Wilbur in the eyes and make them proud. Maybe, some day, he'd stand on a stage and- God, who was he fooling? It was obvious what he wanted. And he was sure Wilbur saw it too, to an extent.

But how was he to admit he fantasized about being one of the people who were going out of their way to kick them out of their own home? How was he to admit to his family that those damn coins he started getting people to buy were just a way of him to try and get in the spotlight a bit more? How was he supposed to look them in the eyes and tell them that even though he had spent a majority of his life with them, he still longed to live in that city? It felt unfair. So he stayed quiet. He simply looked into the mirror and let his thoughts stay the way they should have – Unsaid.

But maybe some communication would have made all of this frustration go away. Just long enough to avoid that fatal mistake – Just long enough to avoid making that one move he'd regret for a majority of his life from that day on. Wilbur warned him, before he did it. “Maybe slow down with the coins”, he'd say. “Maybe don't put your name on something so dangerous”, he'd warn him. He outright ordered him to stop. And yet still, longing for that spotlight, longing for that power over someone, and longing for trying and make money equal to what Wilbur and Phil were producing, he carried on. He just wanted to prove himself – That much was clear. He wanted to make some sort of name for himself that was more than just “that kid Phil picked up after he got left by his parents when he was seven”. He wanted so much more and that was why everything went so wrong.

Schlatt's desperate attempts at earning himself a good name would eventually be his downfall.

\---

When Schlatt was fifteen, he woke up in the middle of the night to pounding at the front door.

'Ph1lza! Open the door or we'll force it open!'.  
'Don't make this any more difficult than it has to be!'.  
'I know that kid is inside! You better bring him out!'.

Schlatt crawled out of his bed and soon found Wilbur standing next to him – The two were more confused than anything. They found themselves wandering to the door of their room and peeking around the corner – Phil was already at the door, opening it to about three figures. Schlatt felt his heart sink as he recognized one of them – A man he had met earlier that day, managing to sell him one of his infamous “Schlattcoin”. He didn't think he was serious when he said he had “friends” who, according to him, would “make his life hell”, but there he was, standing alongside AntVenom and... Ted Nivison? As far as Schlatt knew, he was yet to be in power. Why was he there?

'Is something wrong, gentlemen?', Phil asked, but the nervousness in his voice was clear. The family had been narrowly avoiding the Lunch Club's attention with their sudden influx of money already, so seeing them at their door in the middle of the night definitely didn't ease him in any way.  
'Yes, something is very wrong. It's about one of those brats of yours.', the man, named Michael if Schlatt remembered correctly, spoke up. 'Schlatt specifically. Do you know what this is?'.

He lifted his hand up, revealing a single golden coin with an “S” inscribed into it. Schlatt could practically hear his own heart pounding already – He should have listened to Wilbur, he should have stopped, he should have quit while he was ahead and now the Lunch Club was at their door and everything would go wrong and it would all be his fucking fault and _god why am I such a failure can't I do anything right not even one fucking thing why can't I just-_

'This little incident made us look a bit more into your family and... Strangely enough, your money just never seems to run out. It's a bit suspicious how a family as small and innocent as yours manages to make enough to cover for the tax, isn't it?', AntVenom looked down at the coin for a second. 'But then again, maybe not such an innocent family after all.'.  
'You have no right to be here right now. We've done nothing wrong-'.  
'Maybe not you, or Wilbur. But Schlatt's little endeavours have lead us to believe something might be going on here.', Ted spoke up, that same forced smile from the stage on his face. 'If you have nothing to hide, you wouldn't mind us giving the house a quick search, right?'. Phil, eyes wide with terror, looked back at the two boys watching him for a second.

'I suppose I can't stop you.', he said to the other three. 'Come in.'.

While Ted, Michael and Ant begun their search of the home's living room, Wilbur and Schlatt instantly found themselves panicking. The older begun hiding every potion and ingredient on his desk, but he soon found it to be futile. There was no way to get rid of all of this in such a short time – So instead of trying to prevent the inevitable, he looked back at Schlatt. He found the teen standing against the wall, breathing heavily and barely managing to stand up straight. He got closer, and for the first time in his life, found himself shouting at his partner in crime;

'What the fuck do we do now?', he snapped, feeling as if he was about to run out of air to breathe. 'They're gonna find the potions. We're fucked. We're fucked and it's all your fault!'.  
'W-what?', Schlatt stammered, looking up. 'I didn't- I didn't think this would happen-'.  
'I told you to stop with those bullshit coins! They weren't even getting us anything, and look where it got us! What the fuck do we do now, huh? Wanna give me another elaborate scheme?'.

'Wilbur, I'm sorry! I didn't think-'.  
'You should have listened! Why do you never fucking listen?!'.  
'I just... I just didn't want to be useless, okay? I wanted to do something-'.  
'Well you are! You've been useless from the fucking start, and now you've just proven it!'.  
'You don't... You don't mean that, right?'.

There was a moment of silence. Wilbur would have said something – Maybe apologized, but-

'Would you look at that!', Ted exclaimed as he burst into the room, the rest of the group following behind. He walked across the room, picked up a potion and turned around. 'The single most illegal thing in SMPLive – And this wholesome little countryside family has a whole stash of it. Well, Phil? What do you have to say for yourself? This is your home, after all.'.  
'Those potions are-', Wilbur tried to speak, but Phil cut in.  
'-Mine. My sons have nothing to do with it.', he lied as soon as he stepped forward. 'That's how I've been making money. I had them sell them for me. The coins were my idea, too.', Phil paused. 'If you're going to punish anyone, punish me. These two are innocent.'.

Wilbur felt his heart stop, for just a second. Schlatt felt sick – This was all his fault, he knew.

'Dad, don't-', the older tried to speak, his voice cracking.  
'It's alright, Wil', Phil said, looking back with a sad smile aimed at both Schlatt and Wilbur. 'I'm the one that's supposed to be making the sacrifices, remember? Just let me do this.'.  
'Very well, then.', Ant spoke up, looking over the two teens. 'Potion production, possession and distribution on top of everything else... You're looking at five years of exile, Ph1lza.'.  
'I'm fine with that.', Phil responded, nodding. Wilbur could never figure out how he always managed to put on a brave face, even during situations like this. 'And I'm guessing...'.  
'Your house will have to be confiscated, too. Considering how's it's been used.', Ted looked at Schlatt and Wilbur, hesitating for just a moment. 'I'm sure their older brother can take care of them, or should we set up other arrangements?'.

'Yes. Techno will manage.', Phil confirmed with a nod. 'May I have until tomorrow morning?'.  
'Sounds fair to me. Let's get going, gentlemen.', AntVenom concluded, turning away.

Phil didn't say another word to them that night. He simply went back to his room, silent. Wilbur, however, had no problem speaking up after everything;

'Good job, Schlatt. You just tore our whole fucking family apart.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> schlatt you dum dum :(
> 
> fun fact, the conversation schlatt and wilbur have at the start is the first flashback of schlatt wilbur ever has, at the start of chapter 4!  
> it was the first time the "partners in crime" phrase was used, and i never even planned for it to become as vital as it is today
> 
> this story has come far, hasnt it...


	91. The Truth (Part 8)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Forced to start a new life, Schlatt is hired by an eccentric newspaper editor and meets his perky coworker.

Phil stood in front of his house knowing he was seeing it for the last time.

After getting the news, Techno got home that morning with a mix of rage and helplessness on his face. He had definitely become more calm and collected over his time spent in the city, more quiet and reserved than he used to be around his family. But a part of it might have been the whole situation – Since the night previous, Schlatt didn't speak to Wilbur even once, and only had a brief exchange with Phil where his apologies were shut down more quickly than he could even bring them up. Eventually, the two found themselves standing in front of their father with all of their belongings stuffed into two bags each, Techno by their side.

'Five years out in the wilderness...', Phil muttered to himself, looking into the distant woods. He was holding his “box of memories”', As Techno had heard him call it, with one hand, and a small bag of supplies with the other. 'That surely can't be so bad. I've been meaning to get back out there and adventure anyway. Maybe I just needed this little push in the right direction.'.  
'...Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?', Techno spoke up, the first time raising his voice properly since he had arrived, mainly speaking in whispers with his father beforehand.  
'Surviving out there is one of my strong points.', Phil reassured him, smiling. 'I'm more worried about you guys. Can you make me a promise before I go?'.

They didn't respond, but their expressions urged him to carry on.

'...I don't want you three to fall apart while I'm away. I want to come back in five years and be able to be with my full family again. Can you promise me that, please?'. Phil forced a sad smile as he saw all three in front of him nod. 'Good. I'm glad. I suppose... This is goodbye, then.'. The man looked up at the house, tracing the edges of the wooden frame of the doorway with the tips of his fingers. There were various things inscribed into it – Images and names of monsters, animals, people... He remembered watching her carve them into the wood as if it happened yesterday.

He looked into the woods, taking a deep breath. He wasn't angry. He'd never be angry, no matter what the three of them did. Because they were his sons, no matter what. And they'd always be that – From this world and onto the next. Perhaps Phil's peace of mind came from the fact that he knew he'd find himself in this situation one day, and prepared. Maybe it came from the fact that as he looked back at the three flashes from his dreams showed themselves, telling him a million reasons why he'd be proud of all three of them – And a million reasons why he should stay.

Maybe it came from the fact that looking at them, he did not see Schlatt, Techno and Wilbur. Phil saw a President more alone than he'd ever admit, a fallen Emperor filled with regret and a broken man who was about to make too many mistakes to count.

'See you in five years. Be good, alright?'.

And so, he was gone.

They wanted to speak. Call out to him, pull him back, scream about a million things that were unfair and a million more than they'd change if they could – But nothing came. Just silence. Silence filled with regret, with unsaid things and a want to do something when there was nothing to be done. Techno was first to speak up, clearing his throat;

'There's only one way to keep that promise. We can't stay together.', he stated, instantly getting a response from both of the teens next to him. Wilbur spoke first;  
'He told us to not fall apart-', he tried to say, being cut off straight away;  
'Exactly. If we stay together we're going to argue. We're going to start blaming each other for this. For Phil's sake, we have to stay away until he comes back.', Techno paused for a moment, looking between the two. 'I'll talk to Pete. He can get you two proper arrangements. At least for you, Wil. You're an adult. You can get a job, some sort of apartment. I'll cover for your rent if you can't make ends meet. Schlatt, you're still a kid. You can stay with me, or you can-'.  
'I'm fifteen. I'll manage.', he quickly replied. 'I was alone for seven years. Five more won't hurt.'.

Techno nodded to himself, turning away.

'Come with me for now. I'll get you places to stay.', he said as he walked forward. He felt Schlatt grab onto his arm, pain shooting through his body. He wanted to turn around, shout at him, tell him all the things he did wrong and how much him and Wilbur messed up, but-  
'Thanks.', the younger spoke. 'For helping us out-'.  
'I'm not doing this for the two of you.', Techno stated, pulling his arm away.

'I'm doing this for Phil.'.

\---

Schlatt never thought he'd find himself here.

Things that week moved far faster than he expected them to, and he now found himself sitting across from a rather energetic young woman. She was saying something, he was sure, but ever since Phil left, Schlatt often found his mind drifting away to various things. Thinking through what he did, what he could have done differently, how he could have fixed the situation he found himself in. He didn't even realize that the woman in front of him was now snapping her fingers, getting his attention. He looked up, more dazed than anything.

'Are you listening to me?', she asked, leaning forward. The fifteen year old tried to avoid her gaze, his eyes travelling to the corner of the desk. There was a nameplate there – 'Imane 'Pokimane' Anys, Live Daily Publisher'. He could feel her glaring into him from across from him.  
'...Vaguely.', he muttered, his voice incredibly raspy. He hadn't talked much since everything.  
'Listen. I know you've been dealing with a lot lately, right? I mean, when I heard about what Phil did... I could barely believe it.'. Schlatt wanted to correct her, but he made a deal with Techno and Wilbur to keep things quiet. Former scammer at age fifteen and former alchemist at eighteen would make it impossible for the two to try and get some stable jobs.

'Shocking, right?', Schlatt responded with a flat tone of voice.  
'Either way, I want to help you out here. So work with me.', Poki cleared her throat, looking up. 'I don't wanna give you too much work. You're just gonna work as an assistant for whoever needs help. Right now, I'm gonna need you to look over some files. Check for spelling errors, that sort of stuff. People working around here these days can't even get their grammar right.'.  
'You used to be a reporter here, right?', Schlatt's mind, again, wandered to the past.  
'And now I'm in charge. Things change quickly, don't they?', the woman bit her lip realizing her phrasing and how it resonated with the other. Why did she have to get the traumatized teenager as her new employee? She wasn't even sure what she could and couldn't say around him.

'You're gonna be working with another apprentice of mine, just a year older than you. You can spread the work out between you two. You're gonna get paid just as much as any other employee, alright? I wouldn't wanna make any of this harder on you, with what you've been dealing with.'.  
'I get a buddy?', Schlatt looked aside and scoffed. 'Fuckin' great. Can't wait already.'.  
'No need to be so negative. He's a good kid.', the woman stood up, passing the younger and opening the door of her office. 'Come on. I'll show you where you two work. I think he's there right now, actually. You two should get to know each other.'.

As Schlatt passed Pokimane, she grabbed onto his shoulder. He flinched at the touch alone – He had been in such a confusing state the past week that even a single gesture like this left him stunned. He didn't speak, looking up with an empty look in his eyes. He could see that she wanted to say something – And yet, she didn't say a word. Maybe she realized it was better to leave things unsaid with this teenager, only trying to provide some sort of comfort by giving him a place to stay and a job to distract himself with.

She urged him to follow her and lead him to the front of the office, where all of the reporters, editors, and whoever else worked at a paper... If he was honest, he knew next to nothing about how the Live Daily operated. Poki was simply the first person willing to take him in after Techno asked around – Wilbur got sent off for an apprenticeship with the Captain, on the other side of the city in one of the nicer housing districts. He was glad – He wouldn't have to look him in the face for a while. Eventually, he was lead into a small storage room.

Between the shelves stuffed to the brim with papers and office supplies Schlatt could see two desks – Both pressed against each other, forcing whoever sat in them to face one another constantly. Not a good start, but it only seemed to get worse. If the cramped space didn't cut it, his future coworker definitely did. Dark skinned, curly haired, and with half his hair bleached blonde while the other remained black, Schlatt instantly found himself recognizing the teen. He, on the other hand, stood up, reached out with a gloved hand, and smiled. He clearly didn't have as good of a memory.

'Hey! I'm Connor!', the boy exclaimed.  
'...Connor... I'm... Schlatt.', he replied, testing the water. The other leaned forward with a smirk.  
'Oh don't worry. I know who you are.', he told him with a twitch in the corner of his eye.  
'Well, Connor, I'm sure you can show Schlatt the ropes. I've got about a million other things to do. Talk to me at the end of the day and I can show you to your apartment, alright?', Pokimane turned away, giving the two a wave. She then shut the door with a click.

Schlatt looked back at Connor. Oh, he was so dead.

'Nice seeing you again.', the older started, tilting his head. 'So-'.  
'We had money problems, alright? Yeah, it was unfair to scam you out of all you had on you at the time but right now my whole family hates me so cut me a fucking break before you come after me, okay?', Schlatt snapped almost instantly, watching Connor stammer.  
'...Uh... Right... That's a lot to dump on basically a stranger.', the sixteen year old laughed nervously, sitting back down at his desk. 'I was actually gonna thank you, but clearly you're dealing with some shit right now. I'll... Hold that thought.'.

'Thank me?', Schlatt looked down at the other, confused. '...For?'.  
'For making me rich!', Connor exclaimed, and then looked aside. 'Or, well... Getting me money.'.

'What the fuck are you on about?', Schlatt responded almost instantly, hearing Phil scolding him in the back of his head. He had always told him to watch his language – If he was in a bad mood, he'd simply up the ante until the man gave up on his efforts altogether. Thinking about Phil made a familiar pain return to his heart – He tried to distract himself by focusing on Connor.  
'The millionaire's stew, remember? You sold it to me three years back?'.  
'Yeah. It was a fake.', Schlatt replied rather quickly with a laugh. 'Wilbur stuffed the first few things he had in his room into some water, cooked it up and called it a day. The best effect you were getting from that thing was food poisoning. Sorry to break it to you.'.

Connor looked at him with a confused smile, and then shrugged.

'Except... It did work.', he said with a smile. Schlatt looked back at him, for once actually interested in what he had to say. For just a moment his mind was distracted completely from the events of the week prior – For just a single moment, though.  
'There was nothing there to work. Wilbur didn't even bother cooking it properly.'.  
'Well... My dad got a new job right after I had it. It helped us move into the city. And we had enough money to actually live pretty well, and we still do today.', Connor explained, leaning back in his chair. 'Maybe it was just a coincidence, but hey. It worked, and as far as I know, that stew was the only changed variable in everything. So... Thanks.'.

Schlatt didn't do anything. He never did anything to help people, which is why his family hated him now. Connor shouldn't have been thanking him. He tried to take everything he had at the time just to save himself, what sort of person does that? Did Wilbur actually make some sort of magical stew that had no possibility of existing? Was it all just a coincidence and he shouldn't have been thinking about it as much as he was? God, his mind was such a mess, it could barely even string together coherent thoughts. The whole situation hadn't even settled in with him properly, and all of these new changes definitely did not make it easier.

'Hey. I say screw this work for now. I've got something better to do.', Connor put some papers aside, grabbed onto the other's arm and pulled him along, out of their “office” and into the main working area of the paper. Schlatt didn't recognize a single person there. He didn't belong.  
'Shouldn't you explain to me what we're doing?', he asked, being lead across the office and to a small kitchen area provided for workers. Connor shut the door and leaned on a nearby counter, looking at the whole office through a small, foggy window right above it.  
'That's boring. This is far better. I call this game “guess who fucks up next”. This office can't run itself for shit. So take a gander at who's gonna get some sort of injury in the next few minutes. I'm gonna go first. Guy on the left there is about to-'.

A man suddenly walked into a woman passing by, spilling his drink on her. Instantly, she reacted by slapping him making a noise so loud the two could practically hear it from where they watched. Connor burst out laughing almost instantly – Schlatt couldn't stop himself from chuckling.

'Your turn. Who do you reckon is about to get their shit kicked in?'.  
'Well, the lady is pissed now.', Schlatt watched the woman with the now-stained shirt walk across the room, removing some tissues from her bag. 'She's on edge. And if someone happens to push her a bit more she's gonna snap again.'.  
'Bets on who it'll be?', Connor asked, clearly seeing Schlatt was getting engaged in his game.  
'That girl there.', the other pointed. 'She's eyeing her up. She doesn't seem to understand that this is a bad time. And look, she's about to speak to her... Just watch.'.

A brief conversation followed between the women, and from their expressions Schlatt could just tell that something completely inappropriate was said. The already angry woman became only more agitated, shouting so loudly that Connor and Schlatt managed to pick up on most of the creative profanities she used. They were now struggling to stifle their laughter, carrying on with their game as soon as they gathered themselves.

There was a coffee burn, a punch or two, even a full on brawl that broke out... Schlatt hadn't laughed that much since the previous week.

'The stew was bullshit, I know.', Connor suddenly spoke up as the two walked back to their office, agreeing to actually start working properly. 'It didn't do anything. I was gonna give you a piece of my mind as soon as Poki left, actually.'.  
'Huh?'. Schlatt felt his heart skip a beat. Oh god, again? He messed up again? His little tricks pushed him into a corner again? He could already feel his mind spiraling into a million different reasons why he was to blame for everything that had happened a week back, but he tried to keep his focus. 'Then why did you say that it-'.

'Oh please. You came in here and the first thing you did was start venting. It's been three years, I'm over some small scam. And you clearly needed a distraction. So, first of all, I made you think the stew worked. Boom, confusion. Your mind's racing again, and not a mushy mess.'.  
'Alright, I'll admit. The confusion thing worked.', Schlatt muttered. 'And that's it?'.  
'Mind's racing, now to focus it on something. Enter my “game”. Some shit I made up on the spot, but it turned out a hit! And here we are now... Have you thought about whatever it was that was eating you up once since we started talking?'.

Schlatt looked up at the other with realization. He distracted him. He actually distracted him.

'...You slimy motherfucker.', he said with an impressed nod, hearing Connor laugh.  
'A “thank you” would suffice!', he responded, only laughing more.

The fifteen year old looked at his newly found friend, unwillingly laughing along. He wasn't sure how Connor made him feel so relaxed in such a short time – But it worked. His mind barely wandered anymore, and he actually managed to focus on the work the other presented him with. By the time the day was done and Pokimane personally walked him to the housing district at the end of the day, he was barely even bothered by his thoughts from that morning.

'The previous owner uh... Skipped town, sort of unexpectedly.', the woman explained as she opened the door to his new aparment and passed him the key. Arguing and music from every home around him, thin walls, and a good ten floors up. God, this brought him back to his childhood. 'You might find some of his stuff around. Free to take or throw away. I tried to get rid of most of the mess.'. She patted him on the back and turned away, heading down the corridor. 'Keep up the good work, Schlatt. You've got a future in this. See you tomorrow.'.

And as he always was eventually, he was alone again. That night, Schlatt lay his bag down by the wall, collapsed onto his bed and took a deep breath, listening into the endless sounds of the apartments all around him. Despite all the noise, he still easily drifted away. There was a sense of familiarity in the way this apartment felt, making him more comfortable than anything.

Maybe this new change of pace wouldn't be so bad?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for no chapter yesterday, ive been dealing with a really bad cold for the past week so im gonna take it easy for a couple of days
> 
> anyway uh...  
> WELCOME HOME, THESEUS!!!


	92. The Truth (Part 9)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In search of ways to impress their boss, Connor and Schlatt head out into the field. Charlie gets help from an unusual pair. Ted feels the need for an intervention.

'Excuse me!'.

God, he hated crowds. Now it made sense why Techno used to avoid them like the plague. Talking everywhere, shouting over him. Normally, he'd stick to the back or climb up somewhere if he wanted to see what was going on. But with the task at hand, he was forced to push himself to the front and try to get the attention of the people on the stage up above.

'One question, please?'.

But you know what? He was getting sick of this. Fed up, even. How was he supposed to ask a question when those people up on stage wouldn't even look his way? He rolled up his sleeves and pushed past another person, but with how much taller than him everyone there was, he had no way of getting past. He sighed, rolled his eyes and gave it one last try.

'Hey assholes! Over here!'.

The six pricks didn't even flinch.

'This is useless.', Schlatt muttered as he forced himself away from the crowd, joining Connor at a large distance from everything. The older was leaning against a wall and aimlessly playing around with a notepad in his hand, folding the pages into various shapes out of sheer boredom.  
'Why are we here, then? Some of our guys are asking questions up front already. Let's just go back to the office and-', Connor tried to say, but found himself cut off instantly;  
'Because Poki won't listen to me unless I give her something worth her time... I don't care if I'm too young to be a reporter, if I give her a good story she's gonna have to give me the job, right?', Schlatt turned his head, eyes focused on his friend. 'Right, Connor?'.

'Why are you so set on being a reporter?', his friend asked, watching the crowd only grow bigger in the distance. The Lunch Club making any kind of appearance these days was a show everyone wanted to see – They had been making some bold changes since they took power earlier that year.  
'I'd rather do actual work than serve coffee if I'm gonna be paid like any other worker.', Schlatt stated, although it was clear he was hiding something else. Connor knew better than to ask – They may have had gotten closer over their past month or two of work together, but it was hard to get the younger to open up about how he ended up in his unusual arrangement with Pokimane.

Connor himself didn't get paid nearly as much, and definitely didn't get granted an apartment, get handed constant free food and clothes, and about a million other things. He had also seen VoiceoverPete and Technoblade snooping around. He knew it all had to tie back to that infamous incident of Ph1lza being caught making and trading potions – Schlatt lived with that family, after all. But, in the end, he respected his friend's privacy – With the eyes of the city on that incident, he figured one person being blind to the truth would make things easier for him.

'We need a good story from somewhere, anyhow. I guess aiming straight for the Lunch Club wasn't a good idea. How about we check around-'.

Before Schlatt could finish his sentence, an unexpected sound nearby cut him off.

Right next to the wall where the two found themselves standing around, in a darkened alleyway, they could swear that for a single moment they heard the sound... Retching? Heavy breathing, coughing, spitting... Someone in there was having a rough day. Connor and Schlatt both turned the corner and watched a figure in the darkness in silence. A stranger was stumbling about, holding onto the wall and wiping their mouth with their sleeve. Finally, they took a deep breath, looked up, and their eyes widened as they realized they were being watched.

'Uh... Hi there. Don't mind me. Just throwing up in a dark alleyway. Nothing to be worried about...', the stranger said. He was a rather short man with glasses and- Oh. Oh, well this was strange. His hair – A light green colour, resembling slime in texture, was falling over his face, and a Lunch Club badge was displayed on his shirt. Schlatt and Connor looked between each other.  
'Slimecicle?', Connor suddenly asked, gasping. 'Slimecicle from the Lunch Club?'.  
'Just... Charlie is fine, actually.', the man corrected the other, watching as the two approached him. He became distressed the moment he noticed the other two's badges and notepads, as well as the pens they were holding. 'Oh god, are you two reporters? Listen, I'm not supposed to be-'.

'It's fine.', Connor said before Schlatt could speak up, glancing back at his friend with an intense glare that got across his message quite well. 'We're just interns. Nothing to worry about.'.  
'Thought you looked a bit young to be tied up in Poki's little information net.', Charlie admitted, moving some of his hair aside. Some of the slime stuck to his hand, making him sigh as he cleaned it into his shirt, leaving a green stain. Come to think of it, there were quite a lot of those all over his clothes. 'So what's the deal with you two? Why are you standing around here?'.  
'Why are we here?', Schlatt laughed. 'You're supposed to be up on the stage! Why are you out here, uh...', the boy didn't finish the sentence, but Charlie seemed to get the message.

'Right, right. Sorry. Guess I'm the one who owes explanations. Just... Don't tell anyone, will you?', the man looked aside. 'Not that it's that interesting anyway. I got sick so I had to sneak away. And... Here I am...', Charlie looked down at a green pile of slime on the floor. 'You know, when the Captain said being a Slime Hybrid wouldn't be too bad he definitely failed to mention constantly throwing up slime... This is getting out of hand...'.  
'The Captain?', Schlatt repeated with only one thought - Wilbur worked with the Captain.  
'Yeah. You know, he uh... Since he knows so much about the Nether, he's kind of become a doctor for Hybrids and Anomalies. I'm guessing you guys aren't either?'. Connor shook his head. He had been tested and proven to be a rather tolerant Ancestor. Schlatt, on the other hand...

'Never been through the Portal.', he said with a shrug. 'Wouldn't know.'.  
'Well let me tell you, it's not all it's made out to-', before Charlie could finish his sentence, he was soon bent over by the wall again, coughing and retching. Schlatt and Connor looked away – It was far from a pretty sight, watching all that slime drip down the wall.  
'...Are you... Okay?', the older of the two inched closer, placing his hand on the man's shoulder.  
'Been worse.', the man wiped his mouth again. 'The Captain is working on something for me, I think. It's gonna make this easier to deal with. That apprentice of his knows how to put good medicine together.'. Schlatt flinched. Connor noticed. Slowly but surely, he was piecing it together. 'But god, some potions would make this a lot quicker..'.

'...You're in the Lunch Club. Can't you make medical potions legal?', Schlatt suggested.  
'Ha. If Ted agrees, that is.', Charlie stated with a laugh. 'And it's rare for him to listen to me.'.  
'Isn't the whole point of the Lunch Club to have six different people contributing equally?'.  
'That's what it's supposed to be.', the man said with a sigh. 'But Ted has other ideas, I suppose.'.

Before Charlie could carry on, he was distracted by some noise nearby. The crowd outside had begun dispersing, with the Lunch Club finally stepping down from the stage and heading away. A lot of people begun passing the alleyway the three were hidden inside, the man instantly hiding away behind a small pile of crates. Connor and Schlatt gave each other that glance of theirs – The glance that made them understand that they were about to come up with some sort of scheme. It was a glance people around the Live Daily offices were afraid of and a glance Poki was often witness to in her office - It was a simple glance that meant one thing;

Trouble.

'Shit... Shit, how do I get out of here now?', Charlie peeked over the pile, jumping down the moment a person passing by got too close. 'If I get cornered by reporters Ted will kill me...'.  
'...We could help out...', Schlatt mused with an unusual tone of voice. 'Help you disappear from here. Drop you off somewhere safer. Would that help out?'.  
'That'd be great!', Charlie shot up. 'Why are you looking at me like that...?'.  
'We don't do anything for free, bud.', Connor carried on, placing his hand on the other's shoulder. 'How about... We get you out... And you give us something juicy to put on Pokimane's desk?'.  
'Something about the Lunch Club, preferably.', Schlatt interjected. 'It can be anonymous, but it's gotta be good. Like, some never seen before shit. Do we have a deal?'.

Charlie's eyes moved between the crowd nearby and Schlatt's outstretched hand. He knew he didn't have any other way out of it – Better to put Ted on edge about a possible rat in the Lunch Club than to guarantee him getting angry at him for sneaking away in the first place. He sighed and grabbed onto the teenager's hand, instantly regretting his choice as the two's eyes filled with mischief.

'Slap this on and stay close!', Connor exclaimed, removing his jacket and passing it to the other. Charlie slipped it on, putting the hood over his head and covering his face with Schlatt's “tie” - Something he soon learned to be a cut up, folded piece of red cloth.  
'Tell us something good on the way. Now come on, let's get going.', the fifteen year old said with a grin, grabbing Charlie's hand and pulling him along. Before he did, however, he pushed him to the side and grabbed onto the badge on his chest, ripping it off. He slipped it in his pocket and forced a smile; 'Just for the time being. To make sure you don't run off before you can tell us something good. I'm guessing Ted wouldn't take too kindly to you losing your badge?'.

Charlie gulped. God, this kid caught on quick.

As the man was lead through the crowd, carefully being slipped into alleyways he didn't even know the existence of and was carefully pushed out of the way of reporters, he begun hesitantly telling the two a story he thought they'd consider “juicy”, as one of the two had put it. He shuddered as he watched the younger of the two write everything he said down in a notepad of his – God, he was so dead once Ted caught wind of this...

Eventually, Charlie found himself at the edges of one of the richer districts of the city, leaving him in an area where he was seen often and getting recognized wouldn't be much trouble. He took off the jacket from Connor and passed it back to him, handing Schlatt his “tie” back as well. He was about to head off, but caught himself before he did. He turned back to the two and reached out with his hand, watching Schlatt nervously play around with something in his hand. He cleared his throat, and upon getting nothing, he spoke up;

'I gave you a story and I'm fine on my own from here on. So, can I have my badge back?', Charlie asked, clearly getting slightly annoyed with the lack of response from Schlatt.  
'Right...', the teen said, looking down at the badge in his hand. He traced the design of it with the edge of his thumb, reading the inscription. How powerful something so small and simple made you around this city – Something that carried no value on its own, but once placed on someone's shirt...  
'Thank you for your cooperation.', Connor suddenly said, snatching the badge from Schlatt's hand and handing it to Charlie. 'Lovely doing deals with you.'.

'That article better be anonymous.', the man warned the two, putting his badge back on.  
'As per the agreement.', Schlatt confirmed, trying to gather himself. He slipped his tie back on, wondering about what it was that had entranced him about the badge so much.  
'Right. Thanks for getting me out of there.', Charlie waved and turned away. The moment he was out of sight, Schlatt and Connor turned to each other. The younger looked down at his notepad

'Think Poki will give you your job for this?', Connor asked. Schlatt's eyes glimmered.  
'You kidding?', he read over his notes with a grin. 'This is exactly what we needed!'.

For a moment, he looked up towards some distant offices.

'Ted Nivison won't even know what hit him.'.

\---

It wasn't often the office got quiet, which was why it was so concerning. It had been a good two days since Schlatt presented the article to Pokimane, and she jumped on it instantly. Everyone loved Lunch Club gossip above everything – So with a title like 'The REAL Ted Nivison' there was no way she would pass it up. It did, however, also mean, that there were a lot more eyes on the paper now than ever before, and there was barely ever a moment of quiet around the office. Connor and Schlatt peeked out, hearing the talking turn to worried whispers.

_Oh shit._

There were two men walking across the room and heading straight for Poki's office – One was dressed in some of the best armour Schlatt had ever seen, clearly a warrior by trade. The other wore all white, a clean shirt and jeans alike, together with slicked back black hair and round glasses. That badge only confirmed his suspicions – There was no doubt about it. The man that had just entered his boss's office, leaving his guard standing outside was none other than the very man Schlatt had written a lot of... Unsavoury things about on the front page of that day's paper.

A few minutes of silence passed, multiple workers trying to hear the conversation behind the closed doors but being forced away by the man's bodyguard. He was someone Schlatt recognized – Someone he had seen around with Techno and Pete before he stepped down, but could not remember the name of. Eventually, the doors opened, causing complete silence in the room. Pokimane peeked out, looked around, and focused her eyes on... Uh oh.

'Schlatt?'. _Shit fuck shit I am so fucked holy shit I'm dead_. 'Could you come here for a moment?'.  
'Right. Yeah.', he looked back at Connor at first, receiving nothing more than a blank look. He slowly walked across the office, feeling the eyes of everyone burning into him. He met eyes with the bodyguard before he followed his boss inside – There was something... Unnatural, in them.

With a deep breath he stepped inside, hearing the doors shutting behind him.

'...Not only is Ted Nivison cold and apathetic when it comes to average citizens, he seems to bear the same attitude towards his co-workers – Five men he'd go as far as to calling his “friends” in the public eye. But what does this man have to hide behind closed doors?'.

A voice was reading aloud an article quite familiar to Schlatt – An article he, himself, with some help from Connor, had written the day prior. He watched as Poki made her way across the room and sat down behind her desk, meanwhile he was invited to one of the two chairs in front of her. Schlatt turned his head, finding the infamous leader of the Lunch Club leaning back in the chair next to him and reading from that day's paper with a neutral expression. The boy shifted in his seat and cleared his throat while Ted carried on with his reading.

'A man of business, raised in one of the most elite families in the city he is someone who has clearly never gotten a taste of what it feels like to be powerless – To have nothing. Whether or not the rest of the Lunch Club deserves its seat of power is a matter of discussion – But Ted Nivison's blatant disregard for what is and what is not a priority in the city as well as his ignorance towards the opinions of his fellow leaders makes him someone who shouldn't have a say in SMPLive's rule.'.

Schlatt tugged at the edge of his shirt, avoiding the gazes of his boss and the man alike. Finally, Ted stopped completely and looked aside, placing the newspaper down on Poki's desk. He cleared his throat, fixed up his glasses and looked aside.

'Some pretty nice wording there. How old are you?', he spoke with that tone of voice that was supposed to sound kind on the surface, but clearly hid something more menacing underneath.  
'Fifteen.', Schlatt responded, trying to keep his voice steady. The last thing he wanted to do in front of a man like Ted was stammer or hesitate. 'I'm fifteen.'.  
'Right. And already pulling stunts like this?', Ted pointed to the paper, his name and face plastered all over the front page. 'Not to mention all of that stuff you were tied up with two months back.'.

Schlatt didn't respond.

'I assume my request will be fulfilled?', Ted turned to Pokimane, who nodded.  
'Yes sir.', she turned to him for a moment, narrowing her eyes. It was clear she did not want to do whatever it was that she was about to say; 'Schlatt won't write or publish another article as promised, just...', the woman sighed, looking at Ted. 'Please, don't take this place away from me.'.  
'I'll think about it.', Ted stood up, and as he passed Schlatt, he placed his hand on his shoulder.

'2-0 to me, Jschlatt.', he muttered into his ear. 'Do you really wanna keep playing this game?'.

And so the man was gone, leaving the teenager and his boss in silence.

'You're gonna have to stay in the office for a while. I'm sorry. I can't risk pissing him off.', Poki looked at the door with spite. 'Say what you will about the old Lunch Club, at least they allowed public criticism. This is a disaster...', as the woman sighed to herself and carried on speaking about something else, Schlatt looked down at the newspaper on the desk.

Once again, he had made a mistake. And once again, he had lost his shot at something new.

And once again, Ted Nivison was right at the centre of it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> more villain ted oh boye  
> hes very cool to write
> 
> also more charlie because i know people like him :)


	93. The Truth (Part 10)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur feels trapped in the city and seeks an escape granted by a stranger with similar problems. Five years pass in the wilderness and bring about disaster.

The first year he spent in a cold village up North. He was always fond of the cold.

\---

Working with the Captain had definitely given Wilbur insight into a side of the Nether he had never considered before. The Hub itself he saw practically every day now, becoming familiar with it. The large portal at the centre, the many pathways leading to different outposts of the city, and the various advertisements posted on every wall, seeing as the area was the most visited in SMPLive and a prime spot to promote anything. But what was beyond the walls and only accessible to a select few? Now that was the part of the realm Wilbur got to get a look into.

The stone looked, felt and smelt as if it were infused with blood, although the Captain assured him of the contrary. It was red, unusually soft and squishy and difficult to traverse. The whole place was more hot than anywhere Wilbur had ever been before, the boy often leaving the place coated in sweat and sometimes even forced to treat himself for a few burns. There was also the lava pools and waterfalls – Something straight out of a horror novel.

And yet still... Wilbur enjoyed it.

'I've never seen anything quite like this...', he whispered under his breath as he looked carefully at a small piece of red brick, stuck into the wall. He turned it in his hands, touching its edges. 'It looks like it was made here... Does anything actually live in the Nether?'.  
'Many things. We've ran into a few.', the Captain, who was looking at some inscriptions on a wall nearby, responded. 'They're Hybrids who stayed too long and turned into full on bipedal animals. They inhabit large fortresses and bastions. We try to stay out of their way. We're visitors, after all.'.

'Could we communicate with them?', Wilbur asked his mentor as he turned away.  
'We've tried. They're too far gone.', the Captain explained and crossed his arms. 'Which is why we have to take as many percussions as we do. We don't want anyone we care about to turn into them.'.  
'...And if Ancestors stay in here too long, they'll have kids that look like that, right?'.  
'Exactly. Which is why we can't spend too long in here either. Come on. I need to work on some medicine for Charlie, and I'd love for you to help me out. Let's head back.'.

For a moment, Wilbur looked into a nearby lava sea, something tugging at the back of his mind.

'Wilbur? Are you coming or not?'.  
'Yes, yes! Sorry! I'm coming!'.

\---

The second year he spent exploring old ruins in a jungle he stumbled upon. They were fascinating.

\---

'And you're done! Usual price, please.'.  
'Thanks, Captain. You're a great guy for doing this.'.  
'Just my job, Grizz. See you next week.'.

Wilbur watched as another satisfied patient left the building, waving the two goodbye with a hand covered with the brown fur of a bear. The teen, as he often did, begun cleaning up the area, moving aside some tools and wiping them with a cloth. His mentor, on the other hand, begun taking down notes in a small journal. He looked up at his calendar and started looking over the notes there. He noticed something in particular that worried him – But he decided to stay silent. Maybe, just maybe, he could manage to figure something out here.

'Who's up next? Or are we done for the day?', the younger called from another room, the sound of rushing water present alongside his voice. The Captain looked back at him.  
'Right... That's the thing...', his voice trailed off as the next patient entered. He didn't say another word, giving Wilbur time to walk back into the room. He flinched, eyes wide and set on the visitor.  
'Oh...', he mumbled, putting aside some of the tools he was carrying. He reached nearby for his bag, already getting ready to leave, as he often did around this time.

'Hi, Techno.'.

The boy's older brother looked aside.

'Hello, Wilbur.'.

'I'm gonna go. I've got some ingredients to pick up from Condi.', he claimed, although the Captain knew he was lying. It was an easy way to get out of facing his brother, though, so he let it slide. He had been handling his patients alone for a long while – Dealing with one without his protege wouldn't change much. 'See you around, Captain.'.  
'Wilbur-', Techno tried to stop the other, but barely even had time to grab onto him as he passed.  
'I'll be back in an hour!', Wilbur exclaimed, already out the door and outside. The room filled with silence the moment he left, followed by an exasperated sigh from the Captain. He looked up at Techno, who didn't seem to have much to say on the matter. It had been exactly like this for a good three months now – They shouldn't have had been surprised.

Even so, that didn't change the fact he wished things were a little different.

\---

The third year he settled down in some rather dangerous woods. Every day was thrilling.

\---

Wilbur walked. He walked out of the business district, through his housing district, and into the main plaza. From there he took a couple of turns, through the secondary housing district, into the secondary business district and finally stopped at a small distance away from an office. An office he found himself visiting quite often – An office with a large sign right above the doorway, signifying to everyone exactly what it was.

Live Daily Offices

He wasn't sure why he was here. It were as if something subconsciously put aside any kind of problems he had, any kind of rage, any kind of grief, and tried to push him into something he cared about far more than useless grudges. This wasn't the first time he had stood here – And just like every other time, he would slowly inch closer and closer, and get pushed back by something. And every time it was the same thing.

Seeing how happy he was without them.

Schlatt didn't have a single problem working here. Sure, his article a month back caused controversy, but even with that, he could still see him through those windows. Joking around, laughing, spending time with all those people he worked with. He didn't seem to have a single ounce of worry in him over everything that had happened – Maybe he was better off like this? Schlatt was so independent, so good at working for himself, and the moment he was pulled into their family he was stripped of all that. Maybe he preferred to be alone?

Maybe he was better off without them? Maybe he was better off with his new friend? Maybe nothing would have gone wrong if Wilbur didn't butt into this boy's life all those years ago? Maybe Wilbur was better off just leaving this city forever like he had been planning to for years? He had the portal, he had good tolerance, he could make it all the way to the furthers outposts and never live to see the consequences. But something was keeping him chained to this city.

Something in the back of his mind told him he had far more to do here. But what?

Wilbur would often find himself wandering to the very edge of the city, usually stopping in the first large open field he stumbled upon. With how SMPLive had been expanding, those were becoming harder and harder to come across. He'd usually end up sitting down in one of those very fields, taking a deep breath, and trying his best to put his thoughts together. And that very day he ended up in the same situation – Aimlessly watching the grass and flowers flow in the wind.

'Not a lot of people come out all the way out here.'.

'Oh.', Wilbur turned around, finding another man around his age sitting next to him. He had black hair, and wore a blue uniform he had never really seen before. '...Sorry. I didn't see you there.'.  
'That's alright. It's always lonely here. Nice having some company.', the man looked at Wilbur for a moment, and then chuckled. 'Hey, you're the Captain's apprentice, right?'.  
'Yeah. Wilbur Soot.', he reached forward with his hand. The other shook it.  
'Thought so. So... What's Wilbur Soot doing in the outskirts of the city?'.

'I used to live here.', he responded, shrugging. He felt a familiar loneliness tugging at his heart. 'My house was one of those demolished for expansion. All that's left is a pile of rubble somewhere. I don't even know where they took the materials.'.  
'Tough.', the other responded, tilting his head. 'I actually just moved here, you know? I lived on an island before then. Still do, technically. I have a house there. I'm only here a couple of months for work. The Nether Portal has made that a lot easier, actually. Have you ever been out of the city?'.  
'Not once.', Wilbur responded. 'The Captain prefers not to take me when he leaves to the outposts for jobs. Someone has to watch the office, I guess. But I wish I could go.'.

'Then just go.', Wilbur's newfound friend said with a shrug, as if it were obvious. 'It's only a few hours to where I live. You could stay there for a weekend, get away. It's a known resort.'.  
'If it's so known, then what's the name?', Wilbur asked the question with a chuckle.  
'Not too creative. We just call it BeefStew's Island. That's the guy who owns it.', the man shrugged. 'I used to work there. Now I just own a house there I come back to when I'm in need of a break.'.

'A break...', Wilbur thought for a moment, looking into the flowers in front of him. 'Huh.'.  
'Think 'bout it, Wilbur. I'll leave you to sit in peace.', the man said as he stood up.  
'Wait, hold on.', the seventeen year old looked back as the other patted him on the back.  
'What's up?', the stranger responded, stuffing his hands in his pockets.  
'What's your name?', the boy bit his lip, recalling Schlatt's words. 'Or... Title. If you prefer.'.  
'Daniel.', the stranger informed him as he turned away. 'But you can call me RT, if that's easier.'.

And so he left, leaving the boy with a lot to think about.

And even with RT gone, Wilbur carried on looking into the flowers. An escape to a distant island... Didn't that sound ideal? But would he be willing to abandon the Captain, his job, his newly found home, his brother, his partner in crime and his father who would return eventually? If he were to leave for a couple of years and get back, who knew what the situation would be like? With how unstable SMPLive was these days, having a stable life was a blessing. Would he throw it all away?

Wilbur was unsure. But there was a part of him that knew he really, really needed an escape.

\---

The fourth year he stopped at another large city. Life there was unlike what he was used to.

\---

It was two years later when Wilbur Soot finally made his choice.

He told the Captain he wanted something new. He told Techno he wanted to get away. He hadn't found the courage to face Schlatt – He'd call him a coward, if he knew. He felt tired. Frustrated. He didn't know what it was, but being here, in this city, living every moment like that made him feel more trapped than anything. There was something out there, something better calling out to him. He just had to get away – He had to go somewhere where he'd finally feel like he was free. He was nineteen now – He had to start making his own life.

But why was it so hard to move forward?

Finally here, standing in front of the Nether Portal, holding onto a bag of items and only inches away from running away from it all he still felt like something was holding onto him. Something was still keeping him in this city no matter how much he despised it and wanted to get away. Why? Why couldn't he just step forward and let go? Why couldn't he finally free himself and get away from all of this? This pain in his chest came from being here, did it not? That want for change?

Or was it something else? Was there a source of feeling happy again in this city?

If it was, where was it? And why was it so hard to find?

The portal glimmered with that purple glow, just as it always did. The frame stood tall and strong, its edges covered in a lilac-shaded dust signifying it had been open for a long, long time now. The usual warm air coming from the inside was hitting him in small waves, as if he were standing at sea and the water slowly but surely was pulling him closer and closer in. He had been in there many times, even the day previous with the Captain, so why did stepping through feel so monumental?

No, no. It wasn't a question. He knew. He knew the answer. He was afraid to step through, because deep inside, he understood that if he did step through he wouldn't be able to turn back. Whatever was calling out to him, whatever was making him long to free himself would keep him away from SMPLive until the day he died. And was he able to make a commitment of that magnitude?

Wilbur took one more step forward, feeling the warmth of the other side on his skin.

He'd be alone. That was the one part that was holding him back, wasn't it? What was the point of escaping when he'd be as alone as he was here, and feel just as trapped? What was the point of an escape into an identical situation? This city made him feel like he couldn't breathe every day, every step he took on those dirty streets felt painful. But even if he were to get away, even if he were to drop everything and make something new he'd be alone. Without his family. Without his partner in crime. Without anyone. That wasn't right.

Hesitantly, Wilbur Soot took a step back.

\---

The fifth year was the most daring, and the one when he found his adventures cut short.

He had been adventuring long enough now, and he was searching for something more daring. Eventually, he found himself alone in a cave, looking through an old ruin. He had became fascinated with ancient civilisations and had learned how to decipher old inscriptions in the ruins. He became distracted – And it was here that he made a fatal mistake.

First there was a spider, biting his arm and injecting him with poison.

Then a zombie smaller and faster than any he had ever seen before, forcing him to run.

And only minutes later he was trapped, forced into a corner by his enemies.

Perhaps he shouldn't have had been there in the first place. Perhaps he should have had something more to defend himself with. Perhaps he should have had thought ahead. Perhaps he should have had stopped Schlatt and Wilbur from their plan before it got out of hand. Perhaps he shouldn't have had trusted in his dreams as much as he did. Perhaps he shouldn't have had met her all those years ago. Perhaps he shouldn't have had followed her for as long as he did.

Or perhaps he was overthinking it. Perhaps this was what fate had in store for him.

He groaned in pain. The poison was spreading. He had nowhere to run. Five years, just to die to something as small as that zombie outside. Well, technically, the spider would claim this kill. The poison was quite effective. Still, he was calm. He was relaxed.

Perhaps he wasn't that bothered.

Five years.

Perhaps he had achieved a lot.

Five years.

Perhaps he was satisfied.

Five years.

Ph1lza closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ph1LzA was slain by Spider
> 
> uh oh
> 
> anyway i started binging hermitcraft while writing this  
> i love grumbot would die for him  
> scar is up to something  
> iskall reprogramming children and causing their dads distress since 1998
> 
> someone hold me down before i write the hermits into this au  
> well technically they DO exist in another city  
> so i might write a spin-off about them  
> i actually have a really good idea for it  
> i mentioned it on my discord server and might post teasers for it so... join :o
> 
> hope you enjoyed the chapter! still sick and taking it slow, but getting better!


	94. The Truth (Part 11)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas comes around, bringing mixed feelings. Alone in the Live Daily Offices, Schlatt is visited by a familiar face. Wilbur decides to say his goodbyes before departing.

Schlatt felt the most lonely when it got cold.

He wasn't sure how things blended together so quickly after Ted had made his infamous order – By setting an example with Schlatt, he had scared any reporter away from ever criticizing him or his methods ever again. He had also forced the teenager to remain only as an office worker for the paper, never hoping to become a reporter – And he had remained that way for two years now. His seventeenth birthday had passed and gone only three months ago, and it had been a gruelling three, at that. From here on, everything became a countdown until his eighteenth.

Then, finally, he'd take the test, jump in the Portal and get the fuck away from this shithole.

'Schlatt? Are you coming or not?', he heard from somewhere above him sometime that evening. He looked up, finding the office completely empty. It was often that he'd find himself like this, too lost in his work to realize the day had long ended. His work was all he had these days – So he easily lost himself in whatever it was he had to do.  
'Oh.', he looked around, finding no one but Pokimane. She was standing at the door, holding onto her bag and getting ready to leave. Every light but the small lamp by his desk had been turned off – Colourful lights and street-lights were filling the place with a mixed, rainbow glow, and he could see snow falling outside. December was always a pleasant month, he thought.

'It's still early, isn't it?', the teenager asked, rubbing his eyes. How long had he been there?  
'It's a half day. Since, you know. It's Christmas?', the woman looked around leaning on the door. 'People are going home to be with family. Or friends. Or just to celebrate alone.'.  
'I don't... Celebrate Christmas.', Schlatt quickly came up with an excuse, shrugging. Poki laughed.  
'Most of us don't.', she reminded him. 'It's a day off, Schlatt. That's what I'm trying to say. You can go home and take some time for yourself. Would you be able to do that?'.

Right, Christmas. What a lovely time. A time that reminded Schlatt of what he had done two years ago, and why exactly he had no one to spend it with. The year previous he managed to tag along with Connor's family, but this year for the holidays they decided to go somewhere away from the city and travelled through the Portal, something Schlatt himself of course couldn't do. He looked up at Pokimane, unable to bring himself to admit he'd rather sit here and distract himself with work than sit alone in his apartment. After receiving no response, the woman sighed.

'Fine. Make sure to lock up properly.', she threw her keys forward, the other catching them with his hand. She gave him a quick smile and finally turned away, stepping out into the snowy street.  
'Thanks.', Schlatt muttered to himself, getting back to work. He still had a lot of articles to get through, and Poki hadn't lied when she said people around here couldn't understand proper grammar.

There was a good few inches of snow covering the streets outside, ice spreading over the windows like some sort of infection. More snow was falling down from the grey clouds above, accompanied by chilling gusts of wind. God, he hated weather like this. It was moments like these when he wished he still wore that old blue sweater Phil had given him, but these days he kept it folded up under his bed and barely ever as much as looked at it. The streets were lined with decorations and Christmas lights of various shades, making the them fill with colour.

As he shivered, he quickly rolled down his sleeves and rubbed his hands together. As cold as it was, at least the office had heating. Couldn't say as much about his shitty apartment. He continued writing down notes on the page in front of him, crossing out sentences and rewriting them, replacing letters, completely moving sections and... Okay, the office was cold, but this was unnatural. It should have been a little warmer. Schlatt looked up, finding the source of the unusual temperature.

The doors were open, and in the doorway stood none other than Wilbur Soot.

'Hey.', he muttered upon being spotted, pulling his sleeves down. 'Can I... Come in?'.  
'If you stop letting the cold in.', Schlatt pointed to a chair in front of him. 'Go on.'.

Wilbur took a few steps forward, the doors shutting behind him. He removed his hood and took off his jacket, hanging it on the back of the chair Schlatt pointed to. Next to it, he set down a large duffel bag filled with clothes, items and food. Was he heading somewhere? He wouldn't be surprised. He was lucky enough to be able to leave the city whenever he wished. Had he come to say goodbye? Surprising, seeing as he had been avoiding him for two years. The man was now sitting across from him, most of his clothes wet from the snow, shivering from the temperature outside. He cleared his throat, sniffled, and tapped his foot.

'Did you come here to sit and stare at me or are we gonna talk?', Schlatt asked, not looking up from his work for a single moment. The older took a deep breath and reached into his bag.  
'I got you a gift. It's... Not much, but...', the man said as he put forward a small photograph, neatly put into a wooden frame. 'I noticed you didn't take anything from the house. This is the last family picture we had left after me and Techno took the others. Do you... Want it?'.  
'Family picture?', Schlatt reached forward, grabbing onto the photograph. 'Why would I want a picture of your...', before he could carry on, he noticed. The photograph wasn't just of Wilbur, Techno and Phil – It was one of them and him, too. He looked at it, for a single moment feeling his mind flashback to that broken down old house in the outskirts of SMPLive.

_Family, huh?_

'I don't have anything for you.', Schlatt muttered, grabbing the picture and placing it in his bag. He wasn't sure yet what he would do with it – It all depended on how this encounter went.  
'Didn't expect you to. This was sort of last minute, anyway.', Wilbur paused, looking down at his bag. 'I'm actually... Supposed to be leaving today. To an island away from the city.'.  
'You're moving?', the other asked sounding... Betrayed? Jealous? It felt like a mix of the two. Why did Wilbur get to get away? Why was he lucky enough to be able to run now? Did he come here to rub it in his face? Was that the only reason he was there?  
'Not forever. Just... Need a break. But I was standing by the portal, and... I thought it'd be good to properly say goodbye, I guess. So... Here I am.', Wilbur shifted in his seat. 'Are you busy-'.

'So that's it, then?'.  
'Huh?'.  
'Two years of silence and just one visit before you leave forever?'.  
'It's not forever-'.  
'Don't bullshit me. Why would anyone come back to this place after getting away?'.  
'I... I'm sorry.'.  
'Are you still angry at me?'.

'What?', Wilbur asked, looking up. 'Oh... That... I...', he looked down, nervously clearing his throat. 'I... I was never mad at you, you know. Well, maybe a little. For a week or so. But that faded. I... I just wanted things to be back to normal. But I also didn't want to get in your way again.'. For a moment, he paused, gripping his knees with his hands. 'Our family hurt you so much already, I-'.  
'Are you fucking kidding me?', Schlatt snapped instantly. 'You've been staying away from me for that long and you weren't even mad? Why didn't you visit, or-'.  
'Because I'm a coward. And an idiot. And... That's why I'm running away. Because I can't face anything in my life. And I'm sorry for that.'. Upon getting no response, Wilbur continued; 'But can we at least spend my last day here together? It won't make up for the two years, but-'.

'Yeah.', the younger interrupted, rather casually. 'Let's do it. Celebrate your last day in hell.'.  
'R-really?', Wilbur sat up, smiling. 'Right! Right, yeah, okay. How about you show me your place?'.

And so, for the first time in two years, Schlatt left the office early and his work unfinished.

\---

'Here we are. Welcome home.'.  
'It's... Uh... Cosy?'.  
'You can just say it looks like a crack den.'.  
'That's not what I was thinking at all!'.  
'Right... Sure.'.

As Schlatt entered his apartment he quickly kicked aside a pile of clothes, put away a pile of papers and finally turned on the lights, revealing the room to be far smaller than Wilbur expected it to be. There was a kitchen, lazily built into a nearby wall with about two windows showing the city below, a door wide open and leading to a bedroom, and another door leading to a bathroom. There was a table in the corner of the room with about three chairs around it, but it was clear Schlatt only used one, seeing as the other two were covered in piles of clothes and bags stuffed with items.

But just as Schlatt said, it definitely did not look like the nice apartments Wilbur was used to.

Most of the wallpaper was stained or torn down, but Schlatt didn't seem like the type to mind it much, anyway. The floorboards were creaky and the only small carpet present in the room was dirty and practically getting torn apart by the second. From every apartment all around, heard through the extremely thin walls, there was a mix of arguing, chatter and music, all practically impossible to ignore. Wilbur played around with his clothes uncomfortably, stuffed his hands in his pockets and stepped forward, finally deciding to awkwardly shift into one of the three chairs in the corner.

'...So... What's it like working at Live Daily?', he spoke up, trying his best to ease the tension in the room. Schlatt was looking for something in the kitchen, rummaging through all the shelves and cursing under his breath any time he failed to find whatever it was he was looking for.  
'Shit. Especially since Ted got involved.', came a swift response, filled with unusual amounts of venom. When had his partner in crime gotten so bitter?  
'I heard about that. He tried to get rid of criticism and ended up making more... A little counter- productive of him, if you ask me.', Wilbur spoke under his breath, but could tell he wasn't really being listened to. 'I work with the Captain now now. Well, used to, I suppose. We researched the Nether a lot. It's a real mess on the other side of that Portal. Fire, lava, weird, bloody rocks, animal people... It's pretty much hell. You're not missing out on much-'.

'Not helping your case here, loverboy.'.  
'You still remember that stupid nickname?'.  
'It sticks, I guess. So, what more about the thing you can do that I can't?'.  
'I... I didn't mean it to come out like that...'.

Wilbur cleared his throat again. God, he was so uncomfortable. This was the worst possible-

'Hey!', Wilbur suddenly leaned forward, picking up something familiar from the floor. Four music discs, all with different colours in their centre and their titles printed on the side. Schlatt turned back, giving up on his search and joining his old friend at the table. 'You still have these?'.  
'No reason to throw them out.', he admitted with a shrug, grabbing the four discs from Wilbur's hands. 'They're the only thing I own that's actually mine and not a pity hand-out.'.  
'...Right.', the man looked down again, grabbing onto his knees. There had to be something, something he could hold onto to try and make conversation here, something that could give him a reason to stay and stop pushing him away-

'We could listen to them. The guy who used to live here left behind a jukebox.'.

'O-oh.', Wilbur glanced up with a smile. 'Yeah. That sounds like a good idea.'.  
'Right then. Let's go.', Schlatt suddenly slipped his coat on, picking up the discs.  
'Go? Go where? I thought-', he tried to ask, watching as his friend turned the light in the home off.  
'Oh? Did I forget to mention?', the younger grinned. 'I may or may not have left the jukebox up on the rooftop. The view is way nicer from up there when you listen to the music.'.  
'Right. Sure. Let's go, then.'.

Wilbur followed. Out of the apartment, down the loud corridors, and into the staircase, this time heading further up. They passed a few more floors, people loitering around in-between all the extremely loud Christmas parties happening in the apartments, Schlatt seemingly knowing a few and giving them friendly waves. When they finally reached the rooftop, he forcefully pushed the steel doors open, clearly not ones meant to be opened by him, but too old and weak to hold him back. The two stepped onto the roof together, Wilbur gasping in awe.

The whole roof was coated in snow, some footprints left in it, signifying it was a popular spot for the inhabitants of the building to visit. The city was visible in its full glory – The taller buildings lighting up the sky with the warm glow from their windows, the streets below filled with rainbow lights changing colours as crowds rushed around in the streets. The city was alive that night more than any other – While Wilbur watched in awe, Schlatt moved aside a large cloth and revealed a jukebox below it, shifting it closer to the edge of the rooftop.

'Come on. Sit down.', he said with a nod, taking a seat at the ledge. 'The view is nicer from here.'.  
'How often do you come up here?', Wilbur came closer, wiping away some of the snow to make a seating for himself. His eyes focused on the surrounding views, taking everything in.  
'...Every night, pretty much.', Schlatt turned to the side, inserting one of the discs into the jukebox and hearing it play. 'It's a good way to end the day, I guess. Wind down or whatever.'.

He'd never admit how much sleep he lost wondering what had happened to Phil.

'So... Tell me more about the Nether.', Schlatt suddenly spoke up, wrapping his jacket more tightly around himself. Wilbur looked to the side. Although he was confused, he cleared his throat and still spoke up. He didn't want this conversation to end. He didn't want to go yet.  
'Well, we found something out a few weeks back. Apparently Anomalies aren't all there is. There is a second stage – The Captain started calling it a Source. If an Anomaly grows too powerful, it's gonna start changing the world around it instead of changing itself. It becomes a source for Nether energy in the Overworld. That's where the name comes from.'.  
'And do we know of any Sources?', Schlatt asked. He actually sounded... Interested?  
'Not yet.', Wilbur looked down at his hand, shaking his head. 'But it's a good thing.'.

The first disc came to an end, the second following.

'Sources could be dangerous. They could bring about disaster. It's best we don't tempt fate.'.  
'So an Anomaly eventually turns into a Source... And after that?'.  
'We don't know. But... There might be something. A third stage. But... I can't even imagine...'.

The second disc ended, the third playing soon after.

'...Is Techno still mad at us?'.  
'I'm pretty sure. He tried to talk to me, but...'.  
'But you walked away. Like you're doing right now.'.

The third disc finished up, the fourth opening with an unusual tune.

'...Are you mad I'm leaving?'.  
'I am.'.  
'Why? I thought you-'.  
'Shut up. You know that's not true.'.

The tune carried on. It felt a bit... Repetitive. Wilbur looked down at his hands. It was gone.

That endless pain in his chest, that complete helplessness, that solitude he could never make go away, it was finally gone. That single feeling that had been plaguing him ever since he first left home two years ago had finally eased. Just as he thought, the cure to this endless cycle of hatred, regret and suffering was in this city, sitting right under his nose and it was-

Schlatt was looping the last disc. He didn't want him to leave, either.

'...Do you have to go?'.  
'...No. But I already quit my job. I've got nowhere to stay.'.  
'...I've got a spare mattress.'.  
'...Right... Right...'.

Wilbur moved Schlatt's hand away from the jukebox, allowing the last disc to play out fully.

'I guess there's no rush. I can stay here a little longer.'.  
'Sounds like a plan. Maybe Techno will actually talk to us, too.'.

There was a moment of silence. Wilbur turned to the side.

'Partners in crime?', he asked, putting forward his pinkie as if he were a kid again.  
'Till the end of time.', Schlatt answered, responding the same way he did ten years prior.

And as a wave of calm washed over the older of the two, the wind seemed to slow down.

Maybe SMPLive wasn't so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> with christmas around the corner i HAD to do a christmas chapter, sue me  
> hope you enjoyed, and sorry about the slow updates recently. still have the cold but it's been easing and i'm feeling great! ^^  
> also....
> 
> me: *writes pokimane as a joke annoying reporter character*  
> also me: *gives her a personality, realistic motivations, makes her caring and important to schlatt's development as a character*  
> me: how do i always find myself in these situations


	95. The Truth (Part 12)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looking for new experiences, three friends start a company. While Connor tries to repair their bad reputation, Schlatt and Wilbur meet with an old enemy regarding his recent comments.

'I can't believe we actually fucking did this.'.  
'Phil would kill us if he could see this.'.  
'Don't worry. Techno can do that for him just fine.'.

If there was one thing a nineteen year old with an identity crisis, a seventeen year old with abandonment issues and an eighteen year old with barely any money to his name should have never done, starting a company was definitely it. Wilbur Soot, Jschlatt and ConnorEatsPants (yes, that was his full title, and no, he was not okay with it), however, did not care much for what was a good idea and what was not. What these three did care about though was making a profit and lowering their spending – And selling their apartments, buying an office and moving into it to lower any kind of rent costs as much as possible definitely seemed to cut it.

It wasn't a grand office by any means – But it did the trick. The bottom floor of a large apartment complex left for sale after the previous business, a herbalist store owned by one Condifiction, shut down unexpectedly. Wilbur got lucky by being friends with the guy – There were many in line to buy the office considering its good location and size, but Condi was more than happy to give it to someone he knew well rather than to hand it to some local corporate monolith. There was enough space for the three to have an office, a storage room and a small bedroom to share with an attached bathroom. They'd only use it at night, most likely, so the cramped space didn't bother them much. The rest of the day they could easily spend in the office instead.

But why did these three even need an office in the first place? Now, that was another conversation. With their jobs becoming rather dull, and in the case of Schlatt, practically punishments, the three agreed that the best way to make some money for themselves was to take full charge of their own work – And Schlatt, a paragon of good ideas, of course, decided staring their own company was the best way to go about it. Maybe they should have had come up with a business plan, or even a name for their company, but all they really had to start with was an office and a month count-down until their bills were due – No pressure. No pressure at all.

'We need something catchy.', was Connor's take on it, leaning back in his chair and going through some of the papers in his hand. The office consisted only of an old table, surrounded by three chairs, the three owners of the “company” gathered around and thinking through their plans. 'Something easy to put into a slogan. Like something that rhymes?'.  
'Well we don't even know what we're selling. We should just make ourselves sound like a professional business. Something really clean, and simple. Like a name or two. Throw in some word like “associates” or “company”...', Schlatt carried on with an idea.  
'Someone's name has gotta go on it.', Wilbur suggested. 'People need to know who's behind it. Gives the company a face. Makes it seem more human than it is. People trust it more.'.

'How about mine? How can we work with it?'.  
'Sorry but “Eat Pant Conar” isn't exactly marketable'.  
'That's not- You know what, I'm not even gonna start...'.  
'Wilbur? How does Soot sound on a company? Or how about Watson?'.  
'Soot won't work, and I changed Watson to Gold. Best not to be associated with Phil these days.'.  
'Right... So that leaves...'.

Schlatt was hit with realization.

'Oh.', he looked aside, crossing his arms. 'No, no that won't do.'.  
'Schlatt already has the sound of a hardened businessman. It'll sound great on a sign!', Wilbur cut in.  
'For once I agree with loverboy.', Connor admitted with a nod.  
'Hey! Only I get to call him that!', Schlatt snapped, leaning back.

'Everyone in this city associates my name with those stupid fucking coins.', he explained, removing one of said coins from his pocket. He always kept one around, reminding him of what not to ever try to do again – No matter how desperate for money he was. He started playing around with the Schlattcoin aimlessly, adding a sigh. 'It's a death sentence to put my name on the front of this.'.  
'I disagree.', Wilbur stated with a smile. 'Let's think this through – We have no skills, no goods to sell, no services to provide – Except that.', he pointed to the coin. 'Schemes. Scams. Clever ways of getting things done. The lowlifes in the city know your name from getting played like fiddles – But the smarter, richer people? They know you for being the only person to stand up to Ted Nivison twice and live to tell the tale. Ted's enemies are gonna flock to us for business.'.

'And you should know better than anyone that guy has a lot of those.'.

'So our customer base are Ted Nivison's enemies and our services are “schemes, scams and clever ways of getting things done”. Yeah, that totally doesn't sound like a disaster waiting to happen.', Schlatt muttered under his breath. How many times could he piss off that lanky bitch before he finally decided to kick him out and leave him out in the wilderness like Phil?  
'Not exactly. Our customer base are rich people who need our types to do their dirty work. The type who don't wanna sully their good name with things like these if they got caught doing it. And the services? Anything the customer needs.', Wilbur's voice was calm, but it was clear even he didn't know what he was talking about. Connor interrupted.

'Yay! We're becoming mercenaries! That's totally a good idea!'.  
'Exactly! Business mercenaries! Businessnaries!'.  
'This is so fucking stupid. Why did I ever agree to this?'.

'Oh come on, it could be fun, too. Remember what you told me when we were little?', Wilbur suddenly leaned forward with a grin. 'Illegal things are fun!'.  
'Illegal things were fun until they got Phil banished and tore our-', Schlatt paused, catching himself. '...Your... Family apart! We can't just jump into something like this.'.  
'...We don't have to jump straight into it.', Connor cut in, clearly getting interested. 'We can start small. Do some legit business. Offer small services. Provide and gather information. Poki trusts us, we could sell her some good stories, right?'.

'You are not agreeing with loverboy right now, Connor.'.  
'Maybe I am. Come on, do we have anything better to do?'.  
'We've been doing things the illegal but convenient way since day one. And it worked out.'.  
'It literally forced your father into a five year long exile.'.  
'It...Almost worked out. It mostly worked out. And we're not kids any more.'.

'...I can't believe I am actually about to agree to this.', Schlatt finally admitted, shaking his head. Wilbur instantly leaned forward with a wide grin, giggling as he did.  
'Yes! SMPLive won't even know what hit it!', he exclaimed, laughing to himself.  
'But we still need a proper name. We're putting Schlatt forward – But how exactly are we gonna spin his name into something worth everyone's time?', Connor asked, receiving an instant response.  
'It has to account for the fact I'm not doing this alone. I don't want people to get the wrong idea.', the seventeen year old spoke up, still playing around with the coin in his hand. He looked up at Wilbur, who looked about ready to say something. He raised his head and smiled.

'...Schlatt & Co. How does that sound?'.

'Like putting a target on my back.', Schlatt concluded with a shrug and a grin. 'Let's do it.'.  
'Schlatt & Co, then.', Wilbur said with a nod. 'We're gonna need to put a sign up-front.'.

'And we need to advertise. Someone's bound to ask for business around here.'.  
'How about we get some suits, huh? We need to look the part, too.'.  
'Right, sure. We have lots of work to do, so let's get to it.'.  
'Aw, right now? I was really hoping for a few more days off...'.

And so, the three founders of Schlatt & Co. got to work.

\---

The next month was nothing short of messy, but it was definitely successful.

The name of the newly founded company soon got around the city, and eventually made its way to the richer districts of the city. Even the former Lunch Club was talking about Schlatt & Co, spreading around all of the stories of what Wilbur and Schlatt had managed in the past. Connor himself begun encouraging the two to go back to their roots, making potions and selling them at small discounts whenever they had a client interested. Slowly but surely, the launch of Schlatt & Co. was garnering city-wide attention. Now all they had left was to provide business.

The potions, alongside some small services being provided at a discount, brought in enough funds to renovate the office slightly and get the three some outfits that actually made them look somewhat professional. They weren't nice, clean suits by any means, but they looked close enough to fool people into believing that they actually knew what they were doing. Their official launch day was now only a week or so away when they begun garnering the wrong type of attention.

There were people in the city you wanted to be noticed by, and there were those you did not. The old Lunch Club, while out of power, still owned a large amount of local businesses and had a lot of control over the city's matters. Now, getting their attention would be a good thing, unless... A small portion of them happened to be enemies, to an extent. After all, there was one of them in particular that lead to the banishment of Phil, and was still quite bitter over Schlatt's treatment of his close friend, Michael. He begun spreading some misinformation around with the rest of the former Lunch Club – Leaving the company with a lack of powerful clients.

Something had to be done... And here they were.

'Are you sure this is a good idea?', Wilbur whispered, nervously playing around with his tie. It was already uneven and practically falling down, but he was too stressed to focus on it.  
'The guy is losing us business and we haven't even launched yet.', Schlatt responded in an equally quiet tone of voice. 'The best way to get rid of him is to confront him.'.  
'Do you even know what you're gonna say? What you're gonna offer?'.  
'Nope.', the younger cleared his throat. 'I'm gonna bullshit my way through it. Always works.'.

'We are so fucked...', Wilbur muttered, covering his face and shaking his head.  
'Jschlatt and Wilbur Soot?', the voice of a young assistant came from nearby, interrupting the two.  
'Yes, that's us.', Schlatt quickly chimed in as the two looked at the assistant. She smiled and spoke;

'AntVenom will see you now.'.

Schlatt looked at his friend with a nervous glance, grabbed his arm, and forcefully pulled him along into the office. It's not like there was a way of getting out of this now, with how deep in it they were. Connor was running around trying to repair their relations with the rest of the former Lunch Club meanwhile here they were, about to face the single source of their bad reputation. They stepped into his office unsure what to expect – And found the very same man who barged into their home two years prior leaning back in his chair with his feet up on his desk.

'Schlatt & Co. in the flesh! But aren't there usually three of you rats?', was the first thing the man said, and it definitely didn't up the two's already below-the-bar confidence about the situation.  
'Connor is preoccupied cleaning up the mess you made for us.', Schlatt stepped forward, Wilbur finding himself completely staggered by the other's confidence. 'Slander is a serious offence.'.  
'Slander?', AntVenom turned, put his feet down and leaned on his desk, watching as the two young businessmen approached and sat down in front of him. 'I'm simply telling my colleagues the truth about you. Or... Was your adoptive father not a drug dealer and scammer?'.

Schlatt flinched. Wilbur could already feel his stomach turning. This could go so wrong so quickly.

'...He never adopted me. He is Wilbur's father, though.', Schlatt pointed to his friend, crossing his legs and placing one of his hands on his knee. 'And yeah. Phil got caught with illegal potions and used me as an errand boy for scams. Or, so goes the official story. But you don't have to bullshit me, man. You know the truth same as I do. And you know what I'm capable of.'.  
'And it's why I'm warning the others. You just explained it yourself here. Phil was a fraud and so are the two of you and your “company”. I'm just trying to prevent another disaster.'.

Another flinch. God, AntVenom was playing with fire here. Schlatt was at his snapping point.

'Fraud? You sit in an office built with money you got from exploiting the city and yet you call Phil of all people a fraud? Do you know how much that man did for this city?'.  
'Right. Of course. It's the two of you that are frauds. Letting your father take the fall for something you did. What an honourable thing to do.'.  
'How fucking dare you?', Schlatt shot up, slamming his hands down on the table. Wilbur wanted to say something, but his mixture of anger and stress left him watching the situation in helpless silence.

'I can't fucking believe that I used to admire you! You're an asshole! You leech off people and then try to paint them as the bad guy? What sort of person does that?'. The man in front of the two wouldn't show it, but clearly, the words made him hesitate for just a moment.  
'It's called business. I thought someone like you would get that, but you don't seem to-'.  
'I used to look up to you. I'd see you up on that stage and I'd imagine being by your side. I even had this stupid little dream where we fought the Ender Dragon together. You know, a fairytale – Because I was just a kid with an idol. A naive kid you used.'. Wilbur turned his head to his friend as the room went silent. Was that genuine feeling in his voice, or- Oh. Oh, that made sense. The way's Ant's face twisted, the way Schlatt was looking at him. Wilbur sat back. This would be fun to watch.

'It's not like you were the only one-'.  
'But lo and behold, every person I thought to be good turned out to be my enemy. Ted Nivison might be a complete asshole, but at least he doesn't try to hide it. Congratulations, not only did you take Phil away from us, you took my hero away from me.'.  
'I- That's not what- That's...'.

Wilbur felt about ready to start laughing. They had this guy by the ropes.

'Anyway, we came here to make you small offer.', Schlatt switched his tone of voice instantly with a smile, pushing aside his feigned sadness. 'A discount for our services in exchange for you shutting up for once and letting us have good customers. How about that?'.  
'I-', AntVenom looked at Wilbur, completely staggered by the sudden mood change. He lowered his voice to a whisper and leaned in to the older. His eyes moved to Schlatt for a moment before he quietly asked Wilbur; 'Is... Is he bipolar or something?'.

'I can fucking hear you, dick.', Schlatt hissed, practically lunging forward.  
'Listen, I don't want this to turn into a whole thing, okay?', the man suddenly spoke up, lifting his hands up. 'I... I'll take that discount deal. Just stay away from my business and I won't bother you. I'm sure we can put the past behind us and go our own ways.'.  
'Lovely to hear that, Mr. AntVenom!', Wilbur exclaimed, standing up and grabbing onto Schlatt before he had a chance to say anything else. 'We look forward to this cooperation – And by that we mean completely staying out of each other's ways. See you!'.

The two soon found themselves standing in front of the office doors unsure what had just transpired. Wilbur was first to laugh, a nervous chuckle eventually turning to a giggle of relief. Somehow, Schlatt had managed to spin his past with the man in that office into a sob story good enough for him to get overwhelmed by the situation and make a quick decision he most likely did not mean. Schlatt himself, on the other hand, had clearly also managed to vent something that had been building up in him for quite some time. And Wilbur? Well, Wilbur simply watched on in awe, eventually turning to his friend, who was looking ahead in impartial silence.

Schlatt begun giggling to himself, the ridiculousness of the whole situation settling in with him;

'...My childhood hero just called me bipolar.'.

And just like that, both of the businessmen burst out laughing.

'I can't believe we just got away with that.'.  
'...AntVenom just called me bipolar.'.  
'This is the stupidest thing we've ever done and it worked!'.  
'Holy fucking shit I'm never living this down...'.

They let themselves calm down, their laughter being replaced by quiet chuckles. As the two walked back to their office, eager to tell Connor the good news, Wilbur couldn't help but look into the woods and wonder about things.

If Phil could see them now, would he be proud?

Or were they doing the exact opposite of what he'd want?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HIS CHILDHOOD HERO CALLED HIM BIPOLAR  
> i cant believe i managed to put this bit AND the ender dragon fight into this  
> i am too powerful
> 
> with writing at least, my cold is still wrecking me and keeping me from writing  
> but hey, merry christmas! since im polish i celebrated more yesterday on christmas eve, but i hope whoever celebrates today will have/had a nice day!


	96. The Truth (Part 13)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt & Co. launches, meeting mixed reactions. Connor tries to clean up the mess caused by AntVenom. Wilbur worries about Schlatt and becomes distracted. Ted gets to work.

Connor's old camera went off with a flash, catching them both off-guard.

'Can you guys stop laughing? The pictures are gonna turn out blurry.', Connor muttered under his breath as he grabbed onto the photo that had been ejected, shaking it and watching it develop. He looked into it and, as he expected, found something less than what was required.  
'Then tell Schlatt to stop with the half jokes!', Wilbur exclaimed between his laughter, barely able to catch his breath for long enough to talk. 'He knows I can't keep a straight face with those!'.  
'This is my stepladder...', Schlatt said quietly, barely heard by Connor, but easily reaching the oldest of the three and making him laugh even more strongly. The man sighed, put down his camera and looked up for a single moment.  
‘Come on, guys...', he muttered with a sigh.

Wilbur and Schlatt, for once dressed in their full suits (Seeing as Schlatt would usually abandon his jacket and roll up his sleeves, meanwhile Wilbur replaced the jacket all-together with that old, dirty yellow sweater he wore everywhere), were standing in front of the Schlatt & Co. office, where a sign with the company name had been hung above on display for everyone to see. Under it there was a single sign – Lazily painted in red onto a white banner; “Launch Day!”. He rolled his eyes, trying his best to mute out his friends' laughter.

'...Just one good picture to put up with an advertisement in the Nether Hub. Can we do that?’.  
‘Fine, fine. Let’s take a serious picture...’.  
‘Connor, you should be in it! It’s the three of us that make up this company, not just me and him...'.  
‘Well, someone has to hold the camera.’.  
‘Right... uh...’.

Wilbur suddenly noticed someone passing by. Someone very unusual for the area, and very unlike himself, without his bodyguard around. It was clear he didn't want to be spotted, but happened to be going by at the wrong time, instantly being called out to;

'Hey! Hey, Pete, could you give us a hand?', he exclaimed, recalling his name from the old Lunch Club. The older man turned to him with a smile.  
'Ah, so you three actually went through with your company. Splendid!', Pete came closer, giving the three a good look. He had been the one showing the most interest in their business as of recent, so they weren't surprised to see him around. As he grabbed the camera from Connor he spoke;

'I'm looking forward to our future partnership...'.

‘To a new future, guys. Only up from here!’, Connor exclaimed.  
‘This is it Wilbur. A new era.’, Schlatt turned and smiled.  
‘This is what we’ve worked for. Let’s give it our all.’, Wilbur concluded.

The camera flashed, immortalizing the moment in a singular photograph that would spark more conflict than the three could ever predict.

But that was all to come.

\---

'...This isn't forever, right?'.  
'Huh? What do you mean?'.  
'This whole company. It's not... Forever.'.  
'Nothing ever is, right?'.

Listening to the four discs every evening had become somewhat of a tradition. It was something familiar, and definitely helped unwind from a day full of work. By the time they got up to the roof Connor would usually be asleep, waking up earlier than them for work, leaving Schlatt and Wilbur alone with the music. They didn't talk much, normally, simply enjoying the soft melody and allowing themselves to relax. Whether they had a good day, or a bad one. Whether they argued or had no issue with one another. Whether they were angry, melancholic, ecstatic or stressed, they would always let themselves fall into the same routine. Every day since Christmas four months prior this ritual remained unchanged.

Until the night after launch day – That night, they decided to talk.

'Where's this coming from?', Wilbur suddenly asked, turning his head.  
'I mean... I don't wanna stay in this city forever.', Schlatt said with a shrug. 'Only five more months until I turn eighteen. Then I can take that test and we can go through the portal. I've been wanting to go for a while. Like, as far away as we can get. There's got to be more to life than this city.'.  
'...You just want to run?', the older asked as he listened to the song, recognizing it as the ending of the third disc. They'd have to go inside soon... It was unusually cold for the season. 'What about Phil? He wanted to come back to a full family, didn't he?'.

Schlatt sighed, resting his head on his knees.

'We can come back in two years. I just... Don't want to be here forever. This whole thing is nice and all, but... I've been here too long. You know? And once Phil is back, we could take him and Techno and go somewhere even further away. All between us and freedom is that test – And we only have to wait a couple more months. And then...'.  
'And then we get away. Yeah. I like that.', Wilbur tilted his head with a smile. 'It sounds nice. And as long as we're together, we should be fine. Right?'.

'Right. We're partners in crime and shit. That's a whole thing we have, isn't it?'.  
'Right, yeah, just that stupid little thing we've been doing for like... Ten years.'.  
'Oh shut up, I'm really tried, alright?'.  
'Right, right, sure, okay...'.

Wilbur took a deep breath, looking over the city as Stal finished up playing.

'Maybe getting away would be nice...'.

\---

Wilbur had noticed it, but he never mentioned it. He didn't think it to be relevant.

How could he have known it was a sign of things to come, so easily overlooked?

'Why do you never run?'.  
'Huh? What do you mean?'.

'You never run. You always walk everywhere.', Wilbur muttered, looking down at his desk. He was working on a song he had dubbed 'Saline Solution' for now, but wasn't sure if he would go with the name in the end. Schlatt was sitting at the edge of the table, looking into his notebook and completely lost in thought over something. As he often was, Connor was out doing more of the in-person work on his own. There was still a lot to clean up from AntVenom's rumours about them.

'Ah. So you've noticed.', Schlatt said with a forced smile. Indeed, Wilbur had. Ever since they were children Schlatt had a tendency to avoid any type of exercise at all, whether it be not joining in on his sparring sessions with Techno or avoiding running around with the other kids. He had always thought it was just because of his fascination with books and such, preferring studying to physical activity, but now that even into his late teenage hood he still acted in similar ways, he had grown curious. He looked up at his friend turned to him, meeting his eyes.

'Well, there’s a simple reason, Wilbur.... It’s because if I’m in a situation where I’m forced to run, I know I’ve already made too many mistakes in life to bother running at all. I always put myself in situations where I’m in control and can’t be harmed at all - That’s how I stay sane.’. Wilbur knew when Schlatt lied. He had grown familiar with that tone of voice – And yet still, he humoured him.  
'...That’s stupid.’, Wilbur stifled a laugh. What sort of game was his friend playing at here? ‘What about like, a marathon? What if someone organised a race for some money or something? Would you just walk then, too?’. He could see a shift in his expression – A twinge of anger, possibly? Discomfort? Schlatt cleared his throat and forced a nervous laugh;  
‘Guess I’ll just not take part then. But that’s mainly the reason, I suppose. I’m not gonna have people bossing me around, and forcing me to run counts. It all boils down to that.’. Wilbur leaned back in his chair and smirked as an idea came to him.

‘And what if I were to give you a challenge right now?’, Wilbur asked and stood up, grinning.  
'Huh? What the hell does that mean?’, Schlatt backed away, already afraid of what he had planned.

‘You hate losing, don’t you? I challenge you to a game of tag.’.  
‘You wouldn’t... You evil, evil bastard.’.  
‘Oh I would... You better start running!’.  
‘Ah! No, get away you-! Wilbur!’.

And with a laugh, he chased after his friend blissfully unaware of the truth.

But he noticed it. He noticed it rather quickly. How swiftly he insisted they stop, how he got out of breath almost instantly, and how distant he seemed moments after. He heard him coughing in the bathroom, found traces of blood at the edge of the sink, and saw how pale he got. Something was wrong, he knew, and he wanted to ask. He wanted to make sure his friend was alright, he wanted to reassure himself nothing was wrong, and yet... Something held him back. Something told him to stay away. Something in the back of his head told him this was a problem he had to tackle alone.

Or at least, he wanted it to be that way. And yet, Schlatt's unusual characteristics would become the whole city's problem sooner than they'd ever expect.

\---

One thing Wilbur loved about Schlatt & Co. was that every client and every job was different. When working with Pete, they found themselves followed by at least three bodyguards at all times, and could never do as much as give the man a look he didn't like. Pokimane, on the other hand, wanted utmost secrecy, and requested everything she ordered (this, most of the time, being stories about the company's clients) to be left in drop boxes around the city. Wilbur, however, definitely enjoyed working for Altrive the most. The man would provide him with materials and a safe place to make potions in his house, leaving him without the risk of getting caught as long as he did his job right. It was one of those very peaceful evenings at Altrive's house when the three businessmen got a minute to talk in peace.

'...And let me tell you, I am never working with Junky ever again after that shit.', Connor muttered under his breath, passing Wilbur another bottle. The man grabbed it, inspected it, and put it aside, noting the potion inside to be complete.  
'Well, he's the only one who can print pictures, so you had no choice.', Schlatt responded. 'How do our advertisements look over in the Hub? I can't really check there, you know...'.  
'It looks great, if only it was in a good spot... That whole thing is covered in posters...'.  
'We could tear a few down! It's not like we do anything else legit-'.

'You guys can head home, if you want.', Wilbur suddenly spoke up, looking at his friends. He could see them both yawning, rubbing their eyes, clearly deprived of sleep from all the work they had been doing. Altrive may have been generous with his protection of them, but his order sizes definitely were not small, usually taking more than entire day to brew up fully. 'I can finish up here. It'll take me just another half hour or so.'.

'You sure, Wil?', Connor asked. 'We could help out.'.  
'Yeah. Kinda scummy of us to just leave you alone with this.', Schlatt added.  
'Nah, I'm good. You guys go get some rest.', Wilbur reassured the two, giving them a smile.

Connor and Schlatt looked between each other, nodded, and gathered their things. Soon enough, Wilbur was left all alone with his thoughts and nothing else. To an extent, it was exactly what he wanted. Brewing these potions alone while being given time to think made it easier to put everything together in his head. Schlatt's sickness, their latest developments at their company, and of course, Phil. How couldn't he think about Phil?

He had been thinking a lot about him, and with almost three years since his departure, he couldn't help but wonder about where he was. Was he doing okay? Was he better off without them? Was he finally getting the rest he deserved? Maybe he had found someone new, someone to finally replace that hole in his heart Wilbur's mother had left him with, and maybe he was finally getting that new taste of adventure he had been wanting for years. Maybe, this five year banishment would be the best thing to ever happen to him, and he'd never come back to his hellhole. Or maybe Wilbur was just being hopeful, and Phil would come back to the same, dull life he had always hated.

Thinking about his father, Wilbur didn't even notice the bottle he knocked over with his arm.

Schlatt & Co. had been growing stronger by the day, and in a way, it begun getting overwhelming. The amount of jobs they were being offered and the vast range of clients was definitely welcome – They had a stable income of money, lots of powerful friends and dirt on more people than they could ever want to exploit. But this sort of fame definitely garnered the wrong kind of attention, too. For one, it was clear the current Lunch Club started noticing their exploits. The strangely dressed people watching their every move, the passive-aggressive comments about their company during their public addresses and slowly but surely increasing taxes made that very clear. Would all of this eventually lead to a disaster? There was no way to know for sure.

Focused too much on his worries, Wilbur didn't even notice the small candle that had tipped over and set fire to the spilled liquid, slowly but surely moving to the wooden walls and silky curtains.

And Schlatt. What was wrong with Schlatt? It was clear to Wilbur now, the way he was avoiding all things that could tire him out had more to it than personal preference. Something was up with him, and no matter what he did, he would not open up about it. Wilbur brought up his paleness? He blamed it on a cold. Wilbur brought up the blood in the sink? He claimed he had a nosebleed. Wilbur brought up the coughing fits? Once more, the cold excuse. “It's just the season, I suppose” - He had hard that phrase more times than he could count. What was going on with him? Would be be okay? He had no way of knowing, and it only further messed with his head-

Something wasn't right.

Smoke. He could smell smoke.

Wilbur's head snapped back. There was a fire to his side, spreading onto the walls and the curtains by the window. By the time he reacted, the doors had long been engulfed, leaving him trapped. He looked around for anything that could help, the smoke filling his lungs and leaving him wheezing and struggling for air. He could see tears filling his eyes and blurring his vision completely, forcing him to the ground as his lack of oxygen finally took its toll on him. He begun losing consciousness, only a few thoughts prevailing above the darkness as he faded out;

Was Phil okay?

Would the company be okay?

Would Schlatt be okay?

And even as he felt the fire touching his skin, not for a single second did he think...

...Would he, himself, be okay?

\---

_Altrive's House Goes Up In Flames – The Future Of Schlatt & Co. On The Line As Accusations Of Potion Brewing And Potion Dealing Emerge_

_It was only a matter of time before Jschlatt's elusive company made its first, and from the looks of it most likely last, mistake. We all knew it was coming, and yet..._

Ted Nivison put down that morning's newspaper and took a deep breath.

For a single moment, he looked out a nearby window, the skyscrapers in the city standing as tall as ever. The fire the night previous had become city-wide news – How did Pokimane manage to print this story out so quickly, only she would know. It didn't matter to him, either way. Ted stood up, fixed up his shirt and grabbed onto his coat.

'Hey, Joko? I'm heading out. I've got something to do. I'll be back in the evening.'.

And indeed, he had something very, very important to do.

He had an old enemy's mess to clean up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MORE TED NIVISON LETS GO
> 
> if i had a penny for every time wilbur soot almost died in a house fire in this fic, i'd have two pennies  
> which is not a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice
> 
> also TWO parts of this chapter are former flashbacks rewritten!!! very pog!!!


	97. The Truth (Part 14)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the fire, a messy night and morning follow. Schlatt gets sick, Wilbur's solitude causes something unusual, and Connor is forced to handle things on his own. Ted decides to send a message.

The pain he was feeling was unimaginable.

The heat in the room kept rising and rising, Wilbur feeling as if his very skin was melting away. The stench of smoke, combined with everything burning around him, left him completely unable to breathe, muting out all his senses and leaving him laying on the ground, coughing with his head spinning. He could feel himself fading out, too weak to move and only with enough strength left in him to lay still thinking through his situation. Trapped in the bottom floor of the house as it all fell around him, Wilbur had no hope to survive but be saved by someone.

And like a miracle, someone came.

'Wilbur! Wilbur, you've got to stay with me, man! I can't- Come on, not like this!', he heard a panicked voice above him, someone tugging at his clothes. He glanced up, barely finding the strength to, and found none other than Schlatt standing above him.  
'...Get out of here... You've got to... Get out...', he spoke slowly, his throat strained and making it practically impossible to get any sort of word out. The man now leaning by him started rummaging through his bag, in search for god knows what amidst the rising flames.  
'Shut the hell up and listen! I'm not gonna leave you here, are you crazy?', after some searching, he found two bottles, both filled with a glistening, orange liquid. He opened one, tilting it close to Wilbur's mouth, letting him drink the contents of it.

As the liquid moved down his throat, he could slowly feel his pain fading away, the heat around him no longer seeming to affect him as much as it used to. Schlatt took a quick swig from the other potion himself and grabbed onto his friend, helping his stand. Soon enough, the two crawled out from under all of the burning rubble, panting for air as they found themselves laying on their backs on the grass outside whatever remained of Altrive's home. Wilbur turned his head to his friend, who seemed about as shocked as him after the whole affair.

'You... You idiot...',Wilbur said between violent coughs. 'You could have died! Don't you get that?'.  
'...We're partners... Partners in crime, right?', Schlatt took a deep breath, trying his best to speak despite his lack of air. 'We can't be that till the end of time... If one of us is dead... Can we?'.  
'...You stole my potions.', Wilbur realized, grabbing onto one of the two empty bottles. 'Fire Resistance' was lazily scribbled along the side in his own handwriting. 'You're and idiot and a thief.'.  
'An idiot and a thief who just saved your ass!', his friend shouted in response, but was unable to do anything else as he continued coughing more and more. 'You should be grate- You should be-'.

As Schlatt's coughing finally got too intense for him to speak, he turned away and tried his best to get himself under control. As he struggled, Wilbur got closer and put his hand on the other's shoulder, trying to figure out what was wrong with him. He was eventually forced away as his friend relaxed, taking deep and shaky breaths as he gathered himself. He tried to say something, but was quickly silenced. Schlatt cleared his throat a few more times, trying to quickly wipe away a large bloodstain that had now formed on his hand. As Wilbur stumbled back, completely ignoring his own wounds and how much pain he'd be in once the potion wore off, he spoke up;

'Are you... Are you okay?', Wilbur came closer, his hands trembling.  
'I'm fine!', he pushed him away. 'Just... Thank me for being a valiant hero already, and...'.  
'It's not normal to cough like that-', he spoke, concerned for Schlatt more than himself.  
'It's not normal to not thank someone for-', he coughed once more. 'For saving their life!'.

Wilbur watched as Schlatt stood up, helping him stand.

'We should get you to a doctor.', the younger said, allowing the other to support himself on his arm. 'Once the potion wears off all those burns are gonna become a-', he coughed again. 'A problem.'.  
'You need to see a doctor, too.', Wilbur stated, although he knew he'd be ignored. 'This is getting out of hand, Schlatt. Seriously.'. Before he could say much more, his friend turned and snapped;  
'I'm completely-! I'm completely-! I'm completely fine!', he insisted, although his cough constantly interrupting him definitely did not make his statement believable. 'You should- You should worry about yourself- About your- Fuck!'.

More coughs, only getting more intense because of his anger. Wilbur tried to help Schlatt out, urging him to sit down, which only made him more furious. Suddenly, the younger stopped completely, growing pale and falling to the ground. As he passed out, his friend instantly rushed to his side, trying to shake him awake. He was lucky Connor and Altrive were still in the area – They helped both of the injured men to the nearest doctor to get them fixed up. That night would bring about realizations that changed everything for the two.

And those realizations would eventually lead to an irreversible disaster.

\---

'Is he gonna be okay?'.

Wilbur spoke up after a while, getting up from his bed and looking over Connor's shoulder, watching two men take care of Schlatt. He was laying in a bed in front of them, shivering from all the pain he was in. He had woken up since he was brought there a few minutes prior, but was barely able to speak. There were cuts on his body that came from... Who knows where, and blood kept pouring out of his nose. He was still continuously coughing, his face coated in sweat and ash that one of the men was periodically wiping away with an old cloth. The other of the two was cleaning up his cuts and inspecting them, all while preparing some sort of medicine on the side.

'I've never seen anyone have this bad of a reaction to fire.', one of the two men, this being Condifiction, the nearest person they could find to a doctor in the area, spoke up. 'Are you sure he didn’t get directly burned? Did you two pass through any fire? How much smoke do you think he inhaled before you got out?’, he continued asking questions, leaving Wilbur overwhelmed;  
‘We both had Fire Resistance Potions.', he admitted without much care for the consequences. If Schlatt's life was on the line, he had to be as honest as possible 'He was only in there for a few minutes! How is he worse off than me? What happened to him?’.  
'I don’t know, Wilbur. You need to give us time to figure it out.’, the second of the two, this being the Captain, who had been called down after hearing about everything saying he “had a theory” regarding everything that had happened, spoke up. He clearly didn't care about the two's use of potions – He, himself, could see there was more at stake here than the law.

'Wilbur, let's go outside, okay?', Connor spoke to him in a quiet, patient tone of voice, grabbing onto his arm. 'You need some fresh clothes, we need to take care of your burns...'.  
'I'm not gonna leave him here like this!', Wilbur exclaimed, hearing his own voice crack.  
'There's nothing you can do right now. Come on.', he spoke, pulling him along.

Wilbur hesitantly followed. It had been a long day, after all. He needed rest. And he knew Schlatt was in capable hands – He had to focus on himself for just sometime. Returning to the office that evening he allowed Connor to help him take care of his wounds, using some of the medicine the Captain and Condi had given them and getting him some fresh clothes that were neither burned nor covered in soot. Once all of that was done he wanted to get some rest. He wanted to lay down and pretend everything was alright, but of course, he couldn't. It wasn't so simple. His mind would not let him rest so easily, his thoughts constantly drifting back to Schlatt and seeing him in that state he was in... He couldn't even close his eyes.

Sometime in the middle of the sleepless night, he crawled out of his bed and sneaked out of his, Connor's and Schlatt's bedroom, slowly making his way out of the office and up the staircase. He grabbed onto a small bag of familiar items on his way there, climbing up to the rooftop and sitting down by the edge. He moved closer to the jukebox, placed a single disc in, and pressed a small button on the side, hearing a familiar melody start playing. The song alone, playing so quietly without anyone there by his side felt like a knife being stabbed through his back. Never ever before since last Christmas had he found himself alone here – It had always been with Schlatt.

He felt tears prickling at the edges of his eyes. One fell, then another, and suddenly, he was letting out choking sobs, barely able to hear the music over his crying. He hugged his knees and wiped his eyes, trying to gather himself, but no matter how hard he tried, he could feel more and more coming. He had never felt so alone before – Not even after Phil was exiled, not even as he avoided Techno every single day, not even during those months leading up to him considering running away. This one single source of familiarity was ripped away from him and he didn't even notice the song was over but he wouldn't try to play the next disc because this was wrong wrong everything wrong

wrong wrong wrong wrong wro

_Why am I so cold?_

Wilbur looked around. The jukebox was completely covered in... Snow? The whole rooftop was coated in that fluffy, white cover. Snow... In April? That didn't seem possible. It soon started melting away, as if it was never meant to be there in the first place and begun taking its leave. As the man looked around completely dumbfounded by the whole situation the snow eventually turned into multiple puddles of water, making him believe he had hallucinated the whole thing all-together. Wilbur rubbed his eyes and stood up, still sniffling and eyes red from crying. He decided he would head to bed – Clearly, he was a lot more tired than he thought himself to be.

But looking back at the rooftop, he couldn't help but wonder...

Had he really only been seeing things?

\---

Wilbur stepped out of the office's bedroom that morning aching from his burns and still dizzy from how much stress everything happening had caused him. He found Connor sitting in the front, two cups laid out in front of him and a newspaper in his right hand. He slid one of the cups forward as he noticed Wilbur approaching and gave him a smile.

'Morning. I knew you needed rest so I didn't wake you up. How are you feeling?'.  
'Better... Thanks for the coffee. Uh... Any news about Schlatt?'.

'Sit down.', Connor told him with a nod, and hesitantly, Wilbur did. He grabbed onto the cup that was passed to him, but after giving it one sniff, couldn't bring himself to drink it. He wasn't sure he could handle something so bitter with how he was feeling.  
'Is he alright?', he asked again, fearing the worst. To his relief, the other nodded.  
'He's gonna recover. The Captain moved him to his office, though. Apparently... There's something about Schlatt he says “he needs to look into” more. He's getting the best help anyone in this city could hope for.', Connor leaned back. 'So that's one problem off the list.'.  
'And there's... More?', Wilbur asked, his voice already weak and worn out due to everything.

'...There's accusations. Altrive got questioned about the potion making equipment and as per our agreement got to blame it on us. Now we've got people asking questions.', Connor paused, sighing. 'If the potions get tied to us we can bid this company goodbye... We're talking years of exile.'.  
'Shit...', Wilbur whispered, feeling his stomach turn. God, why now, when everything made sense again, did it have to all go wrong? Connor took a long sip of his coffee and looked aside.  
'We need to clean this up, somehow. Get rid of evidence, maybe pile on some favours from Pete or Fit. Those two have the most influence around this area. Then we can-'.

A knock at the office door. Never a good thing, not with the 'Closed' sign was out on display.

'Who is it?', Wilbur pulled down his sleeves, trying his best to cover up his bandages.  
'I think it's... Fuck!', Connor instantly jumped back from the window and he spotted who was right outside their door, pushing aside some of his papers and stuffing them in every nook and cranny of the office he could find. While he panicked, Wilbur looked at the front door himself.  
'...Oh... Oh no.', he whispered, recognizing the figure outside. Tall, thin, and dressed in all white.

It could only be Ted Nivison.

'We're closed right now. Sorry.', Wilbur muttered the moment he got to the door, meeting eyes with the other. He probably looked like a mess – Tired, covered in bandages and barely standing up straight. Ted, on the other hand, as per usual, appeared practically perfect.  
'I'm not here for businesses. I just wanna chat.', Ted claimed, his voice as calm and collected as ever. 'I hope I'm not interrupting anything. May I come in?'.  
'Sure. Come right in.', Wilbur whispered, knowing well that saying no to this man was near impossible. He opened the door and stepped aside, watching as the man came inside and took a seat at the table. He looked up at the two businessmen, who stood practically still watching him from a distance. He laughed, shrugged, and raised his hands.

'So are you gonna sit down or not? I'd rather us be on the same level for this talk.'.

'Why are you here, Ted?', Connor instantly asked as he sat down, clearly already getting fed up with everything that had been going on. The previous night and that morning had to have been exhausting for him, seeing as he had to handle all of the fallout of the fire by himself. 'You never come to these things yourself. You have people doing that for you. So why did you come down?'.  
'...Fine, fine. Guess it's best if I don't dance around the topic.', Ted watched intently as Wilbur took his seat next to his business partner, giving him time to take his place. 'I'm here because of what was found in Altrive's house last night. Potions and supplies and tools to make more. This is starting to give me a case of deja-vu, Wilbur. You think you'd have learned...', Ted gave the man a glance.  
'Don't you dare-', he snapped in response, being held back and stopped by Connor.

'Wilbur, relax. Ted, why are you here? This seems like something one of your people could handle for you. Just stop avoiding the topic and tell us what you're planning.', Connor was practically repeating himself, Ted avoiding the topic completely.  
'Right, you got me. I could have easily handled this with a single order. But... Why would I do that? Schlatt & Co. is one of the most successful businesses in SMPLive. It's done nothing but good. I, personally, am a firm supporter of what you three do here.', the man explained with a smile.  
'That's bullshit.', Wilbur instantly noted. 'The Lunch Club has been raising our bills like crazy and we've constantly got people on our back. Why would you lie about this?'.  
'Who says I'm lying? I'm not the only member of the Lunch Club, you know. It's one of the other five that's sending out those orders. There's a reason you guys get away with some slip-ups as easily as you do. You've got a secret supporter.', Ted leaned back with a smirk. 'No need to thank me.'.

'Bullshit again.', Wilbur stated rather coldly, clearly not wanting to let the man fool them with his words. 'You have people who can do the type of business we do twice as good.'.  
'...Let's just say this is a long-term investment.', the man responded after thinking through his response carefully. He leaned forward, rested his chin on his hands and narrowed his eyes. 'I don't have to explain myself. Let's just say this much – I am feeling generous today, and will pull the right strings as to make it seem this was all a misunderstanding and there was never a single potion to speak of in the house. Schlatt & Co. and Altrive alike will come out of this clean as ever – No prison time, no confiscation, no fines and no exile. This is all gonna fade away.'.  
'But... Why?', Connor spoke, suspicious of the whole affair. 'Don't think we owe you favours.'.  
'Oh no, no, not at all.', Ted reassured him with a laugh. 'Treat this as me... Sending a message. Sending a message to your currently... How shall I put this... Unavailable friend.'.

Wilbur and Connor looked between each other with a mix of confusion and fear.

'...What sort of message?', the older spoke up, turning his head. Ted reached into the pocket of his coat without a word and placed something on the table, shrugging.  
'Don't worry about it. Just give this to Schlatt next time you see him, alright? Now, excuse me, gentlemen, but I have to clean up your mess. Try to stay away from breaking the law so openly for a while, if you could. This takes a shit ton of work. Have a good day!', Ted exclaimed, stood up, and just as mysteriously as he had appeared, left the office without any explanations.

Connor was first to move – He stood up and locked the door behind Ted, leaving Wilbur alone at the table. For a moment he observed the item on the desk – Something about it felt incredibly familiar, but too distant of a memory to grasp onto. He reached forward, turned the object in his hand and looked over it a few times to make sure he wasn't missing anything. But... As far as he could tell, it was nothing less than a dirty, small, ordinary...

Rock?

Yes, a rock. Just a rock. An ordinary rock. Ted Nivison burst into their office, scared the shit out of them, and then presented them with a rock.

The day had barely started, and already, Wilbur Soot felt exhausted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> R O C K
> 
> if one of yall even TRIES to convince me ted isnt the type to hold onto a 12 year old grudge then you are wrong he is petty af  
> that is, bdam!ted of course. actual ted would just... stab someone, probably. or summon a demon. idk man, he's a wildcard.
> 
> also wilbur really do be kinning elsa this chapter huh
> 
> hope y'all liked the chapter!


	98. The Truth (Part 15)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt receives news regarding his condition from the Captain. Ted attempts making a powerful friend.

'Before I say anything, you have to understand this is not forever. I'll look into a cure. I'll try.'.

He was tapping his finger on the counter, letting his mind drift away somewhere else. He was still going over The Captain's words in his head, completely ignoring the part where he advised him to rest at home as much as possible. He was far from home, and he definitely wasn't resting. All he could do was think about those few sentences that were told to him the moment he recovered from his injuries, for whatever reason waking up in the Captain's office with neither Wilbur nor Connor around to explain to him what was going on. No matter what he did, every thought eventually turned back to that single moment, urging him to grab onto another nearby drink and take another sip.

'The way the fire affected you is not normal. Same with how heat in general does. Have you noticed something strange after exercise? I have a theory as to how it can all be connected.'.

He rubbed his eyes, thinking more. After speaking with the Captain and insisting he was fine, he was out of that office and back on his way home. He wasn't sure why it took so long to get back to Schlatt & Co. - The way back was a half hour walk at most, but at least four hours had gone by the time he was at the door, being greeted by Wilbur and Connor. They asked questions... Did he answer? He wasn't sure. He had told them whatever he could muster with how he was feeling, and skipped all of the details. At some point he stopped talking completely, the two deciding to give him space. It almost felt like something else completely was carrying him forward, leading him to leave the office and head to another part of the city completely.

'I had a theory how this could be related to the Nether. The way your body reacted is similar to how people with low tolerance react during the test – During which they are exposed to large clusters of energy gathered from the Nether. Far larger than what's normally experienced inside. You show double those symptoms when just interacting with fire or mild heat.'.

The Dome wasn't by any means a prestigious establishment, but it was the perfect place to drown your sorrows in a good few glasses of whatever the bartender had on hand. And of course, it was exactly the sort of place that wouldn't care that the person ordering the drinks was seventeen and most definitely not in the right state of mind to be drinking. This was the sort of place that just wanted money – And that was what this customer brought, so who were they to ask? He was still sitting alone, continuously tapping some sort of familiar melody into the counter in front of him with his left pointer finger, his right hand grasping onto a half-empty glass.

'I hope you understand what that means. If you ever were to step into the Nether, you would die. Hell, you could have died from the test alone. You got quite lucky avoiding it like this. I don't have a name for this condition yet, but... I promise you, I'll do everything I can to figure out a way to help you. There's got to be a work around this... I just need you to work with me.'.

Everything he had planned, everything he wanted, everything he hoped for was snatched away from him... And it wasn't even the first time. First his parents left him without a home. Then Phil and Techno turned on him because of his mistake. Even Wilbur tried to run, but he managed to pull him back before he got too far. And now this – The Portal, being his one driving force, the one glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel, was taken from him, a barrier put between him and freedom. Out of all the people in SMPLive, he, the one person feeling the most trapped, became tied down.

It was so, so unfair.

'I promise you I can figure this out. If you work with me, I'm sure we can find some sort of cure.'.

Why was it always him? Why was it that every time something went wrong it was him that had to suffer? Why was it that he was the one that kept having everything torn away from him? Why did others get to have what they wanted, while he had to settle for second best? It wasn't fair. None of it was fair. Life was never fair for him and it'd never be. Every time he got close to the finish line it just seemed to be moved further and further back - So what was the point of pushing himself into another objective he'd never reach?

'Schlatt? Do you understand? I can fix this. I promise, I can find a fix. A cure. Just give me time.'.

He shook his head. He had already learned to not get his hopes up. He took another swig from his drink and put his head down for a moment. Why had he gotten his hopes up in the first place? Of course he'd be the one person, out of every single individual in the city, that could not go through that Portal and run away from everything. Of course it was Schlatt. Why wouldn't it be? He was the one fate hated the most, after all. He was the one who didn't deserve what he wanted.

'Come back to me soon, alright? We can set something up. I promise I'll help you.'.

From the moment AntVenom showed his true colours, from the moment the new Lunch Club took its spot and he felt himself being overtaken by jealousy, and from the moment he realized Wilbur could never understand how he felt wishing he was them... He didn't deserve a single thing. Even what he thought to be happiness – His company, his friends, his “family” - It was simply him settling for the second best thing. Because that was all Schlatt could ever allow himself to have.

Second best. Never what he wanted.

'But until then, you cannot step into the Nether and have to avoid fire and intense heat.'.

So, so fucking unfair.

'That's the only way you will stay alive.'.

…But if he couldn't have what he wanted?

…If he couldn't ever get the best and be happy?

...Then what was the point of staying alive?

'Lovely day to be drinking alone.', came a comment from the side, snapping him back to the present. Schlatt slowly turned his head, sighing as he recognized the person.  
'...What's a Lunch Club bitch doing in this part of the city?', he asked, taking another sip from his drink and hearing none other than Ted Nivison's laughter from the side.  
'Just having a drink. Too much press around the richer districts these days. This place seems like a nice get-away.', the man commented under his breath, himself holding onto a glass of something.

Schlatt looked around. He hadn't really given the place a good look in the state he had wandered in. The bar wasn't big by any means, only a single room with about five seats total by the bar and a few more scattered around with their own tables accompanying them. There were two or three light orange lamps hanging from above, one of them flickering and left without any maintenance from the owner. The woman herself was aimlessly cleaning some glasses meanwhile a boy way younger than one would expect working at a place like this helped her out. He vaguely knew their names, but could barely focus on them at that very moment. Schlatt kept his focus on a large rack of drinks in front of him, listening to Ted's voice but clearly not too keen on having an actual conversation.

'I heard what happened.', the man carried on, being handed a drink from the woman behind the counter. One blue eye, one green eye, short darkish pink hair and a backwards black cap. He swore he knew her name, but once more, his mind was far too distracted to focus. 'The Captain is calling this a breakthrough. You're a medical anomaly. Doesn't that just make you feel special?'.  
'Right. Because being the one specific person fate picked to always be tied to this shithole of a city is a great thing. Totally.', Schlatt responded, chuckling to himself.  
'...Who says staying in SMPLive is such a bad thing?', Ted asked, himself focusing on something else in the room and avoiding eye contact. 'This city has got everything.'.  
'For someone like you, sure.', he responded, looking down at the counter. 'You've got all you'd ever want. An exclusive apartment, your own office, adoration from every person you meet...'.

'Anyone can have that, with work. Even you. You're on your way there, are you not?'. Schlatt, for the first time since he had gotten there, looked at the person he was conversing with.  
'What?', he asked, narrowing his eyes. 'I am literally at my lowest right now.'.  
'The only way is up, right?', Ted said with a shrug, taking another sip from his drink.  
'Right. Sure. Why are you actually here? Sorry for being so negative, but the three times we've interacted it's never been exactly... Pleasant.'.

'Three?', Ted asked with a smirk. 'So you remember. I didn't take you for the type to hold grudges.'.  
'A kid five years older than you threatening to bash your head in with a rock leaves a mark.', Schlatt muttered, shrugging. 'And I also met Wilbur that day. So it's hard to forget.'.  
'Right. Well, we were both very young and very stupid. I'm sure you don't blame me.'.  
'It's nothing compared to getting my friend's dad exiled and then making me lose a job I was actually enjoying. Don't worry, I've long forgotten about our first meeting.'.

'You seem a little angry at me.'.  
'A little?'.  
'Exceedingly angry.'.  
'Yeah. Yeah, something like that.'.

'Listen, Schlatt.', Ted suddenly turned, inching closer. 'Twelve years ago we were both kids. That's that. At Phil's house, I was just tagging along as a way of learning. I didn't have the power to call the shots. That was Ant. And as far as the Live Daily incident went? I was trying to test something.'.  
'Test something?'.  
'Someone. You, specifically. No matter how many times life beat you down you got back up and kept fighting. It's... Impressive, how resilient you are. I guess the strongest people come from the most hopeless of places.', Ted gave The Dome a quick glance. 'Hopeless places indeed...'.  
'I don't know what you're planning here, but-'.

'Not planning anything, friend. Just making you aware that you've got an ally in all of this. You're gonna thank me one day – Once you turn out hardened and without anything being able to knock you down, you'll realize what I've been doing. I'm not your enemy, Schlatt. Quite the opposite, actually. I can see your potential. And I can see what you're capable of.'.  
'...What are you saying?'.  
'This city changes fast, Schlatt. So do the people. You've got to grasp onto opportunities the moment they come around. Hesitation will get you nowhere. If you end up walking out of this bar with at least one cohesive thought, let it be this – If you can't get away from SMPLive, there's a single place where you won't have to worry about anyone beating you down again.', Ted pointed to his badge, the Lunch Club symbol visible clearly in the orange light above.

'Powerful people need powerful friends. Opportunities will come and you have to grasp on. Stick around if you understand what I'm trying to say - If not... Guess this is the last time we meet.'.

And with one last swig of his drink, he was gone.

'One more drink?', the woman spoke up from behind the bar, her voice clear for the first time since he had arrived. He glanced up at her, her face finally becoming familiar to him. As far as he knew, she went by Toxxic with most, while the kid working for her went by Ty. She had a bottle in her right hand and a cloth she was wiping the bar with in her left.  
'...No... Thanks, I'm fine.', Schlatt looked at the door, his mind still going over the encounter he had just had. He stood up from his seat, put down whatever money he owed and slowly walked out of the bar, his mind still clouded with thoughts, but completely different ones he brought into The Dome with him. His way back to the office was a lot more brief.

Something about Ted's words made his mind swirl with a completely new array of questions.

\---

Alone again. So, so cold and alone.

The first disc had finished up playing, and just as the night previous, Wilbur felt so... Empty. It felt so wrong. There was something so inherently wrong about sitting on this rooftop by himself, without his friend there. Perhaps he had gotten too used to that routine of his, perhaps he should have had been prepared for one day being forced to sit here-

'Got room for one more?'.

Or maybe not.

'Schlatt! You're okay!', Wilbur instantly exclaimed with more relief than he ever thought he was capable of. After everything his friend had told him and how he wandered out of their office he had feared something horrible could have happened – Yet here he was, as healthy as he could be. He still had bandages on most of his body and was clearly in a lot of pain, but looked a lot better than he did when he initially got back.  
'As okay as I can be.', his friend responded, taking his seat alongside him on the ledge. 'I had some time to think. Guess I'm... Sort of fine now. I dunno.'. Schlatt avoided mentioning his talk with Ted – He, himself, still was not sure what exactly that man had meant. His words were like some sort of puzzle – And in a way, it was almost like he was missing a piece.

'...I... I'm sorry.', Wilbur whispered almost instantly. 'I'm sorry that you-'.  
'Happen to have one of the rarest conditions in the whole city. Sucks to suck, I guess.', Schlatt shrugged. 'Why did I even expect I'd get to take that test? I never get what I want... I shouldn't have even gotten my hopes up.'. Wilbur appeared... Conflicted. He wanted to say something, anything, to cheer his friend up, but... Nothing came. Instead, the man spoke himself;

'But you know what?', Schlatt suddenly said, looking up. 'I don't give a fuck any more. Guess I'm stuck in this city until the Captain figures something out – So what? I'm gonna make the most of it. I'm gonna make this city wish I could have left. I'm gonna make every single one of those fuckers remember my name. I don't care how hard the world is gonna make it – I'm gonna strike twice as hard, and what the fuck are they gonna do then? Huh?'.  
'Nothing.', Wilbur said with a grin. It was good seeing his friend back in a good mood. 'They can't do shit. Not when it's you who wants to get something. They can't do shit.'.  
'Exactly!', Schlatt pointed to some of the tallest towers in the city, most well-known for being owned by the most skilled of businessmen who had made it to the very top of everything. 'SMPLive is gonna know who the fuck Jschlatt is!'.  
'Hell yeah! And we're gonna make it happen.', Wilbur reassured him with a smile. For a moment, there was silence between them. That was, until, Wilbur remembered something very important.

'Oh- Right- Uh... Ted came by. Ted Nivison.', he said, searching his pockets. Upon seeing Schlatt's expression, he quickly spoke up; 'Don't ask. Long story. What is important, though, is he left something for you. He said it was a message? I... Don't really get it, though.'. He removed the rock from the pocket of his coat and handed it to Schlatt, who grasped onto it instantly.  
'That's... No fucking way he held onto this...', he muttered, instantly recognizing the object as that key, totem item of his first ever scam. One of the messiest, but most vital, days of his childhood, all dating back to the simple exchange between him and a ten year old and his two friends. What sort of message was Ted trying to send with something so-

_Powerful people need powerful friends._

No. No fucking way. No way in hell was that asshole asking him to-

'What is it?', Wilbur spoke up, tilting his head. Schlatt glanced down at the small, seemingly insignificant rock for a single moment. Indeed, it sent a message and a half.  
'Honestly?', he said with a rather hesitant shrug. 'No clue, man.', he lied with ease, but he knew Wilbur noticed his change of tone. He held up the rock and moved his hand back – And hesitated.

_Opportunities will come and you have to grasp on._

If there was one thing Schlatt dreamed about as a kid endlessly, it was those six assholes.

_Stick around if you understand what I'm trying to say._

Those six untouchable idiots and how good it must have felt being in that sort of spotlight.

_If not..._

But looking at Wilbur, he realized childhood dreams had no place in the here and now.

_Guess this is the last time we meet._

Schlatt moved his hand back, swung it forward, and threw the rock as far as he could.

There was no space for stupid childhood dreams in a future as uncertain and as unfair as his. But there was space to hold onto his friends, his family, his company, and whatever he had at the time.

And that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bitter-sweet chapters with slight angst but some hope for the future are my favorites
> 
> also rip to ted's rock it had a good run  
> now its probably inside someone's house  
> let's be honest schlatt definitely aimed for a window
> 
> oh and toxxic and ty reference :D  
> she owns the bar and he works for her, and she sort of takes care of him  
> he'll come back a bit more and join schlatt & co later :D
> 
> the whole bar scene was inspired by "the other side" from the greatest show man lmao


	99. The Truth (Part 16)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt & Co. makes a powerful enemy. Schlatt becomes impulsive and Wilbur tries to fix things. Techno decides to step in for the sake of his family.

Okay. So Schlatt was a bit impulsive. So what?

'You have to pay up or we're gonna start leaking information. That was the deal.'.  
'You would truly risk losing your most valuable customer?'.  
'We can't allow deadbeats, Pete. Our company relies on a steady income.'.  
'You simply need to give me one more week.'.

He was eighteen now. An adult. Only fair he took matters into his own hands.

'We don't do debts. You fucking pay or we stop working, that's it.'.  
'Schlatt, come on. I'm sure we can figure something out here-'.  
'I've fucking had it with this asshole. This isn't the first time this has happened.'.  
'It's not my fault the new Lunch Club is making my life as difficult as they are.'.

But maybe, just maybe, he should have had left that one specific encounter in Connor's hands.

'Besides, if you do not allow me this, I will simply send my friend after you.'.  
'You asshole! You'd use our own brother against us?'.  
'Technoblade will listen to me as long as I put money on his table.'.  
'You little piece of deadbeat shit! How about we just take our money?'.

But... They got the money. So surely it worked out a bit, right?

'Schlatt, calm down!'.  
'Put that down. You'll regret this.'.  
'Get the money and get out of here!'.  
'Come on, Connor!'.  
'Last chance-'.

And Pete got to see exactly what happened to people who didn't pay up to Schlatt & Co.

'Hey, you know what, you old fucking prune?'.

He even managed to get a good insult in on him!

'Suck my dick and-'.

The only downside, of course, was that he got shot. But details like that don't matter much.

'I think we need to reconsider our career...', Wilbur said to him sometime after they got back to their office, wrapping bandages around his wound meanwhile Connor prepared something in the corner. It would seem they had learned nothing from the fire a few months back – Potions were too useful to just chuck away because of one close call.  
'Oh come on, what's good business without a bit of danger?', Schlatt asked, turning to the side. He was holding onto a bloody arrow, inspecting it. He could barely believe that whole thing was pulled out of his shoulder – It would make for quite the souvenir. As for the bandages, he didn't mind them much. With the tests the Captain had been doing on him and with the usually disastrous side-effects he was pretty much used to having at least a wound or two patched up somewhere on his body.

'You were literally shot, Schlatt.'.  
'...Oops?'.

Wilbur and Schlatt were sitting on one of the beds in the three's bedroom, the former wrapping bandages around his shoulder as they spoke. Connor handed something to him, a potion from what he could see, which he quickly poured out over the bandages, allowing it to soak them. He then turned back, crossed his arms and sat down on a nearby chair, speaking up;

‘There was no way to know that Pete was as trigger happy as he is.’, the man claimed, looking aside. ‘And what’s the big deal? Schlatt is alive and we got our money. Win-win.’.  
‘Pete wants us dead, Connor! He might not be dangerous on his own, but you know who he has ties with!’, Wilbur sighed, turning away. The one thing he wanted to avoid was a confrontation between him and his older brother – Especially not with only two years left until Phil's return to SMPLive.  
‘Wilbur, I-‘, Schlatt started, looking aside. He didn't want one of his outbursts to be the cause of problems again – He wasn't sure if he could handle being the cause of another disaster between him and his partner in crime. ‘I’m sorry, alright? I got a bit carried away. I didn’t realise Pete had a crossbow, and it all just spiralled from there. I’ll talk it out with him, alright? You can trust me.’.

Wilbur rolled his eyes, unable to hide a small smile.

'I know you will. I trust you.'.

\---

Pete was not an easy man to negotiate with.

There was a reason he was usually regarded as the “ruthless businessman” of the old Lunch Club – There was no talking that man down once he was set on something. He knew how to avoid topics, turn a conversation back to himself, and focus everything on what he himself wanted, not the other way around. That was why Schlatt's offer fell on deaf ears – Pete was angry, and the only way he would agree to step down and hold back on sending forward his infamous bodyguard. But surely Techno wouldn't hurt his own brothers for the sake of getting paid, right?

Right?

Whatever the case may have been, seeing him standing there by Pete's side with a sword in hand and giving him those cold looks was enough to make Schlatt turn away without making any progress. The man wanted his money back and a continued cooperation with the company without any issues – Schlatt & Co. didn't want to grant him that sort of leeway. If they let one customer get away with not paying, others would soon begin slacking off, thinking them to be weak. The two were at an impasse – And to a man like Pete, who wanted to move forward no matter what, an impasse was a problem that had to be dealt with directly.

And so, they found themselves here – Running for their lives.

Pete was a lot more impulsive than he'd have you believe – The moment the company refused to take his generous offer to return his money and forget the whole encounter ever happened, Techno was outside their door in full armour and his sword as sharpened as ever in the matter of minutes. They were forced to run, barely getting away without a scratch, and eventually found themselves sneaking through the outer districts – The parts of the city half-finished and yet to be inhabited by anyone, practical ghost towns filled to the brim with building sites, large, empty fields and practically no one around to hear you scream. It was the perfect place to force your targets to run into if you wanted to dispose of them easily and without any complications – And it was exactly the type of place you didn't want to find yourself in if you were the one on the run.

Schlatt, Wilbur, and Connor were hiding around the corner of an outer-district street.

'Shit, shit, shit...', Connor kept repeating under his breath, panicking more by the second.  
'We've really fucked it now, gents.', Schlatt noted, their situation dawning on them.  
'How is he so fast? How does he run like that?', Wilbur questioned. Techno had been training a lot since the two last saw each other properly – He had gotten incredibly strong.

Wilbur looked around the corner, seeing Pete and Techno standing at a large distance away.

'Shit! How the hell did they find us?', he turned back. 'Connor, can Schlatt keep running?'.  
'No way in hell! We need to hide somewhere before-'.  
'I'm fine!', Schlatt interrupted and insisted.  
'Bullshit!', his friend instantly retaliated.

'I'll...', Wilbur swallowed, feeling his knees grow weak. Techno wouldn't hurt him. They were brothers, after all. He just had to trust him. 'I'll talk to them.'.  
'Wilbur, don't-', Schlatt tired to say something, but was quickly stopped by another coughing fit.  
'Are you sure?', Connor asked him, although he already knew the answer.  
'It's all we can do...', Wilbur insisted and took a deep breath. 'Wish me luck.'.

He turned the corner, meeting with the other two at the centre of the street.

'Wilbur Soot!', Pete exclaimed almost instantly, his arms outstretched. Although dressed for business, there was still a diamond sword strapped to his back.  
'VoiceoverPete. And I see you brought a friend.', Wilbur looked at the man's side, Techno standing silent next to him. His hair, as always, was neatly tied back and hidden underneath a heavy, diamond helmet. He was holding onto his sword, old bloodstains long having had dried into it like some sort of warpaint. There was a mixed expression on his face – One Wilbur couldn't quite read.

'My friend is of course only here to ensure any of our feuds are handled swiftly and with no hesitation... What you and your friends did to me, Wilbur, needs to be handled with such precision.'.  
'We deeply regret our acts... Really. Schlatt got carried away, sure. But he doesn't speak for us. We can still make it up to you. We can give you back your money and pretend this never happened.'.  
'Schlatt doesn't speak for you? Strange, considering your company name. Why not Connor & Co? Wilbur & Co? Those have a nice ring to them, you know.'.  
'...Again, we apologize. It's the least we can do. But there doesn't have to be blood spilled over a little business feud. So please. Let's try to settle this in a civil way.'.

Pete hesitated, the moment of silence seemingly growing into an eternity.

'...I'd be willing to cut you a deal to make sure my dear friend keeps a distance.'.  
'Then let's talk. I'm sure we can figure out something here.'.

Wilbur stepped forward, Techno's cold glare following him as he did. It looked as though he was about to say something, but held back. It made him wonder – How much input did Pete truly allow from his bodyguard? Either way, he allowed himself to be lead to Pete's office.

Now came the hard part.

\---

'Let's take care of this swiftly, shall we?'.  
'Let's. I'm sure you're a busy man.'.

Pete's office wasn't grand, by any means, but it was definitely impressive. Everything seemed expensive – From the paintings on the walls to the small decorations on the bookshelves, the whole place was riddled with things that were worth more than the entirety of Schlatt & Co, most likely. Wilbur took his seat in front of the older man, who was silently rummaging through his desk. Techno was standing by his side, now without his armour but with his sword still hanging from his hip and ready to be moved forward at a moment's notice. Wilbur could see his job was paying him well – Fancy white shirt, new brown trousers, even some jewellery. Rings on his fingers, a large, golden nose ring, even earrings on those pig ears it hurt to even remember the origins of. He was glad to see his brother doing so well – But he didn't have much time to think about it.

'...So you're saying I could get my money back?', Pete asked, tilting his head. Did a man like him really need such an insignificant amount? Sure, they practically stole it from him, but would it make such a massive dent in his most likely enormous treasury? He doubted it. This must have been about pride, to an extent. Show that he wouldn't let some small business order him around.  
'...That is... Well...', Wilbur cleared his throat. Even knowing Techno would avoid hurting him no matter what, his constant glaring at him definitely didn't ease his stress. 'Pete, listen... Ever since the fire our customer base has gotten smaller. Less people seem to trust us. And with how erratic Schlatt happens to be... It's getting harder to get returning customers.'.

'I'm not surprised. He has quite a personality to him.'.  
'What I'm saying is you're one of our very few regulars. Which means your money practically keeps us afloat. We need a steady income from somewhere, and as far as we're concerned... You're the steady income. You, and a select few others. We can't afford to lose this sort of support.'.  
'So you're saying I'm the only one who's keeping Schlatt & Co. alive?'.  
'Stable, at least. We could make it for another year with the unstable payment, but that's a gamble. You, and those few clients, are our only hope at improving and getting better. Which means... I guess I'm gonna abandon all our dignity, and beg of you, Pete – Don't take this away from us. We're just starting to get back on our feet. You could keep us going until we get better.'.

'And what if I want you gone?'.

Did Wilbur see Techno flinch, or was he seeing things?

'Then I guess...', Wilbur said, voice defeated and void of hope. 'Our cooperation can end.'.

'Pete.', Techno, for the first time that day, finally spoke up. 'One minute, please?'.  
'Is something wrong?', the man asked, instantly standing up. It was clear these two had a high level of trust and respect for each other – Wilbur wasn't surprised. They had been working together for years now. Before he could even say anything, they were out the door and speaking privately in another room. He cleared his throat, shifted in his seat and looked around.

What on Earth was his brother planning?

\---

'Am I in danger?'.  
'No.'.  
'Are you in danger?'.  
'No.'.  
'Then why are we-'.

'Pete.', Techno narrowed his eyes. 'I know I'm not supposed to get involved with your matters. All I do is stand there and intimidate people. That's my job. I realize that. But for once, let me give you some advice. Do not let Schlatt & Co. fall apart. It's not a good idea.'. The man seemed shocked – He looked at his bodyguard, and then, let out a laugh.  
'You can just say you don't want your brothers to be left without a job.'.  
'My brother. Schlatt's a family friend. And yes, that's true. They...', Techno paused, sighing. 'They've been jumping from one disaster to another for the past three years. They deserve some stability, especially since what Schlatt found out recently. I know you don't care, so... From a business standpoint, though-'.

'Of course I care.'.  
'Huh?'.

'Your family has been through more than anyone... I realize that.', Pete paused, thinking. 'And I suppose... I can still make use of Schlatt & Co. I just had to send a message, you understand?'.  
'Thanks... Thanks Pete.', Techno sighed in relief and smiled. Good to know he still had a friend in all this, underneath all the work. He had always felt safe around this man.  
'Anything for a good friend. I'll let them keep that money and make sure to keep the income more steady from here on. Oh, and... About your father, Techno.'.

'You mean Phil?'.  
'Yes. Phil. He's coming back in... Two years, right?'.  
'Yeah. Just two more years.... I can't wait.'.  
'Hmm... Perhaps once he is back, I could find some sort of job for him, too.'.

Once more, Techno couldn't help but smile.

'The hard part is over for your family, I'm sure.', Pete told him. 'Don't worry.'.  
'Yeah.', Techno glanced outside a nearby window, sighing. 'I sure hope so.'.

And so, the businessman and his bodyguard stepped into the office to tell Wilbur the good news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy new year everyone ^^  
> 2020 is finally over (for some) and almost done (for others)!  
> as of uploading this i'm only 3 hours away from getting out of the hellhole that this year has been.... i'm very excited ^^  
> hope you all have a great 2021!
> 
> only one chapter away from the big 100...  
> i'm hyped!!!
> 
> techno with a nose ring has been living rent free in my head for weeks and finally he is canon  
> techno with lots of piercings in general... like the vibes of that-


	100. The Truth (Part 17)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two years pass and bring about changes. Schlatt & Co. grows powerful. The Lunch Club makes a bold move. Schlatt, Wilbur and Techno meet to welcome Phil back to the city - But something isn't right.

If Connor were to summarize the next two years in a sentence, “well, that happened” would be a good way to put it. It wasn't like things were bad – But were they necessarily good?

A good place to start would be Pete and Techno – Following that incident, Pete suddenly seemed to grow interested in investing in Schlatt & Co. more than ever. He said he “admired” their ability to stand up to him, and therefore was willing to support them more than ever. Some of this support included bonus payment – Some of it included cleaning up when they happened to slip up somewhere. Pete had become the sole reason Schlatt & Co. grew more powerful than ever over those two years, once more regaining its former glory from before the fire. Old clients returned, new clients came around, and once more, the company was the talk of SMPLive. Pete seemed pleased – His investment had returned itself more than he could have predicted. Techno was pleased, too. Even with how dangerous the job was, at least it was stable. Finally, Schlatt and Wilbur got some well-deserved peace and quiet in their life.

But having a job didn't automatically make everything easier.

The Lunch Club had changed, definitely – Something on the inside of the group started to shift in those two years. For once, massive changes were brought forward in the city. More expansion than ever before, trade deals with other cities, more new businesses being set up. Some bolder changes came, too – Legislation of medical potions, permission for further and more risky research into the Nether, the setting up of a full-on police force in the city... Even the leader of the group, usually so strict on criticism, allowed articles against him to go around freely and didn't even try to do anything similar to what he had done to Schlatt years ago.

Something had changed in that group, but what it was, the outside world would never know. They'd theorize, of course. Perhaps someone finally talked some sense into Ted? Perhaps another member decided to take charge? Perhaps some argument lead to a member being privately replaced? Theories were the number one talk of the city – Everyone wondered what had changed.

To Charlie, of course, it was no mystery.

Lunch Club meetings had a certain order to them. Ted would give a summary of what he wanted, listen to other ideas, dismiss them completely and then coerce the others into voting in favour of whatever it was he thought to be right. Some would oppose him, sure. Noah and Cooper most of all, Joko at times. But it was quite clear that three out of six members, even when working together, could rarely talk this man down. That was what Charlie was used to – Ted basically being the only voice that mattered in the entire room and sitting back and nodding along to avoid trouble. But in those two years, something about his behaviour begun to change.

Ted had stated during one meeting that “a friend inspired him to change his ways” and decided that from now on he would work on letting the others get a say in the meetings. It basically came out of nowhere – And was very unlike that man. Even when they were kids, Charlie could remember him always taking charge of things while him and Travis just... Followed him around. Now, however, Ted would allow the ideas of others to be passed through votes he didn't even try to rig, and many new changes were brought forward and implemented – Charlie simply sat back and watched. He had no clue why, seemingly overnight, his friend would have such a shift of character.

But who was he to complain? Finally, he could legally drink potions to make dealing with his Hybrid traits a lot easier than it was with average medicine. As far as Charlie was concerned, these changes in the Lunch Club were only bringing about good.

To Travis, however, the change seemed to bring nothing but issues.

In the Lunch Club there were six members – That was how things always were. In the first Lunch Club this did not cause issues. They were all like-minded people, after all. They thought of ideas together and put them forward, no votes, no nothing. This Lunch Club was a lot more diverse. With how Ted was raised, he was always focused on business above everything. Charlie and Travis often found themselves either supporting him or focusing on the well-being of the people. Joko prioritized outreach with other cities, as well as trying to outdo them. Research, communication, travel. And finally Noah and Cooper – Their focus had always been the city itself, and constantly expanding things like housing or business districts. Everyone here wanted to make a different change, and whatever decision was brought to the table, fighting and a million suggestions to change it followed. So they took votes – And Ted always rigged them.

Until now. Now, the votes were genuine. And now... The votes were split.

Six is an even number – Very easy for a “yes or no” vote to end up indecisive, as it often did. Three to three and already they had no way of settling the score. The best way to do it was to either chuck the idea aside and focus on something else or to call in a member of the old Lunch Club to settle the vote for them – But they couldn't do that forever. Sure, to the outside world progress was better than ever. But they themselves could see they were running out on ideas they were unanimous on, and would eventually hit a point where no one in the room felt the result of a vote was fair. There was only one way of this situation that Travis himself could see, but he had refrained from bringing it up to Ted for most of the two years. However, towards the end of the second, he knew something had to be done. And if he had to be the one to say it, so be it.

To succeed, the Lunch Club needed a seventh member.

The previous six had picked them because of their personal preference – Every member got to elect one person they thought to be perfect to take their place. So how could a seventh member be put in power in a fair way? A few ideas were thrown around, but none that really happened to stick. They knew they'd have to come up with something that year, or they'd set themselves on a course straight to a disaster. Whether they liked it or not, this small group of leaders would have to allow someone else to enter their ranks and seize a small fraction of their power.

And would a man like Ted Nivison allow something like that? Travis doubted it.

Either way it became a distant possibility. Then, as more months passed, an eventuality. And finally, with the second year since Ted's magical “change of heart”, the six men were gathered around a table discussing their interview process, how they would grade every person coming in, and what sort of traits they were looking for in their future compatriot. Posters were being hanged around the whole city, announcements were being made, and an infamous box was set up in the middle of the city's main plaza – A box to put your name into if you thought yourself to be worthy of taking that mythical seventh spot. A box that kept most away – And a box that brought about rumours anytime anyone was spotted near it. And a box that, usually, would be filled with more names overnight, as most didn't want to be known as the ones who tried to get in and failed.

Schlatt often looked at the box and wondered about things.

_Powerful people need powerful friends._

Even two years later, that phrase still echoed through his mind. The things Ted had told him, although he put them aside to focus on Schlatt & Co. and its now bigger than ever customer base, always floated around in the back of his head. But he had things to worry about, things far more important than his childhood dreams and fantasies of fame and power. And yet still, as that counter above the box ticked down and as the final date for signing up to the interviews inched closer and closer, the man paused and looked at it any time he was in the area. He glanced at the ever-growing pile of names, looked over the pieces of paper and the pen provided to the side, and walked on.

That's how it was every day – Every single day, even the very last day that signing up to the interviews was permitted. He always considered the slightest possibility – But soon enough he'd remind himself he had to stay grounded in reality. The last few times he hoped he would get what he wanted he was met with the bitter taste of the truth – He didn't deserve that sort of happiness. And yet, that day, just as any other, he looked. The timer only had about twelve hours left in it. The box was filled with about twenty or so names. And today was it – Today was the final day you could sign up and give yourself a chance at joining the Lunch Club itself.

Schlatt looked at the box, the timer, and then... Walked on. He had somewhere else to be.

It was quite cold around that time of year, but he didn't mind. He walked into the richest housing district of the city just as he was meant to, walked up to one of the large buildings and punched in the code he was given earlier. The doors opened with a buzz, he stepped inside, and begun making his way up the stairs. He counted the floors – One, two, three, and four. He turned to the side, checked the apartment number, and finally, knocked. A minute or two later, the doors opened and he was met with the familiar face of none other than Wilbur Soot. The man instantly smiled, opening the door more widely and letting him step inside.

'Hey! You're finally here!', he exclaimed, his eyes filling with glee. He turned back into the house, shouting something while Schlatt stepped inside; 'Techno! Schlatt's here!'.  
'Good, finally someone who'll help me out and won't just sit around!', came a disgruntled voice from around the corner. Schlatt turned back to the door, closed it, and locked it, making his way into the apartment. He had been there a few times over the past two years – Their close cooperation with Pete also made it a lot easier to talk to Techno himself and spend more time with him.

'I wasn't sitting around! I was... Uh...'.  
'Exactly! Schlatt, in the kitchen, please?'.  
'Right, yeah, give me a sec-'.  
'Hey, hold on, could you help me out with this?'.

The three were a mess – And rightfully so. Their five year wait had finally ended – After all the pain they had endured, after all the disasters that followed... Somehow, they were back together. The three brothers, although they wouldn't refer to each other as such on most occasions, were back together in Techno's apartment and getting ready for one of the most important days of their lives. But Schlatt was... Nervous. The idea of getting the thing he wanted, the thing he hoped for, the thing he was excited for... He had long learned those types of things didn't come to him. But, for the sake of Wilbur and Techno he stayed optimistic – And he believed Phil would come back.

He had eventually found himself sitting on the couch in the living room, thinking through things. Even when something as monumental as Phil coming back was their main focus for the day, Schlatt's mind wandered somewhere else. As it had for the past few weeks, it kept coming back to the box, over and over again, seeing it, seeing those names, seeing that counter tick, tick, ticking down. Seeing his time- No, no, everyone else's time, running out. He didn't want to apply – What would his family... or rather, Wilbur and Techno... No, his family. What would his family think if he were to turn on them and join that very group that took everything from them- Well, he wouldn't be guaranteed to join by just applying- But he'd have to spend time preparing and he'd have to-

'How are you feeling?', he heard Wilbur's, as per usual, perky voice from the side as he joined him on the couch. He turned his head, trying his best to hide his internal turmoil.  
'Excited, I guess. I can't wait to see Phil again.', Schlatt started, tapping his foot to try to relieve some of his stress. 'But... There's... Something.'.  
'Something?', Wilbur inched closer, crossing his arms. 'Well, come on. Say it. This day is supposed to be our happiest one in a while, right? Don't bottle it up!'.  
'I...'. Schlatt was conflicted. He wanted to tell him, get his opinions on everything. But if he heard that he even considered the whole thing, would he be mad? Him and Techno despised the Lunch Club – And rightfully so. But him? He was... A bit more on the fence. The Lunch Club had hurt them, and yet he still saw that potential in it. Fame, finally a good life for himself, a way to change the city in the way he thought it had to be changed...

'Wilbur?', he started. 'Can I ask you a question?'.  
'Shoot.', the other responded, hugging his knees.

'If there was something you... You really, really wanted to do, and thought you could completely kick ass at... But it wasn't exactly... Good? Well, not like that. I mean... What if people around you didn't think it was right? What if there was a risk they would all turn on you? What if... You did what you truly wanted to do, but you risked everyone you cared about leaving you behind if you did? Would you... Still do it? Or would you avoid taking the risk?'.  
'...Huh...', Wilbur sat back for a moment, thinking. 'Well, I mean... It's simple, really. In life you have to do what's right for you. Make your own life better. You deserve it, after all. So if there's something you really wanna do... Why should the opinions of other people matter to you?'.  
'...But... Those people... I care- I mean, you care about them. A lot. And-'.  
'If people that care about you turn away just because you did something that made you happy...', Wilbur paused, narrowing his eyes. 'Then those people didn't care in the first place.'.

Schlatt looked down. Would he have the same opinions once he learned the truth?

'Time to go. Phil should be getting back soon. Come on, you two.', they heard Techno call from another room, making them get up instantly.

Schlatt tried to clear his mind – For the time being, he'd focus on the man coming back that day. He'd have time to think over everything once everything was said and done, and that was a while away. Wilbur and his friend were out the door in a matter of seconds, following Techno down the stairs and out of the building. They walked to the edge of the city where Phil had agreed to meet them in a letter he sent about a month back – He had been awfully quiet following that. The whole time, though... Schlatt couldn't help but get an unusual feeling in his gut. As if something, he wasn't sure what, was about to go horribly wrong.

God, for once he prayed that fucking curse of his didn't decide to ruin his happiness.

They stood in silence. A minute, two minutes, and eventually, ten. Wilbur was stuffing his hands into his pockets nervously, his usual sign of stress. Techno kept playing around with the tips of his braid, taking the hair band off and putting it back in place, over and over. From the edge of the forest... Nothing. Schlatt could already feel his breathing growing heavy – Any time he was close to getting something he wanted, something he cared about, something he was happy with, it was snatched away. Why did he get his hopes up? Why did he care? Why did he even come here? Maybe if he never got involved with this family, Phil would be here and-

Ten minutes. Fifteen. It stretched into half an hour. Schlatt could barely breathe any more. Wilbur was starting to feel sick. Techno had already given up on the braid, instead beginning to pace around the path, back and forth, the worst thoughts overtaking him. The voice- No, it had split into multiple. It always did when he got overwhelmed like this. They told him the worst possible outcomes – He was out there, suffering, dying, maybe worse, maybe captured somewhere and tortured, maybe falling down some endless void – And worst of all, his son wasn't there to help. He wanted to cover his ears, but he'd only worry his brothers if he did. So he listened. He paced back and worth, listening to those voices and letting them completely trick him into believing the worst.

An hour, an hour and a half, and two, just like that, gone, wasted away. And he still wasn't there. He was still missing. This was all Schlatt's fault, he knew. He brought his curse along to this family. This was all Techno's fault, the voices convinced him. He hadn't been there to protect him. Wilbur... Wilbur was... Something was wrong... Something was wrong, and he didn't understand it, but it felt like his body didn't belong to him, he looked down at his hands and they weren't his and it felt wrong so wrong because there was a stranger and was the wind getting stronger or was it all in his head (it wasn't even his head it wasn't even his) he couldn't breathe and

'Hey, boys.'.

The three turned.

'Long time no see.'.

It was him. Clothes torn and lazily patched up in some parts, hair cut short and only reaching to around his ears, that bucket hat he never seemed to take off stained and messed up, Phil stood in front of them as if the past five years of endless waiting had never happened. He gave them a weak smile and waved, a large bandage on his right arm showing itself. His eyes widened as he noticed how the three were looking at him.

'What?'.

Phil giggled, a small smirk coming to him.

'Did you think I was dead or something?'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HE'S BACK!!!  
> remember kids: if there's one thing sam loves writing more than angst, it's fake-out deaths  
> not me projecting onto wilbur writing that disassociation scene... oop
> 
> i'm so happy chapter 100 is the chapter where phil comes back  
> but no seriously  
> first chapter of 2021 and it's chapter 100, i'm so happy i made it this far!!!
> 
> there's still a lot ahead of us, from the festival to the finale, but i hope you're all excited!  
> i have to get through this schlatt stuff quick, huh...


	101. The Truth (Part 18)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur and Techno welcome their father back in the city. Phil feels as though he ran into someone familiar. Schlatt makes the most important decision of his life.

Wilbur moved first.

'Dad!', he shouted out almost instantly, running forward and wrapping his arms around the other. Schlatt could swear he could hear him sobbing like a little kid, and he'd have used it to tease him in some way, but with how sweet the whole encounter was, he couldn't bring himself to.  
'Phil!', Techno said after letting out a sigh of relief, approaching more slowly but himself eventually giving into the tight hug. He definitely wasn't as emotional as Wilbur, but was acting in a way you'd never catch him acting like in public.  
'Well?', Phil suddenly turned to Schlatt with a smirk. 'Are you just gonna stand there?'.  
'Well I'm not the type for-'. Before he could even protest, the man was already pulled into the hug whether he really wanted it or not. He felt his shoulders relax. 'Oh. This is... Quite nice, actually.'.

'What's the deal with you three?', Phil suddenly pushed the group away, clearly throwing them into an emotional roller-coaster. Leave it to Ph1lza to confuse the hell out of you within the first few seconds of facing him... 'I'm late by two hours and you're already starting to panic? How did you three even make it five years without me?'.  
'Techno saved our ass like... Ten times.', Schlatt admitted with a nod to the eldest.  
'About twenty, actually.', he corrected the other with a shrug. Wilbur cut in;  
'Well it's not our fault we were expecting the worst! The world out there is a mess! And... Hey, what's with the bandage on your arm?', his tone of voice shifted as he looked down.

'Oh, this?', Phil lifted his right arm up. 'Just a cut I got. I was out caving with some friends and fell down. Turns out trying to use your wings after keeping them hidden and unmoved for five years is not a good idea – They didn't even flinch when I tried to do something.', the man looked up with a smirk as he spoke. 'But hey, this city is filled with... What did you call them years back, Techno? Freaks? This city is full of us! Maybe I should go for a fly-'.  
'Or maybe.', Techno cut in, somehow still the most mature of the family. Clearly, Phil's taste of adventure had brought him right back to that basically-teenager he used to be when he started adventuring all those years ago. 'We'll go back to my apartment, have dinner, and you'll rest up. How long since you've been in a city?'.  
'I lived in one for a bit a year back! Come on, I've not gone completely feral!'.

The four's walk back through the city was quick but blissful – The whole way, Wilbur and Techno did not stop asking their father endless questions about where he had been and what he had done. Schlatt, on the other hand, mostly kept to the back and listened in. He was definitely happy to see Phil – Of course he was. But he didn't feel the need to bombard him with questions when he was already getting the worst of it from his two eldest sons. As they passed through the plaza, Schlatt found himself, as he often did, looking over at a small box of names. The timer above it had changed – Time kept tick, tick, ticking away.

000:06:00:04

_If people that care about you turn away just because you did something that made you happy..._

000:06:00:03

_...Then those people didn't care in the first place._

00:06:00:02

_And do you care about me, Wilbur?_

00:06:00:01

_Do you care about what would make me happy?_

00:06:00:00

_Would you care if I-_

00:05:59:59

A loud chime went off as soon as the sixth hour came to an end, snapping Schlatt out of his trance. It was too late to apply now anyway. As he was called from ahead by Wilbur, he followed along. The four made their way to Techno's apartment and an evening just as he expected followed.

Some food, some drinking, laughing and joking around. Wilbur caught Phil up on everything that had happened in a long-winded, slurred and confusing rant – That man could not handle alcohol, no matter what lie he tried to tell you. Schlatt, on the other hand, kept chiming in and correcting the other's mistakes, recalling some events with slight differences and helping Phil understand the less clear parts. Techno himself instead told him all about his job and how much he had been training, improving his skill and managing that voice in the back of his head without falling into the state he was in when he first moved out. With how tired, and, eventually drunk, the whole group had gotten, barely any coherent information was exchanged that night.

But that was fine. Hell, it was great. Finally, they got that break they deserved.

Wilbur and Schlatt said goodbye to the other two and left about half an hour before midnight – They still had to somehow manage to recover for a work day following the whole thing, so it was best if they left around that time. Techno told Phil he could stay with him for as long as he wanted to, which meant the two got some time to talk with each other before heading off to bed. The man watched as his father left the bathroom and entered the living room having had changed into more loose, more comfortable clothes – And noticed something strange. Phil had gotten rid of his bandage, and his right hand was completely exposed it. And on it... A bite mark.

'So I guess you didn't trip and fall in a cave?', Techno asked as his father sat down next to him. The man looked down at his arm with guilt, touching the edges of the old wound.  
'No. No, I did not. But I didn't wanna worry you three with how all over the place you all were.', Phil sighed, looking aside. 'I... I happened to be exploring an old temple underground. And I got cornered – By a tiny, baby zombie, of all things. Can you believe?'.  
'A baby zombie?', Techno scoffed. 'That doesn't sound too intimidating.'.  
'Oh, shut up.', Phil said with a laugh. 'It was covered in golden armour, too. Head to toe. Complete juggernaut. I had practically no way of getting out of there – Add on top of that, a spider caught me off guard and bit me. A poisonous one, too... I was screwed.'.

'But you're here now. How?'.  
'Well... Here is where things get blurry.'.

'I hid in a small room, one in the ruins I was exploring. I was stuck – More and more things were gathering outside and I had no way out. I sat down and was prepared to pack it in... I closed my eyes... And then... I felt something... Warm, touch my hand.'.  
'That's... Very descriptive.'.  
'Listen, my whole body was paralysed from poison. Feeling something warm touch me was about as best as I could expect. So I opened my eyes again, despite everything being blurry, bright, and giving me a headache... And I saw something. A glimmer of light, and in front of it, the outline of a person. A person that handed me something.'.

'An antidote? A potion?'.  
'No... Something better.'.  
'And what would that be?'.  
'A Totem of Undying.'.

Phil suddenly reached into his bag, removing a small, golden statuette.

'I heard about these during my travels. Small totems that can bring you back from the brink of death.', he pointed to the eyes of the statue. 'They're supposed to have green emeralds as eyes – But the colour faded after it was used to save me. They're just grey rocks now, see?'.  
'This doesn't seem... Possible.'.  
'You have pig ears, I have wings and you still talk about what's possible and what isn't?', Phil snapped back, tracing the edges of the totem with his finger. 'There was a bright flash of colours, and suddenly, I felt... Okay. Not only that, a tunnel had appeared in front of me – One that brought me right back up to the surface.'.  
'So something magically saved you from the brink of death? Talk about convenient...'.  
'Not something, Techno. Someone. Someone came and saved me, and-'.

'...Phil?'.  
'...Yes?'.  
'Who... Saved you?'.  
'I think... It was...'.

'I...', Phil hesitated, as if what he was about to say alone could cause something horrible to happen. Or, as if he did not believe his own words at all. Or perhaps, deep underneath, it was a mix of both. '...It was a woman. I saw a flash of her face and it felt... So incredibly familiar.'.  
'You're not saying-'.  
'I don't know, Techno. That's the honest truth. But... Something about her... The way she looked at me... It felt familiar. I couldn't mistake that for anything, you know? There has never been anyone in my life that looked at me the way-'.

'Kristen's been gone for years, Phil. There's no way it was her.'.  
'...I... Suppose you're right. I probably just hallucinated it, with all that poison.'.

Phil looked down at the totem for a single moment.

_'It doesn't make sense... Where are you going?'._   
_'I'm not leaving. I'll just be away.'._   
_'I... I don't understand. Please, can you-'._   
_'It won't be long before you see me again.'._

He put the totem back in his bag with a sigh.

'Yeah... Must have been the poison.'.

\---

'Hey... Hey, Wilbur?'.  
'Yeah? What's up?'.  
'You go on ahead. I wanna check something.'.  
'Oh... Sure. I'll see you at the office.'.

00:00:10:00

And here he was again. The clock was about to strike midnight, and with it, applications would close for good. The twenty or so names in the box would be finalized as the only candidates, and interviews would take place a few weeks from now. The seventh member would be chosen from those very twenty names after careful consideration and one lucky citizen of this hellhole would get fame, money, and more power they could ever want. It was the dream of everyone in SMPLive, deep inside, whether it was something they showed openly or something they hid below layers of hate and constant jealousy ridden remarks. Wilbur wouldn't admit it, but once he got into that position of power, he'd love it, too. Schlatt? He didn't have to hide it.

He longed for it.

00:00:05:00

He came closer. There was no one around – Not a single person. Not an onlooker to tell everyone he'd been snooping around, not a reporter to tell everyone he had signed up. It was just him, the timer, and the box. The box with twenty or so names, the timer that kept tick, tick, ticking away, and a man who knew what he wanted but wasn't sure if he could commit to reaching forward and grabbing it. Wilbur's words kept circling around his mind;

_If people that care about you turn away just because you did something that made you happy..._

Or if everyone happens to despise the very thing you want to become...

_...Then those people didn't care in the first place._

...Then does anyone really care about you?

00:00:02:30

But there was something else. While that hesitation was strong, the want- No, the need for change was stronger. It prevailed above everything as a million different things clouded his mind – Everything that had lead him to this point, standing here, watching the timer tick down, now holding onto the pen left out for everyone and slowly picking up a piece of paper.

_Powerful people need powerful friends._

Just because he was doing exactly the thing Ted wanted him do didn't make him weak, right?

_Opportunities will come and you have to grasp on._

That was just common knowledge, he wasn't taking his advice, right?

_Stick around if you understand what I'm trying to say._

To this day he had trouble fully comprehending his words.

_If not... Guess this is the last time we meet._

But it wouldn't be, but he wasn't listening to him, but he sort of was, but he

It was all so fucking confusing.

00:00:01:00

He just wanted to be happy. Why did it have to be such a big deal? He looked down at the page, the pen, the box, the timer, the plaza the whatever who cares any more

No one cared about why he did it.

They'd just care that he did.

And that was that.

00:00:00:30

Jschlatt wrote down his name. His full name. A name not even Wilbur knew, but Ted of all people would know now. And a name signified trust and powerful friends powerful friends

Friends.

Friends?

00:00:00:05

Box, pen, twenty or so names, plaza, cold, cold it's cold, timer

00:00:00:04

Tick tick tick tick tick tick ticking away

00:00:00:03

His hand hovered over the box, a page with a full name trust power (friends?) in hand

00:00:00:02

He let go. It fell in. Twenty or so names and his name, his true name, his trust

00:00:00:01

The top of the box snapped shut. He looked down, realizing the choice he had just made.

00:00:00:00

'Fuck.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is anxiety personified  
> welcome to: jschlatt has a fucking break down while looking at a literal box  
> bdam gets wilder by the day
> 
> ALSO KRISTIN NAME DROP LETS GOOOO  
> THE FRIDGE HAS NO PLACE HERE  
> MUMZA SUPREMACY


	102. The Truth (Part 19)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lunch Club begins its search for a seventh member. Schlatt reveals the truth to Wilbur. Ted thinks about his friends.

_24FramesofNick, Pokimane, Grunk, Condifiction, GrizzlyPlays, Altrive, RTGame..._

A pile of twenty or so names – More specifically, twenty-two names.

_EmKay, Sneegsnag, Svyoshi, Failboat, ToxxxicSupport, Weest, Jawsh..._

To some, a very good result. But to him? Somewhat disappointing.

_Fitz, ItsAsaii, Krinios, JunkyJanker, DinksterDaily, Aztrosist, Mason..._

The last name, however, caught his attention.

_Jschlatt._

Ted Nivison smiled. He had made a prediction, bet on it, and he had been right.

Charlie owed him lunch.

\---

The gravity of the situation hadn't really dawned on Schlatt until the next morning.

He spent the previous evening listening to the four discs with Wilbur, as he always did. His friend had noted that he was unusually quiet, but he guessed it must have been from how much of an emotional roller-coaster the whole day had been. The next morning, however, he still seemed to be just out of it as he was the night prior. He wanted to say something, but he decided to keep the conversation light. If there was one thing you had to let Schlatt do on his own it was open up – Pressing on him would only make him shut himself away more. So instead, Wilbur started on some casual conversation, hoping the problem would come up itself.

'Rough night?', he asked as his friend joined him at the table.  
'You could say so.', the other responded, rubbing his eyes.

'Want some coffee?', Wilbur asked, already reaching over to a cup on the nearby counter. To his surprise, his friend did not respond. He kept his fingers pressed into his head, rubbing his temples as he muttered under his breath. '...Oh. Bad hangover?'.  
'Yeah... Let's call it that.', the other respond, not even bothering to hide his clear lie. Still, Wilbur tried to be somewhat helpful. He moved forward some medicine he had nearby.  
'Connor left this before he went to his meeting. Should help out a bit. Nice of him to cover of us for the morning, but we've still got work to do. And since you're not feeling up to it if you want me to-'.

'I applied to the Lunch Club.'.

And there it was. Like ripping off a bandage. For a split second there was relief, but Schlatt's anxieties slowly but surely built up again as he saw Wilbur's expression shift. First there was shock, then something resembling anger, and then... Something he couldn't quite place. He waited for some sort of response, unable to speak first. There was a thousand explanation he had ready – Why he did it, why he wanted to make it in, why he thought he had a chance. A million apologies for doing something he knew Wilbur would hate, a million reasons why he thought he deserved to-

'You applied... For the Lunch Club?'.  
'Yes I did. I put my name in the box in the plaza, a second before it shut. I can't take it back now, and if I don't show up to the interview, they won't let me catch a break if I waste their time-'.  
'You applied last night?'.  
'Yes I did. Ted Nivison talked to me two years back, after the fire, and offered me this. He probably predicted that this would happen and wanted me to do this, but listen-'.  
'Ted Nivison talked to you?'.  
'Yes he did. But I'm not listening to him. He probably thinks I'm playing right into his hands but I promise I'm going in there on my own accord, and that asshole has nothing to do with-'.

'Well then why did you only apply now you dumbass?', Wilbur suddenly snapped.  
'I... Huh?', Schlatt looked at him, too confused by his outburst to speak.

'Now you only have a week to prepare! We need to write you a speech, get you a new suit, get you a recommendation letter. Do you think Pete will be able to write you something last minute? Actually, Pokimane. You worked with her, right? Did she like you? I don't think she likes me...'.  
'Wait... You're...', the man looked up at his friend, strangely startled by his optimism. 'You're not angry that I... Applied?'.  
'You're doing what you want to do.', Wilbur answered with a smile. 'Why would I be?'.

_So you do care?_

'Schlatt... This has been your dream since you were a kid. And... Sure, I might be a little angry since you're gonna leave me and Connor... But why should I get in the way of your dreams?'.  
'There's no guarantee I'll get in-'.  
'Oh shut up! Of course you will. I'll make sure of it.', Wilbur leaned closer with a grin. 'Partners in crime, till the end of time. It's what we promised and it's what we're gonna stick to.'.

For a moment, Schlatt felt himself relax. His friend didn't let him have this peace for long, though.

'And we start today.'.  
'Today?'.  
'Today! Come on!'.  
'Wait- Wilbur! Wilbur, hold on-'.

\---

'First of all, let's begin with an introduction-', Schlatt started once more for about the tenth time.  
'Not genuine enough. Try more feeling.', Wilbur interrupted him, always with a negative remark.  
'How's it going boys, my name is Schlatt-', he'd try to change it up to his friend's dismay.  
'Too casual. You need to be formal, still.', the other would say, as always finding an issue.

'This is useless.', Schlatt threw aside the notes he had prepared, watching as Wilbur got up and started picking them up for about the fifth time that day. Only three days remaining until the interview and the man was yet to get his speech in order. Schlatt sat down in a nearby armchair and rubbed his temples. 'I am never getting in. No way.'.  
'Schlatt, this has been your dream for, like, what? Your whole life?', Wilbur came closer, sitting down on a dresser right next to his friend. 'And you're gonna give up just because you can't write a speech? Come on. That's not the Jschlatt I know.'.  
'We're way past the point of normalcy. I mean, I'm applying to the god damn Lunch Club. We used to despise those guys.'. Wilbur could see Schlatt was nervous – He wasn't usually like this. It was incredibly rare for him to lose his cool, especially since everything the fire two years back had put him through. This man had skin thicker than anyone else's.

'I've seen the way you look at them, Schlatt.', Wilbur leaned back, seeing his friend's eyes widen. He thought it was rather obvious he knew. 'We used to say we'd never be like them. Proper, high-up, powerful. We didn't wanna be in charge. Being the authority makes going against it harder. But we just said that because it made us feel better, right?'.  
'We didn't have anything so shitting on the people who had everything made us feel better...', Schlatt concluded from nearby, crossing his arms as he thought deeply about something.

'And still, you admired them. Even when we laughed about them, even when we talked about how stuck-up they were, your eyes lit up whenever they passed by. Don't think I didn't notice.'.  
'I didn't wanna ruin it for you. But yeah. Every day. I just wished we could be in their place. Never bothered, always in charge. Meanwhile we had to steal most of what we had. Life just seemed so much easier for them.'.

'And now, life is gonna be easier for you.', Wilbur reassured the other with a smile, one the other clearly appreciated. Already, he was feeling more relaxed. 'Because you're gonna go up there and give the best speech of your life, and they'll have no choice but to accept you.'.  
'For us, Wilbur.', Schlatt corrected him. 'If I do get in, I'm not gonna just leave you behind. It's not like those guys are gonna take up my whole life. They'll be business partners – You're my friend.'.  
'...Obviously.', Wilbur said with a chuckle and got closer, punching his friend's arm. 'But if you want that perfect future, we're gonna need to put more work in. Come on, from the top.'.

'Ugh... Can't I just go in there and make it up as I go?'.  
'From the top Schlatt, let's go! No time to waste!'.

\---

Ted Nivison looked down at the page in front of him, yawned and leaned back. He didn't think one of the most monumental days this city had ever seen would be so... Boring. And yet here he was, practically falling asleep. Well, he wasn't as bad off as Travis, at least. He was asleep.

'Can we go grab some food? I'm starving...', Charlie muttered from where he was sitting, playing around with his glasses aimlessly. As much as he wanted to agree, drop his typical “stone cold businessman” act and go along to spend some time with his friends, Ted shook his head.  
'We're not leaving this place until all twenty-two candidates come through. We've only seen...', Ted glanced down at the page, practically getting slammed in the face with the reality of his situation. '...Three of them. We've only talked to Aztrosist, Svyoshi and EmKay. Only nineteen to go.'.  
'Okay, you've got to let us grab some food. Like, this is straight-up torture. You are medieval-style torturing your friends, dude.', Charlie muttered under his breath as he put his head down on the table. Ted couldn't help but chuckle – Sure, the whole situation was boring, professional and tiring. But spending time with these five was always nice-

'Betcha I can jump over these stairs!'.  
'You are a hazard to yourself and society, Cooper.'.  
'Watch thi- Oh fuck!'.  
'Oh my god! Did he just break his fucking arm?'.

Ted's head snapped back the moment he heard something slam into the ground, finding Cooper at the bottom of some nearby stairs, his skateboard laying nearby, Joko right at the top with a concerned look on his face, and Noah to the side, grasping onto a camera and grinning. Travis was awoken by the sudden sound, yelling and accidentally hitting Charlie, who fell back in his chair and found himself on the floor. Ted looked at all five of his friends, unimpressed. He was rather used to this. If the city ever got wind of how the Lunch Club truly acted while out of the public eye they probably wouldn't be as respected as they were – After all, they were just a group of friends.

Just a group of friends with endless political power and more money they could ever spend.

'Cooper... Are you okay?', Ted asked, but it was more a formality than anything.  
'Nothing's broken, I don't think-'.  
'Charlie, are _you_ okay?', he carried on, turning to the Slime hybrid on the floor.  
'I'd be better with some chicken, you know-'.

'And Noah, can you delete that video?'.  
'...Do I gotta?'.  
'Do you _want_ to provide Poki with more blackmail material?'.  
'Ugh... Fine.'.

Ted leaned back with a sigh. As annoying as they were, they were the people he got stuck with, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't care about them. The rest of the city had its rumours – How behind closed doors they all despised each other, how Ted was the single worst person to exist. But the truth of the matter was this – Years back they were six kids who got thrown into a position of power they weren't so sure they could handle, so they had to rely on each other. Ted took charge initially, Travis ensured everyone was happy, Charlie studied and learned from the previous leaders, Joko tried to plan out how they'd co-lead, Cooper asked for input from the city and Noah tried to reach out to some of the most skilled businessmen SMPLive had.

By sticking together, they figured it out. So why would they fall apart now, of all times? The city had its rumours, sure. And maybe parts of them were true. But one thing was for sure.

They may have all been idiots, but Ted Nivison cared about this friends.

\---

'My title is 24FramesofNick, and...'.  
'I usually go by Pokimane around the city...'.  
'Uh. Grunk... I'm... Grunk. Yeah, so...'.

Travis fell asleep again, this time woken up by his friends directly.

'Condi. Condifiction, that is. I'm here because...'.  
'Grizzly! You can just call me Grizz! Hey! I'm so happy to be here...'.  
'Altrive. You probably know me as that guy who really likes CaptainSparklez...'.

Charlie got what he wanted and there was now food all over the group's tables.

'It's RT. RTGame. Not Rumble Tumble Game. No matter what they try to tell you...'.  
'Huh? Oh. Uh. Sneeg. Sneegsnag. Yeah. That's the title...'.  
'It's Failboat! Wanna know how I got that title? I had a run in with this pink sheep a bit back, and...'.

Joko had gotten distracted half way through and didn't have any notes, so he made some up.

'Hey! I run The Dome! Oh- Right, right- My name is Toxxxic. ToxxxicSupport, and...'.  
'Uh.... Weest...? Yeah, that's uh... Anyway...'.  
'So I called them a malicious hive mind existing in a bubble- Oh? My title? It's Jawsh. Anyway...'.

Cooper attempted another trick on his skateboard. You can probably guess how that turned out.

'The name's Fitz! Ever heard of the Misfits? We're selling these hoodies right now, actually...'.  
'ItsAsaii. No, it's not ass eye. Asaii. ItsAsaii. Please, don't call me ass eye...'.  
'Krinios. I'm sure you've heard of me. I'm kind of a big deal. Oh? You haven't? Oh. Well...'.

Noah started making fun of everyone coming in about half way through.

'Hey there, name's Junky! I actually own this photo shop down by the plaza, and uh...'.  
'Dinkster. Daily. What do I do daily? Uh... It's a little complicated...'.  
'Mason. I actually designed that huge tree the portal is in, did you know? Years back I...'.

Ted was disappointed and exhausted as he looked down at his list the last time. Only one person left. And for the first time since that day had started, he finally felt excited about what was to come.

He read the single name...

_Jschlatt_

...And he grinned.

\---

'Just take a deep breath and try to focus. This is the worst time to start doubting yourself.', Wilbur was trying to be the voice of reason, although he himself was stressed out of his mind.  
'I'm fucking freaking out here, man! What if they- What if they just turn me away the moment they even recognise me? Those guys pretty much hate me!', Schlatt exclaimed completely panicked.

'Schlatt! Keep it together! You're gonna go in there and you're gonna get accepted! Alright?'.  
'No, no, no, those guys hate me, they're gonna kick me out the moment they-'.  
'Stop saying that! You are literally the best businessman this whole city ever had! If they don't accept you because of some past- Well, pretty recent, actually, crimes, they're just missing out! So go in there and give it your all!'.

'Speak from the heart! Say what you mean! Don't bullshit, tell them exactly why you're there and why they'll miss out if they don't accept you! Alright?.  
'Alright! Hell yeah! Let's go, time to kick some ass, baby!'.

'Schlatt. Your jacket.'.  
'Right! Okay! Let's go!'.

Schlatt slipped on his jacket and turned around.

'Here we go! No bullshit! No fake promises! Speak from the heart – How hard can that be?'.

The businessman stepped inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FRIENDLY REMINDER ALL OF THE CHARACTERS ARE CHARACTERS AND-  
> dont mind me playing with fire with some of these lines uh-  
> hahhahahahahahahHHHAHAHAH  
> twitter isn't real twitter isn't real twitter isn't real twitter isn't real twitter isn't re
> 
> anyway in this chapter ted nivison becomes the mom friend of the group and tries to deal with 5 idiots  
> hope you enjoyed <3


	103. The Truth (Part 20)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt makes his speech to the Lunch Club. Ted shows his true nature.

And there they were.

Six people, six powerful, untouchable, brilliant people, although... One of them was half asleep, another was half way through a meal, a third kept looking at something on an old camera of his, and two more were arguing between each other. The group straightened up the moment he walked in, but it was quite clear they had been here far too long that day to keep up any level of professionalism. The only one who had his full focus on him since the start was Ted – Sitting up straight, tapping his pen on the desk in front of him, and practically burning through him the moment he wandered in. Already, he felt out of place.

'Title?', he snapped, looking down at his list. Wasn't he the last one? Why would he ask him-  
'Huh...?', Schlatt responded, rather disoriented. Ted glanced up.  
'Your title. What is it?'. You know me. _You know my name you lanky bitch, what game are you-_  
'Jschlatt. That's my title. I just go by Schlatt.', he responded, trying to relax himself.

'Right then, Schlagg.', Ted said with a rather unbothered tone. Was he trying to piss him off? It was definitely working. Trying to distract himself, Schlatt turned his attention to another one of the six people at the table, the only other one he knew – Charlie. He was nervously glancing between him and Ted, clearly himself trying to get a grasp on the situation. 'We only have one question for you, and a very simple one – Why do you think we should accept you?'.

'...That's...'.

He had it memorized. That script him and Wilbur spent the last week putting together.

'...I mean...'.

But the way they were looking at him... They weren't looking for scripts. They had heard enough of those that day. They wanted something else. Ted wanted something else.

'...It's...'.

So he was gonna give him exactly what he wanted.

'Because quite frankly, I think you assholes can't run this city for shit.', he finally said, instantly catching the attention of the whole group. Joko and Cooper ceased their argument, Noah leaned forward and rested his arms on that cardboard box he usually wore over his head, Charlie put aside his food and Travis, for the first time that day, actually appeared to be awake.  
'Excuse me?', came an instant response from Ted, however something in his tone of voice seemed to suggest he was rather amused by his words. Schlatt shrugged.  
'You heard me right. I think you six don't know what you're doing. And I've seen it first hand. Sure, the city's growing. But most of us barely have enough to keep up with those taxes of yours. People are barely managing to get enough food to survive. You have no fucking clue about how hard some of us work just to stay alive. Not your fault, obviously. You didn't chose to be raised in the rich distracts and thrown right into power. But that also means you're incapable. Incapable of putting yourself in our shoes. And that's why I'm here. Because I can do your job so much better.'.

'Unlike you I've seen the worst of this fucking city. I've seen the shit that actually needs fixing. Everyone else coming through here I can bet you all my money just wants the power side of things. They want the money, the nice apartment and the fame. They'll agree with the easiest option and won't really care about anything else. The other twenty-one candidates who came in here came in here because they want a badge.', Schlatt paused, narrowed his eyes and looked forward.

'I came here because I want change.'.

There was a moment of silence that made him think he may have gone a little overboard – His point about wanting change was good, but insulting them... On the other hand, though, insulting the people he wanted something from was kind of his brand. And it worked out... Sometimes. Okay, most of the time it backfired, but what was said was said, and he was now standing there, trying his best to make out what the group now thought of him. He didn't get a single response from them but one – Two sentences from Ted that left him with more questions than answers;

'Thank you. You can go now.'.

And although he wanted to speak, he found himself unable to. He nodded, turned, and left the room.

\---

'Oh, I fucked up.'.  
'You tried your best. Don't beat yourself up over it.'.  
'I so fucked up.'.  
'I still don't understand why you went off-script...'.  
'I am so fucking stupid.'.  
'I wish I could say something nice, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't agree.'.

If there was one thing Schlatt's “family” could not do, it was cheer him up.

Techno and Phil had taken the news about him trying out of the Lunch Club far better than he thought they would – They themselves ended up contributing to his preparations quite a bit. It was still a mystery to him why they were so supportive of a choice as strange as his one, but at this point, he gave up on trying to figure it out. Following the interview, as any other evening away from work, Schlatt and Wilbur found themselves visiting Techno and Phil in the bodyguard's apartment, talking about nothing at all and trying to catch up on all the time they missed from the previous five years.

'I think... You spoke from the heart, right?', Wilbur leaned forward, shrugging. 'At least you were honest. If they accepted you after being fake, it wouldn't feel as gratifying...'.  
'Well now they won't accept me at all. I mean, I called them incapable.', Schlatt shook his head, looking down. 'Fucking incapable. What was I thinking?'.  
'Saying what we all think.', Techno concluded. 'But that wasn't the way to do it. Those guys are fake and the only way to become one of them is to be fake, too.'.  
'At least you gave them a piece of your mind. It might make them rethink things.', Phil concluded, patting the other on the back as he sat down next to him. 'Don't get too bothered about it.'.

'This has been my dream since I was a kid.', he muttered under his breath.  
'Those stuck-up assholes don't deserve a guy like you anyway!', Wilbur cut in, as always sickeningly optimistic. 'They're gonna pick another faker to join them, and-'.  
'And that faker is gonna get everything I ever wanted.', Schlatt cut in. 'Yeah. Good for them.'.

Phil, Techno and Wilbur all looked between each other uncomfortably.

'You know what always made you guys feel better when you were kids?', Phil suddenly asked.  
'The blissful unawareness of how unfair and depressing adult life is?', Techno asked with a flat tone of voice. Schlatt simply looked at him, clearly in agreement. The father of the three spoke up;  
'Well, that might have been it. But there was another more... Simple thing.'.  
'I swear to god if you pull out that old-', Schlatt started, giving the older, a glance.

Phil removed a journal from his bag.

'Oh god, there he goes.', he finished his sentence with a disappointed look.

'Stories. More specifically, all the stories I gathered in other cities. And I didn't stop for the past five years – This journal has only gotten more full since you've last seen it.'.  
'We're not kids any more, dad.', Wilbur spoke up. 'Sorry to break it to you.'.  
'Humour me. I think you'll like this one. It's a bit different to the others.'. Despite being unimpressed, all three took their seats around the man, feeling as if they were kids all over again. Sitting around him, awaiting some sort of tale. 'In a city I visited a year back, they told me about an ancient civilisation that used to rule our world. They had many interesting beliefs – Their own gods, an entire religion, and of course, stories. Tales of valiant heroes and cunning villains.'.

'And this is the story of a man called Theseus.'.

'The man's country- Or rather, city-state, was in danger. Under threat from a fearsome beast known as the Minotaur. And so, Theseus came forward, thrust himself into enemy lines and slay the beast. He saved his city – Everyone was finally safe. But... Not everything went as one would wish it to.'.  
'Do you know what they did to him, boys? They exiled him.'. While Phil paused, the three looked between each other for a moment. A bad ending wasn't typical for a story told by this man. 'He died in disgrace... Despised by his country.'.

'But he saved everyone. There's got to be more to it than that!', Wilbur, even though he had long grown up, still spoke with that same, child-like enthusiasm.  
'There is, of course. It's not a single, short tale. But I think a conclusion can be drawn from it.'.  
'...That heroes don't win?', Techno spoke up suddenly, and something in his voice seemed... Unusual. As if the tale had truly resonated with him, in some way.  
'Not at all.', Phil spoke up, lifting his hand. 'You can learn something from Theseus. While he fell from grace, you don't have to be the same. A hero is defined by the good they do – The impact they have on the world around them. Theseus is remembered for slaying the Minotaur – And are the people who banished him remembered for anything quite as brilliant?'.

'So in the end only the person who tried to make a good change will go down in history... Rather than the one who made a bad change that never benefited anyone?', Schlatt repeated slowly, as if barely keeping up with the story. 'That a stretch.'.  
'Maybe a bit.', Phil admitted with a laugh. 'But it's a way nicer conclusion than “heroes don't win”, isn't it? I always like to look at the positives of these tales.'.  
'Can I see your journal, Phil?', Techno suddenly spoke up. Phil looked slightly confused, but still, handed the book over. The younger started flipping through it, quickly explaining himself; 'I wanna... Uh... Learn some more about that Theseus guy.'.

For a moment, Phil gave his eldest son a concerned look.

He wasn't sure what it was... Intuition? Something about the way his son looked down at those pages... Unnerved him. He had always had this unusual ability to see far beyond what most saw – To see things or people who were yet to appear before him. Something about the looks in people's eyes, the curves in their smiles, even something as simple as the colours of their hair could bring forward a feeling. And as he looked at Techno, it were as if...

_That's what happens to heroes._

Techno glanced up, smiling as he met eyes with his father.

_You want to be a hero?_

Phil looked away, an unusual chill moving down his spine.

_Then die like one!_

Maybe it was better to ignore it for now.

\---

Just a few candidates. And to Ted's disappointment, not a single one was Schlatt.

It made sense, he guessed. The other five didn't know the guy, and to them some random guy wandered in and started hurling insults at them. He couldn't do much but sit back as they discussed all of the other candidates, instantly putting aside Schlatt before they even begun their discussion properly. The room soon became split over a few candidates in particular, and even the top five picks seemed incredibly average at best. The group, as he had predicted, begun slowly struggling to make a choice the moment he stepped back. He had remained silent for practically the whole meeting – And finally, just as he predicted, he was addressed directly.

'You know, Ted, this would all go by a lot quicker if you helped out a little.', Charlie eventually spoke up, holding two pages of notes in each hand and furiously looking between them.  
'I already gave you my input. There is only one candidate I think is fitting.', Ted confirmed from where he sat, leaning back. 'The others don't interest me that much.'.  
'Oh, come on. There's got to be one of these that's good, right?', Travis looked down at the pile of notes in front of him. The pair of dog ears on top of his head – Ones normally hidden by his hoodie in public – Flopped down in defeat '...Right?'.

Ted didn't speak. He just watched the others in content silence.

'Alright. We get your point. None of these people are actually good.', Joko admitted from nearby. 'So can you stop being so dramatic and just tell us why we should go with your guy?'.  
'Being dramatic is what I do best.', the man responded with a rather relaxed shrug.  
'All Schlatt did was tell us he could do our job better than us! Sure, nobody's perfect but you've gotta admit that's a pretty strong first impression.', Noah eventually spoke up himself hunched over about two or three pages of notes. Ted didn't say much, simply shrugging.

'That's the thing...', he paused, looked up and muttered; '...Schlatt is right.'.

'You're joking.'.  
'Why would I be?'.  
'The guy called us incapable!'.  
'And do you feel deserving of this spot, Cooper?'.

There was a moment of silence in the room.

'It's no secret we have one thing in common – We were raised inside the city with everything we'd ever want. I mean, most of our parents owned multiple businesses around here. We lucked out. Schlatt did not. He's had a taste of what's it like at the bottom of the ladder – He knows what changes are best for this city. And in the end, isn't that exactly what we need?'.

He looked between the six.

'While these twenty-one are a way for us to get another good friend and average co-worker, Schlatt is a way for us to gain an enemy that can teach us a thing or two. That's all I'm gonna say.', Ted suddenly stood up. 'Write down your choice on a piece of paper and put it down in the middle of the table. We're gonna look at them tomorrow. Have a good night, guys.'.

And just like that, Ted walked out.

\---

The next morning he arrived early. He was curious.

Six unanimous votes, just as he had predicted. Every single one in favour of what he wanted. Every single one voting for the thing he chose. Every single one taking his side. Sure, the guys believed he had finally given them that “input” they craved so much. And hey, he really did consider their ideas sometimes. But deep underneath it all, the truth was as clear as day. Those five had never been in charge – In the end, in the face of a choice that mattered, as always, the six votes were all his.

Ted made Schlatt apply.

Ted made Schlatt get in.

And now, Ted would make Schlatt do everything he wanted.

Just as he made his five friends vote, just as he made Schlatt apply, just as he made Pokimane take Schlatt's job away, just as he convinced AntVenom to exile Phil all those years ago when he doubted his choice, and just as he tricked Schlatt into thinking he had won nearly fourteen years ago by making that deal, only ensuring he met Wilbur stayed away from the two other kids he had already managed to completely trick to his side... Ted Nivison would make everything he wanted happen.

He chuckled... That was pretty easy, wasn't it?

\---

Wilbur heard a cup shatter in the kitchen, making him rush in instantly. Schlatt was standing by the door, a letter in one trembling hand and a cup having had just fallen out of the other, now in pieces and on the floor. He looked up, his eyes growing wide with a mix of joy and shock.

'They accepted me! Wilbur, I got in!'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> villain ted is alive and well in this chili's tonight
> 
> i promise there's not that much of this smplive stuff left  
> i didn't realize it would take this long to get through it  
> y'all still remember the fic this was originally meant to be lmao


	104. The Truth (Part 21)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally accepted into the Lunch Club, Schlatt gives his first speech.

Things were moving faster than they could ever keep up with.

Schlatt, as unusual as it was, did not get a single meeting with the Lunch Club following him receiving the acceptance letter. He was only told to come to his own acceptance ceremony about a week later – A large event at the plaza that would provide seats for most citizens and introduce him to everyone in SMPLive. He wasn't told what would change for him, what his work would consist of, hell, he hadn't even been given his badge yet. As far as the city was aware, the group was yet to appoint their seventh member, and the announcement would come during the big event. It was one of the biggest events the city had seen in months...

And Schlatt, despite being the central star of the show, knew about as much as everyone else did.

Maybe that was what Ted intended. Leave him in the dark until last minute, throw him into his position, and think he could use him thanks to his confusion – But he wouldn't let that happen. He'd figure it out, even if it ended with him asking other members of the Lunch Club personally, he'd still manage to find a way to learn how things worked around that place. He wouldn't let some over-dramatic, washed-up rich kid boss him around. He wasn't raised like that. He was smart, hardened, capable. He could handle him just fine-

The moment he spotted the rest of the Lunch Club standing around near the stage, he froze.

He was one of them now. Whether he truly felt like it or not, those six were now his co-workers. His business partners. His ~~friends~~? He would have to see them every day, work with them, cooperate with them, make decisions with them... So why was he still feeling so... Unsure? As if deep inside, he wasn't really supposed to be standing there? As if they had picked someone else, and this was all some sort of twisted joke? As if he didn't even exist, and had made up everything from the start? As if it were a dream, and it was slowly but surely slipping away...

Turning his head, he found Wilbur, Phil and Techno. They were standing near the audience, finding seats for themselves. Connor was with them, as was the Captain and Pete. Looking at them, instantly, Schlatt felt a tinge of familiarity tug at his heart. He knew them better than he did those guys, right? They would only be co-workers. But in the end... Ted knew his name. Ted knew the name he wrote down on his application. And in a city like SMPLive, a name carried trust. Great trust in whoever you were handing that name to. A trust he had given that stuck-up prick, of all people, instead of someone like Wilbur, or someone who actually cared-

_Powerful people need powerful friends._

Schlatt shook his head as he noticed Wilbur approaching him – He had to stay focused.

'How are you feeling?', he asked, getting closer. The man turned to him, sighed and tried to let his shoulder relax. He didn't respond, and didn't even react as Wilbur came closer and started helping him with fixing up his tie – Normally, he would have snapped about something, but... The last thing he wanted was to show how stressed he was – And how incredibly confused with his feelings about his everything. This was his dream, wasn't it? This was everything he ever wanted. This was the one thing he had always strived for, the one thing he fantasised about since he was a kid.

So why did he feel so... Empty?

'I don't get why we have to make such a big deal out of this. Does everyone have to know I’m the seventh member?’, Schlatt asked eventually, speaking up for the first time since he had arrived. He didn't want to show he had started doubting himself this far into everything.  
‘You’re a celebrity now. Get used to the spotlight.’, Wilbur reminded him with a grin. He looked into a nearby mirror, seeing himself and Schlatt reflected right back. They were two kids stealing whatever they could find just a few years back – And now, here they were.

Two slightly older kids just as confused and stressed as they were years back.

'I'm gonna be staring at you if I get too stressed. Watch out for that.', Schlatt joked nervously, although he was sure he'd resort to the strategy eventually. 'I hate crowds.'.  
'Well, I'll be fine with that. But I'll stare back. And I'll probably do everything I can to make you laugh. So be careful.', Wilbur warned him with a laugh, making him relax just slightly.  
'I expect nothing less.', Schlatt admitted. 'It's gonna be easier than looking at that crowd, though...', he carried on, looking into the audience. People were already gathering, taking their seats and filling up the entire plaza. It was more than overwhelming – He had never seen that many people in one place. Even during most of the Lunch Club's public addresses, numbers were lower than this.  
'Yeah... This is gonna be a show and a half, it seems. But don't-'.

'Mr. Schlatt? I need you to come with me now.'.  
'Oh. Right, right... Uh... See you, Wilbur.'.  
'See you later. Good luck.'.

Schlatt turned to the six figures near the stage, and once again, felt hollow.

\---

Connor and Wilbur were mid conversation when they heard applause from the crowd, growing louder and louder as six figures stepped onto the stage. Six people they both knew too well – And six people who the man had very mixed feelings on. On one hand, they had hurt them – In so many ways. Phil was gone for five years because of them, they lost their home because of them, even their work now was being made harder because of them. On the other... Schlatt was about to join them. Become one of them. So how was he supposed to feel? Up until that point, he had only focused on supporting his friend in his choice, but now...

He was distracted as the crowd quieted down again, watching as Ted Nivison stepped forward and tapped the microphone in front of him. He was wearing a suit – A milky white one, of course. That man was barely seen in any other colour. He cleared his throat and waited a few more seconds for the crowd to calm down, and as chatter started rising once more, he spoke;

'Alright, calm down, relax. Thank you all for coming today. It is, after all, a very special and unusual occasion. We won’t stall for long. Let’s just get this over with. We’re all here - Let’s not waste everyone’s times.’, the man started, fixing up his glasses. It was clear he seemed to be in a rush to get everything over and done with – Did he have something else planned?  
'A week ago we finally made our choice – We chose the single person we wanted to join us as the seventh member of the Lunch Club. The choice was difficult – Everyone who applied brought something incredibly unique to the table. But we were only able to chose one.'. Wilbur could hear he was lying – He knew that tone of voice too well from his work with Schlatt.  
'And today I'd like you to finally introduce you to that very person. The person that is going to represent all of you from now on, make choices for you, and allow us to make SMPLive something we can all be proud of. Everyone, please welcome the person that is finally going to help us change this city for the better – Get out here, Schlatt!'.

No applause. Not a single clap. Not even a cheer, a whisper, a mutter. Schlatt stepped onto the stage accompanied by stunned silence that made Wilbur's heart squeeze – He couldn't even imagine how his friend was feeling up there. Already, despite saying he would only resort to it if he was stressed, he was making direct eye contact with him, as if looking for some sort of guidance. Wilbur could hear whispers arising from behind him...

'Are they not aware of what he does for a living?'.  
'How much do you think he bribed them?'.  
'Wasn't he mixed up in that scandal five years back?'. '  
'Can a man like him really be trusted with our city?'.

'...Don't they know he's a fraud?'.

_Wrong, wrong, wrong. They're wrong. Why is it so difficult for these people to give him a chance?_ While he looked slightly puzzled on what to do next, Ted carried on with his introduction as if he were ready for exactly this type of reaction. He stretched his arm out towards Schlatt, urging him to step closer. He was right by his side now, standing by him and the microphone like a startled animal. It was clear he didn't fully know what to do with himself – Ted, on the other hand, had the whole situation under control... As he always did.

'The newest member of the Lunch Club... Jschlatt. A capable businessman and a man who knows what he wants and how to get it. After all, that is why he’s here. It’s an honour to have you with us, Schlatt.’, for a moment, he lowered his voice, getting closer to Schlatt. He grabbed his shoulder, squeezed it so tightly Wilbur could see him flinch, and whispered something into his ear. He, of course, did not hear a single thing, but Schlatt heard his advice very clearly;

'Don't fuck this up.'.

Schlatt stepped up to the microphone. He had prepared something of an acceptance speech, but with how things were going, there was no way he'd be able to remember it right now. His mind was a complete mess, struggling to put together what was happening. His hesitation about joining, his overwhelming euphoria from finally standing up here, with everyone below him right he had always dreamed it to be. He finally had everything – But still, he was empty. He was empty because he knew he didn't belong up there. He was empty because everyone was doubting him. He was empty because he had played right into Ted's hands and did everything he wanted him to do-

'Hey. What's up.', he said as he approached the microphone with a casual tone of voice. His eyes moved away from Wilbur and focused on the crowd – The crowd and how unbelievably empty it made him feel. 'I can see you’re all a bit disappointed. Fair enough. I’m not exactly a beacon of virtue in any way. But you know what?'.

No. No, no, he wouldn't have it. He wouldn't let these people stare at him like he was nothing, he wouldn't let Ted treat him like some sort of puppet, he would do the exact opposite. He'd show everyone he was worthy of standing up here – And he'd show Ted he couldn't control him like some sort of loyal dog. He cleared his throat, took a deep breath and shouted out;

'Fuck you!'.

And oh god did it feel good to say that to the whole city.

‘Fuck all of you for assuming the worst of me. I’ve worked hard to get where I am, you know that? I don’t care what kind of warped ideas you have about me, because I’m up here and the twenty of you who applied are down there, so clearly I did something right.’.

And it so felt gratifying to rub his victory in their faces.

‘You keep giving people like me or Wilbur shit for our pasts, because you were all lucky enough to have everything to start with. Well guess what, bitches? I made it up here from the bottom. I came from nothing, and here I am at the top!'.

And it felt even better to finally be here able to say he made it.

‘Maybe, for once, consider why we are the way we are. Maybe, just maybe, if you had been a little kinder and bothered to step down from your high horses you’d realise where I was before I got here. Maybe, if you guys stopped being assholes, I wouldn’t be one today.’.

And it felt amazing to call them all out.

‘Jschlatt, Seventh Member of the Lunch Club, suck my dick and balls, fuckers!’.

And god, did it feel so, so good to finally feel complete.

Wilbur was first to clap. He shot up instantly, cheering on his friend despite the stunned silence around him. While the Lunch Club looked between each other, while the crowd whispered and muttered about god knows what, he clapped and cheered as loudly as he could manage. Connor joined in, too, followed by Phil and Techno. More and more people followed, people who understood where he was coming from. Fathers with oversized dirty sweaters and rowdy kids standing to the back. Close friends sitting atop distant stalls just to see everything. Kids that saw the men on stage as heroes that could do no wrong.

And of course, the five year old kids with a knack for scams and four discs stuffed carefully into their dirty bags as their only possessions clapped along too.

He had made it. It was his victory, and no one else's.

And god did it feel good.

\---

‘Just went straight for the f-bomb, didn’t you?’.  
‘Did you expect anything less of me?’.  
‘Fair... Gotta say, you gave them all something to think about.’.  
‘That was the plan... Hey, Wilbur, you there?’.

Schlatt snapped his fingers in front of his friend. Him, Connor and Wilbur had managed to find some time to celebrate alone, after Schlatt was told his work would begin in the morning and he'd finally get some explanations as to what he would do. A bottle of champagne, some glasses and a few boxes to sit on behind the stage was all they needed – They were never ones for big parties.

‘Oh... Sorry... Must have spaced out.’, he quickly responded, playing around with a Schlattcoin in his hand. Schlatt kept a bag of them around in the office. Those little coins had caused them so much trouble in the past – And now they were worthless. Really made you wonder about things...  
‘Oh come on, Wilbur. This is our start to something new. Something better. Maybe try to celebrate a bit more, huh?’, Schlatt put his arm around him, trying to be friendly. Wilbur pushed him away.

‘Start of something new for you, Schlatt. For me and Connor it’s gonna be the same old.’.  
‘Yeah... You’re the one getting a fancy new apartment and more money you could ever spend in a lifetime. We’re gonna have to keep getting... uh... creative, at Schlatt & Co. for our funds.’.  
'Do you guys actually think I’m gonna accept all those grants? Come on! I’m not leaving you! I’m gonna go to their meetings, sure, and maybe do one or two public stunts to show how cool the seven of us are but that’s it. Schlatt & Co. is my- No, our home, and it’s always gonna be. Alright?’.

‘You can’t be sure. You don’t know how much work those guys actually do behind the scenes.’.  
‘Well, I guess I’ll find out. And if I don’t have time for you two any more, I’m not gonna waste any time ditching those guys. You two are my priority, alright? Now come on, let’s have a drink. You guys don’t want to see me if I’m forced to drink all this champagne on my own...’.

Schlatt turned away, but his arm was grabbed and he felt himself being pulled back.

‘Promise me you won’t change.’, Wilbur whispered. Schlatt seemed... Surprised.  
'...People change all the time, Wilbur. But if you mean we're gonna stop being partners in crime, that's bullshit, alright? We've been through too much to turn on each other. We swore to each other when we were kids that we'd figure this shit out together... But why should we stop now that everything is fine?'.

Schlatt came closer, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

'Do you remember?'.  
'Remember... What, exactly?'.  
'When we made this promise. And why.'.  
'...We were kids, right?'.  
'More than that, dumbass. You wanna start doubting me, you better have a good reason to.'.

'Ugh... Fine... We were both ten, right?'.  
'I was seven, you were ten.'.  
'Right, and... You didn't have anywhere to stay.'.  
'My parents skipped town. Assholes.'.  
'So I asked my dad if you could stay with us.'.  
'Your older brother scared the shit out of me.'.  
'He still does. Don't bullshit me.'.

'Fine, fine. Yeah. He's still scary as hell.'.  
'And we were on the floor of my room... And you asked me why. You asked me why I went out of my way to give you somewhere to stay.'  
'And you told me it was because we were partners. And partners don't leave one another behind.'.  
'Yeah... And then we made that creed. And we said we'd follow it forever.'.

'And we will, Wilbur. That's never gonna change.'.  
'Yeah... Yeah, I hope so.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> since the start of the chapter was a bit grim, lets go with some positivity;
> 
> 1\. 300k words!!!! yay!!!!  
> 2\. we passed 35k hits a while back but i'm yet to thank you all for it, so thank you <3  
> 3\. the speech schlatt gave in this chapter was one of my favourite flashbacks, so i'm really happy i got to write it again!
> 
> hope you guys enjoyed this one <3  
> more coming as soon as possible!


	105. The Truth (Part 22)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt is toured around the Lunch Club office by Ted and learns to look at things in a new light.

_LUNCH CLUB OFFICES_   
_All Visitors Please Approach Front Desk_

And so, he was finally here. That morning Schlatt stepped into the Lunch Club office and was allowed inside without any issues, finding himself aimlessly standing around the very same waiting area where he had been for the interview a few weeks back. He was told to stay here until someone from the group came for him personally by a woman at the frost desk – She didn't say a word to him after. Everything had moved way too fast for him to keep track of time any more – All he knew is he was here, about to enter a completely new chapter in life. And did he feel ready? He wasn't entirely sure. He was still going over everything in his head, overanalysing the looks Wilbur gave him that morning, thinking through things as stupid as how weirdly the wind blew or how he heard-

The main doors, ones normally always locked to the public, finally opened with Ted stepping into the room. He looked at Schlatt for a moment – He, himself, was now curiously inspecting a large photograph of all the members on a nearby wall. Ted was sitting right at the centre of the frame in a rather large arm chair, with Travis and Charlie to his right and left respectfully and the remaining three in a row behind them. He wondered if the man had put this arrangement together himself – With him at the centre and his two closest supporters in the group right by his side. And he also wondered... Would he end up in one of these photographs, too?

'Welcome. Do you like the office?', Ted looked around, giving the photograph the two were now watching a good look. 'Get used to it. It's gonna practically be your home now.'.  
'...Right.', Schlatt looked at the men in the photo. Charlie in particular caught his attention – His hair was completely normal, a chestnut brown. Travis, on the other hand, didn't have his well known hoodie on. Noah was missing that box, come to think of it, and Cooper didn't have any fish scales. Everyone there was far younger... The photograph must have been taken sometime before the Nether Portal properly opened. Made you wonder how far ahead this group was chosen...  
'Don't worry too much about it.', Ted grabbed Schlatt's shoulder and squeezed, making him flinch. 'We're gonna take another better photo soon. I always did think I looked a bit stupid in this one...'.

'So this is it? I'm finally gonna be told what I'm actually supposed to do here?'.  
'Right, right. Sorry about the secrecy. We've never done anything like this before, so it's all fairly new. Even the old guys didn't have a seventh member.'.  
'...Seventh member...', Schlatt looked down for a moment. Empty, empty, empty. 'Doesn't really feel like it. There's just... Nothing. Am I supposed to feel something?'.  
'...I don't know.', Ted responded with a rather... Understanding, almost, tone of voice? 'The feeling kind of goes away once you make it to the top. Nothing to strive for, and suddenly... You're numb.'.

Huh. Never would have Jschlatt thought he'd agree with Ted Nivison of all people, but here he was.

'Alright. Groundwork rules. You work here, you have to respect me and all the other guys. They tell you something, you listen. They ask you something, you answer. They tell you to do something, you do it. You may be one of us now, but you need to learn before we respect you.'.  
'Sure. That sounds fair enough.', Schlatt nodded along. The last thing he wanted to do this far in was mess it up – He didn't want it all to fall apart like every good thing in his life always did.  
'That there is the meeting room. It's where we held the interviews. That's where we're gonna meet for votes and for discussions. Other work can be settled in our office, which is through the main door there. Don't worry. You'll be let in without questions the next time around.'.

Ted turned his attention to the large doors from which he emerged, stepping inside. The two now entered a rather large office, with a table at the centre as well as about two or three smaller desks scattered about. The whole place was a mess, with papers scattered about, old weapons and armours, bottles, cups and plates of long-eaten or half-eaten food... Clearly, these men prioritized their work over organizing themselves more than anything. There didn't seem to be anyone around at that very moment, but he wasn't surprised – It was still incredibly early in the morning.

'The office itself has a lot of set rules. The most important one is-'.  
'Probably no drinking or smoking? Something like that-?'.

'No apples.'.  
'I... What?'.  
'No apples in the office.'.  
'What the fuck does that even mean?'.  
'Don't bring apples into the office.'.  
'But... Why?'.

Ted narrowed his eyes for a moment.

'Just... Don't.'.

Schlatt decided to leave it at that. He was quickly walked through some basic rules; How work is carried out, what sort of work they do, and how they co-exist in the office. Slowly but surely he was getting a feel for how the Lunch Club operated – And instantly, he became worried. After all, with this much work, when would he find some time to rest? Either way, he stayed optimistic. Eventually he was lead down a small corridor, where six separate doorways with different symbols on each door could be found. He could tell they were to represent the different members – He recognized a drawing of a slime for Charlie, a dog for Travis, and a fish for Cooper. The other three were a mystery until Ted pushed open a door with a cartoonish skeleton skull on it.

'This here is my private office. And since it will take a while for you to get your own one and I still need to make sure you can work well enough, you're going to be working right here by my side.', Ted stepped inside, showing Schlatt a desk stuffed into the corner of the room, at a small distance away from the man's own. The room was otherwise rather plain, with light paint on the walls, two bookshelves and an incredibly clean and organized desk. It was practically the opposite of the group's shared office, clearly something Ted didn't pay as much attention to as he did to his private office. 'You're gonna help me out. Sit by my side, learn from me...'.

'Let's call you... My right hand man. How does that sound?'.

'...I can work with that.', Schlatt said with a nod, approaching the desk in the corner. Empty, clean and brand new. Perfect for starting a completely new life... It seemed like every day these days he was doing that. Why was it so hard for him to stay stable?  
'Once we get you settled in we'll have an office ready for you. Anything in particular you'd like to take on as your symbol?', Ted asked, receiving no answer. He sighed. 'It's not a big deal. Just something to put on doors and posters. It's all publicity. So. Animal, item, anything?'.  
'...An animal sounds good.', he said after a moment, giving the other a brief nod. He looked down, thought about everything for a few seconds, and then met eyes with Ted once more. 'A ram. I like the look of a ram, I think. Can it be a ram?'.

'Sure better than Noah's. He decided his would just be a TV...'.  
'What's with him and that cardboard box, anyway?'.  
'Well, he wanted to wear a TV instead. But that's too heavy. So we painted a cardboard box.'.  
'And why does he... Want a TV... On his head?'.  
'...I... I don't know, actually. I've never bothered asking.'.

Schlatt waited for a few seconds as he watched Ted remove something from his desk.

'And officially, I guess... I welcome you to the Lunch Club. We don't have any fancy ceremony or anything, considering this is the first time this has ever happened. But I can give you this.', he looked down, moving his hand forward and showing something he never thought he'd see after his run-in with Charlie years back. A badge – A real, authentic, Lunch Club badge. A badge that gave you more power than anything. It made people back down, it made them cower, it made them worship you like some sort of god... And it was right in front of him.

'...Right. Thank you.', Schlatt tried to say as calmly as possible, grabbing the badge and attaching it to his jacket. He touched it with the edge of his finger, tracing the edge of the engravings before attaching it fully. It was almost... Enchanting, how something so simple could be so powerful. And despite this very power now belonging to him, he still didn't feel a single bit... Excited? Happy? Satisfied? What was he meant to feel?

As far as he was concerned, he felt the very same as he would be sitting in his office back at Schlatt & Co, leaning over a table with Connor and Wilbur by his side. To an extent, he felt the very same he felt aimlessly pulling plants out of the ground in Phil's garden back when he was a kid. He felt average – Normal.

And somehow it was wrong. Empty, hollow, blank.

There was nothing.

'...You seem disappointed.', Ted concluded from his mixed expression, sitting down at the edge of his desk. Something about the way he watched him... Those eyes had a tinge of understanding in them. Schlatt looked up from the badge, his eyes eventually just drawn back to Ted's.  
'I just... Thought there'd be something more. You know. That it'd feel more satisfying, or something. I mean, I always thought being here, being a part of all this would be somewhat... Exciting? But it's just... Nothing. There's nothing. Nothing at all.'.  
'That's because that sort of satisfaction doesn't come from just being here, Schlatt.', the man crossed his arms. 'It comes from actions. You no longer have problems to strive to get rid of – You're now the one who solves the problems. That's the thing that really makes you feel fulfilled.'.

'Solving problems?', Schlatt asked with a scoff. 'You caused me more problems than you fixed.'.  
'For you, sure. In a position like this one not everyone can be happy. But do you know what happened after Phil left and your home was demolished?', upon receiving no answer, Ted carried on. 'The secondary living district was built over that land. About a hundred citizens were pulled out of homelessness and granted places to stay. You lived in that district while you worked at the Live Daily. One life was ruined – But have you ever considered about how many improved?'.  
'I...', Schlatt looked aside. 'I guess I... Never looked at it that way.'.  
'Of course you didn't. And I don't blame you. Why would you?', Ted turned his head for a moment. 'The only place from which you can see everything is the top. We're the only ones with the power to look at all perspectives – And eventually, we are the ones forced to pick the lesser evil.'.

'And what about the Live Daily incident? You lost me my job. One I actually enjoyed for once. How was that for the better of everyone?'. To this, Ted seemed lost for an answer. But just for a second. Soon enough, his usual confidence returned to him.  
'...As I've said before, it was a test. A test of your endurance. And tell me, Schlatt.', Ted smirked. 'Would you have ever started Schlatt & Co. if you still had that journalist job?'. The man was taken back – He was right, but... No, he was wrong- But was he really?  
'...I...I guess not. But there's one more thing. That stupid fucking rock. Why would you keep something so unimportant for that long? Are you really that petty?'.

'...Twelve years is a rather long time to hold onto a rock, isn't it?'.  
'You tell me. You're the one who insisted on it.'.  
'And you're the one who somehow recognized it. Pretty weird to remember a rock of all things.'.  
'I... Why did I recognize it? Why the fuck did I recognize a random rock?'.  
'I guess that day was more significant to us than we thought.'.

'I was five. You were ten. Why did we care?', Schlatt asked with more realizations coming to him.  
'I guess we're more similar than we thought. We both think about our future way too much to focus on the present. Always looking up to the top...', Ted looked aside, his eyes setting on a nearby photograph of him, Charlie and Travis far younger than they were now. 'And once we actually make it here where we've been wanting to be all this time... There's nothing.'.  
'We spent too long looking at the top to notice what was at the bottom. You know, the last thing I expected from a guy like you was to give me something to think about. But here we are.'.

Silence again. Empty, hollow, hollow empty nothing nothing empty

Admiration.

Finally, a feeling. A feeling that wasn't emptiness, a feeling that wasn't nothing, a feeling that wasn't hollow. Finally, finally he felt like he was alive, finally he felt like he had something, and even if it was just a single, sudden flash, he held on. He held on knowing he had nothing better than he could have right now, so he had to. He had to, just to make that emptiness, that complete void finally fill with something, anything at all. Schlatt looked up, realizing the source of this sudden feeling. He realized the source to be a single man. A single man who had made difficult choices, a single man who had gotten past them somehow, and a single man who was at the top, having had made it where others have not. That admiration came from this one, specific man.

And despite how unusual it was, and how he'd never imagine himself being here only a few years back... He finally felt something, and he had to hold on. And while it felt wrong, he had to admit it.

Schlatt admired Ted.

\---

Wilbur knew things would change, but he wasn't ready for changes like these.

'...And then he showed me the apartments. They have this whole building to themselves, with ten floors, an apartment on each. The other four were supposed to be for guests, but one is mine now. It's way too big for anyone to live in, to be honest. I mean, there's three bedrooms! Why would any single person need that many bedrooms? I know Charlie has Condi and Grizz living with him, but that's about it. I think Travis also has a room mate, but...'.

Schlatt hadn't stopped talking since he got back after his first work day.

'You and Connor could move in with me, you know? But... The walk back here to the office every day would probably be a bit lengthy. It's kind of nice living next to my workplace, actually. And Travis says there's a really good bar nearby they always go to whenever they have free time... Oh, did you know if you go up to the top of that office tower you can see the entire city? Nether Portal, the unbuilt districts, the highest mountain in the West. Cooper showed it to me..'.

And Wilbur wished he would stop. For a single second, he wished they could be silent.

'Ted is insisting I work with him in his office, but it's not that bad, really. He's really quiet once he gets to work. It's kind of scary how focused he gets once he gets to it, but also pretty impressive. He explained to me how he takes care of some of the business in the city. Did you know those guys take care of things as small as the placement of benches and bins around the plaza? It goes through the builders first, yes, but usually they end up making changes...'.

Because he could see, slowly but surely, his old friend was fading away.

'And Noah-'.  
'Are they better than us?'.  
'Huh? What do you mean?'.  
'The Lunch Club. Are they better than me and Connor?'.  
'What? Of course not!'.

'Are you sure?', Wilbur looked in the distance, hearing the calm opening to “Stal” beginning to play. 'You've only spent a day with them. And you've already forgotten about everything they've done to us... I mean... The reason Phil was gone for as long as he was is them.'.  
'AntVenom gave that order. The new Lunch Club had nothing to do with it.', Schlatt instantly cut in. He was defending them. He had only spent a day with them and he was already defending them. 'And... I know they did some bad things, but... I'm one of them now. Don't you get that?'.  
'Get... What, exactly?', Wilbur turned to his friend, expecting a smile. All he got was a cold, angry glare. A glare he knew quite well from before the two got close – The glare of a stranger.  
'...If you hate them...', Schlatt turned his attention to the city once more. 'You hate me.'.

Wilbur didn't say another word to him that night.

'...I gotta get home. It's a long walk back from here. Night, Wilbur.'.

Schlatt got up as the song came to a close, not even attempting to loop it once.

And as he walked away, for a single second, he could feel an unusual chill in the wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for your understanding on the previous chapter. please don't mention the situation during any point moving forward, thank you <3
> 
> i tried to put some more light-hearted moments into this one considering things have been messy all around lately... but it all spiraled into angst anyway- 
> 
> anyway.... ted!!! chapter!!!  
> good ted? question mark?
> 
> "schlatt admired ted"  
> hm... doesn't that sound familiar?


	106. The Truth (Part 23)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt and Wilbur begin drifting apart.

Schlatt, despite everything, always made time to come around and listen to the discs.

\---

He was about a week into working with the Lunch Club when for the first time he was faced with a hard decision – And it wasn't deciding between evicting some innocent family or costing a fifteen year old his dream job like he expected – It was far more personal than he could ever predict it to be. Ted and the others agreed there was a matter that required a long meeting, and it was a matter that had to be settled that very evening. The only issue was that the meeting would make him miss his usual walk down to the Schlatt & Co. office - It'd be too late to go there, listen to the discs, and come back by the time he was free.

And so came his choice – Skip the meeting and go to Wilbur, or go to the meeting and, for the first time ever, skip their usual routine willingly. He could of course risk his position with the Lunch Club – But he had promised Wilbur that nothing would change, hadn't he? What sort of partner in crime was he if he didn't keep his promises? It didn't seem right to abandon him like this... But it didn't seem right to skip out on his duties, either. But-

Ah, who the fuck cares. Wilbur mattered more than six stuck up assholes.

\---

Schlatt skipped one day, but Wilbur was sure it wouldn't happen again.

\---

He could always tell when Ted was angry at him. Even only knowing him one week, it was clear.

'...I didn't want to ask in front of everyone last night.', he spoke up the moment Schlatt entered their shared office, quickly taking his seat at his desk. Already, the older had laid out a large pile of paperwork for him to take care of. 'But why the hell were you late to the meeting?'.  
'Had something to take care of... Sorry. Won't happen again.', he quickly responded. He could practically feel Ted's eyes burning into him, but he tried to direct his attention to the work laid out in front of him, trying his best to focus his attention on something else.  
'Sorry, won't happen again is all you have to say? You're lucky you came back for the vote. We would have been split again otherwise.', Ted paused for a moment, and noticing the other's unwillingness to answer, carried on; 'Where were you? What were you doing?'.

'I had something to do. Why is it such a big deal?'.  
'Because you skipped an important meeting.'.  
'I didn't skip it. I showed up late-'.  
'Answer my question. Where were you?'.

'...With Wilbur.', Schlatt eventually admitted, realizing there was no way he could lie to this man. He could see right through him – How did he manage that? '...I promised him I'd visit every evening. I... I couldn't break that promise. It sounds stupid, I know, but there's more to it than it seems. Listen, I gave my vote and I looked over everything that was said. How bad could-'.  
'You still don't understand, do you?', Ted snapped. 'It's not that simple. You can't just skip out and do whatever you want. We need you here. That's why we chose you. We need a seventh voice, not someone who will make a random choice and call it a day. That's what we used to do – That's not why we chose you. You need to put more work in if you want respect around here.'.  
'I- I'm sorry, I didn't realize... I didn't think it would be such a problem...'.And for the first time since the start of that day, Ted actually seemed to relax. He sighed, sat back and looked down.

'You have to understand, Schlatt. You're one of us now. And you're gonna have to make the same sort of sacrifices we do. We don't get to skip out on work to see old friends or spend time with family. With a job like ours the Lunch Club comes first – Everything else is second. This city is relying on us. In a situation like this we choose them above us. Do you understand?'.  
'...I do.'.

'You can still back down. I'd understand if this is too much for you. We were trained for this from a young age – Only staying around each other, taught the truth about how this job can take a toll on you. You came from the outside. You're unprepared. You're weaker than us. So if you want to step down... I am now giving you the chance to.'.  
'...I'm not weak.'.

'Right then. Make your choice. Is it gonna be Wilbur.... or us?'.

Schlatt looked down at his desk, that photograph of him, Wilbur, Techno and Phil that Wilbur gave him on Christmas a few years back standing at the edge. He glanced up at Ted with a nod.

'...I choose you. I choose the Lunch Club.'.

\---

Schlatt only managed to come around once a week, but Wilbur still appreciated it.

\---

'And that's about it. Congratulations. Welcome to Schlatt & Co.'.

Connor watched as Wilbur spoke to the two in front of him, one being a young boy with milky white hair and a pink hoodie and the other being brown haired with a green hoodie with a yellow stripe over it. Their names were Ty and Altrive respectfully – And they were the two newest additions to their company. With more clients, an expanded office and a lack of Schlatt to help them out it was only natural they hired new workers. Altrive as a replacement for what their friend used to do, and Ty taken in as an apprentice. He was still rather young – Only fifteen in age.

'Hey! Guess who finally got some time off!', the doors opened and none other than Schlatt stepped into the office, as he often did completely ignoring the 'closed' sign on the front door. The place was practically his, after all. His name was hanged above the doorway and most of his items were yet to be moved from here – He was as much of a part of the company as he was weeks back.  
'Hey! Schlatt!', Connor exclaimed almost instantly, meanwhile Wilbur stepped back. 'How about you teach this newbies how things work around here? We need someone with skill to teach them a thing or two, right Wilbur?', he turned to his friend, and upon seeing his mixed expression, his good mood instantly slipped away. The man tugged at the edge of his sweater and shrugged.  
'Right.', Wilbur whispered with a flat ton of voice. 'We need someone with skill.'.

Schlatt wanted to ask something, but was instantly interrupted.

'Woah! Schlatt! From the Lunch Club! You're like- The coolest!', Ty suddenly exclaimed, jumping forward. 'I've been a huge fan of you since you joined last month! You're like, the best guy on that whole group, you know?', the fifteen year old came closer, grinning as he did.  
'Oh- Well- I'm sure I'm not as great as you think-', Schlatt tried to explain, clearly overwhelmed by the boy's optimism. Luckily, Connor was there to help out.  
'Ty, come on, give him more space. I need to walk you and Altrive through some technical things.', the man looked over at the other two before taking Ty and Altrive into a separate room. 'I think these two need some space... And some time to talk.'.

And with a look that said far more than words could, Connor left the two all alone.

'...You haven't come by all of this week.', Wilbur said looking aside.  
'...I... Sorry. I don't have time these days.', Schlatt took a seat on one of the nearby chairs. 'But hey, I got some time off and came down. Today has been a slow day. So here I am.'.  
'Right...', Wilbur nodded along, unable to put into words everything that he wanted to say. No matter how hard he searched, he could not find the right words.

'I'm sorry I don't have time for you guys any more. But things are gonna slow down soon. We've had some important things to take care of, but we're finally slowing down. Maybe we should all have some sort of party? Nothing big, but... Phil and Techno could come by? Maybe Pete and the Captain too? I'm sure they'd love to catch up-'.

'You talk too much.'.  
'...What do you want me to say?'.  
'That you didn't break our promise.'.  
'...I didn't. And I won't. And-'.

'Come by today, then. This evening. Come listen to the discs with me. Show me that nothing has changed and let's go up to the roof and listen to the four discs like we always do.', Wilbur offered, knowing that there was only one way he could test if his friend still cared.  
'I... But... Today? Wilbur, I've got work-', Schlatt tried to explain. Wilbur could never understand, he could never understand the sort of pressure he was being put under. Constant work, expectations to live up to, kids to be a hero to and people to improve the lives of. He didn't understand.

'If you still care, please, promise.', Wilbur said because he didn't understand.  
'Right... I promise.', Schlatt lied because he didn't care any more.

'I promise I'll come by this evening and listen to the discs with you, okay?'.

And he did not.

\---

By this point, it was a surprise if Schlatt came to listen to the discs once a month.

\---

'Something's on your mind.'.  
'How can you tell?'.  
'I'm good at reading people, I guess.'.  
'Right. Of course you are.'.

'...So what is it?', Ted leaned forward suddenly, him and Schlatt as always shut away in his office working away on something in silence. It was becoming sort of routine... Every evening sitting side by side, saying nothing and trying to calm down after a long day. He always looked forward to it.  
'Just... Wilbur.', Schlatt started, and already, he could see Ted getting ready to roll his eyes. He didn't take the two's friendship as seriously as he did, most likely, but he didn't blame him. No one could fully understand the sort of things those two had made it through and how close it had gotten them. 'I don't think he gets just how much work I have to do.'.

'No one from the outside ever does.', Ted instantly spoke up, his usual tone of understanding flooding his voice. Schlatt heard it so much these days – He wondered if it was even genuine any more. 'I mean... Did you know what you were getting into when you put your name in that box?'.  
'I knew I was... Getting into something for sure, but...', Schlatt sighed. 'Wilbur was so supportive then. He said that I should follow my dream, or whatever. So why is he suddenly turning his back on me like this? It's not my fault I have so much I have to do.'.  
'Maybe he isn't as good of a friend as you thought him to be.', Ted suggested with a shrug. 'Some people are just like that. So sweet on the outside... But rotten on the inside. It's a shame, really.', he paused, taking a deep breath. 'You just don't know who to trust any more.'.

'I'm sure he'll get it eventually.', Schlatt carried on to Ted's dismay. God, did he ever shut up about Wilbur? Could he not appreciate everything that was right in front of him? Everything he was giving him? 'He just needs time. This is all new for everyone here, so I mean-'.  
'You've been with us for three months.', the older stated instantly, making his right hand man flinch. 'If he doesn't get it by now, he never will. It's as simple as that, Schlatt. You need to stop holding onto someone who doesn't care as much as you do.'.

'...Maybe you're right.', he eventually admitted after some thinking.  
'I am. That's how I got as far as I did.', Ted smirked to himself as he spoke. 'You know what? I think it's about time we start making you your own office. About time you get independent with your work. And you'll finally speak when we're on stage, instead of just nodding along with me.'.  
'About fuckin' time. Thought you'd never let me do my own thing.', Schlatt muttered under his breath, a small smile coming to him. What was he even so upset about earlier?  
'Keep talking like that and I won't.', Ted responded with a laugh. He could see he had managed to distract the other from whatever was on his mind.

Good.

Productivity always dropped when personal issues got involved.

\---

Schlatt didn't come around any more.

\---

Wilbur was

Wilbur didn't

Wilbur wanted

Why? Everything was so wrong and why was it wrong why did he hate him why why why

Did he do something wrong? He had been such a good friend why was he turning away did he do something that wasn't right did he do something

Had to do something had to fix this had to let go had to move on had to had to had to had to

He was on the roof. He was on the roof by the jukebox and he watched the city from the edge. He watched the city from the edge as they always did. He watched the office Schlatt worked at, the building Schlatt always thought looked stupid, the billboard him and Schlatt would always laugh at and why did he keep thinking of him when he wasn't even

One disc, two discs, three discs, four discs and now it's raining and it's so hot

The rain was warm, as warm as the tears streaming down from his eyes, as warm as a summer day in his childhood he wished he could come back to as warm as something something whatever anything who cares any more no one cares he doesn't care

_I don't care._

The music stopped. The discs were back in the bag. The jukebox stayed. Rain. Hot. Hot warm rain

_He doesn't care I don't care any more_

Wilbur came closer to the edge. He looked down. The rain was pouring down (was it his tears or the rain was there a difference did it matter if it would all fall to the floor either way?)

_But I do care I care so much and that's the problem I care_

He'd had enough. He'd had enough of caring about someone who'd never care again. He watched it fall. He watched the jukebox fall with the rain, crash down below and shatter into a million pieces, leaving behind a pile of garbage and four discs that would never play again.

_They don't have to. I don't care any more._

But he did. He always would.

He screamed, and as he did, a single thunderbolt struck the tallest building in the city;

'God _fucking_ dammit!'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> going forward from this point, most of the chapters are planned out/have been in planning for a LONG time  
> i am SO excited about where this story is heading now  
> and i promise we're coming back to the normal story soon-  
> just a little more schlangst-
> 
> sorry about the heavy angst in this one!!! uh-  
> the ending part was inspired by that one scene from "i'm not okay with this"  
> great series, full thing is on netflix, i hella recommend it


	107. The Truth (Part 24)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unusual storm begins in SMPLive, causing concern.

It rained that morning.

It wasn't the best start to a day that was supposed to be a good one, but he didn't mind much. The weather cleared up again by the middle of the day and the sun came out once more, giving Schlatt a bit more hope. He walked from his apartment, into the office and past the large doors same as he did every morning. The woman at the front desk gave him a pleasant smile – It had been almost five months now that she saw him walking in like this every single day, and she was far from a stranger. And yet, weirdly enough, he was still yet to learn her name...

He stepped inside. Already, he found Travis and Charlie sitting together somewhere and discussing something, the former helping the latter fix up a nice, clean shirt he had put on. Ted was talking with the other three in the corner, but ceased the conversation the moment he saw his right hand man walk in. He turned, wearing clean white shirt with his badge proudly displayed on it. He was clearly dressed for some kind of occasion – As was Schlatt. As was, everyone in the room, actually. Finally, they would take a new photograph for the waiting room – About time the old one was taken down.

'There you are! Thought I'd have to come wake you up myself.', Ted said with a joking tone, although there was a hint of anger in his voice. It was something Schlatt had noticed about him – How he'd say something while making you understand a completely different message.  
'I guess dressing nicely takes a bit more time than I anticipated.', he responded, looking down at his outfit. A clean suit, with a nice, red tie, and his badge fully on display.  
'Well, no big deal. Junky is still setting up that camera. Just do whatever you want, I suppose. Make sure you look your best. This is the first image of you most will see. Gotta give them your all.'.

Schlatt turned to a nearby mirror, fixing up his jacket.

He had been with these people for five months now. He had worked alongside them, he had learned from them, and he had taught them things. But he also grew close with them. Where he had expected to find co-workers he had found friends – He had found Charlie, who was the most fun person to talk to, even with his love of shitty puns. He had found Travis, who never failed to be the heart of the group. And of course, he had found Ted – who taught him more than he could ever learn from anyone else, showed him how to remain strong, and showed him what it meant to be a part of this group. The people on the outside would never see that, though.

The people on the outside wanted a hero. A leader. Someone who could be followed.

'Right... Gotta give them my all.'.

\---

It rained for a whole day.

Despite the crappy weather, Wilbur, Connor, Altrive and Ty had no problem getting together to celebrate. Schlatt & Co. had been growing more than before in the past few months – They were making money, expanding their office, and finally getting more recognition in some of the richest parts of the city. Even the Lunch Club itself seemed to be happy to make deals with them from time to time – Even if it was just one member working off-the-books.

'I just think you could put a bit more work in-'.  
'Oh, come on, kid, don't do me like that-'.  
'Watch it, Altrive! One day that kid is gonna outdo you in everything!'.  
'I doubt it! I mean, look at him! No offence, Ty.'.  
'Hey! What's that supposed to mean?'.

'You alright there?', Connor suddenly asked Wilbur, who glanced up. He had a blank, almost lifeless look in his eyes. He had been listening into the sounds of the rain outside until that point – Focusing on how the droplets fell, hit the window, making an unusual melody...  
'Just... Tired, I guess. Weather like this gets me down.', the man said with a shrug. He looked up at Altrive and Ty – The two were now laughing between each other, stuck in a half-serious argument about god knows what. It was nice seeing them like this – The two had really grown on him and Connor since they started working there. They were good additions to the company.

'You know, I've been thinking about changing the name of the company.'. Wilbur flinched.  
'I... What? Why? Why would we do that?'. Connor, clearly, did not say his next words with ease;  
'Schlatt doesn't work here any more. He doesn't even have a share of the company.'.  
'But... We started it with him. That wouldn't be fair, would it?'.

Wilbur and Connor stayed in silence for a moment, the sound of the rain accompanying them.

'Just think about it, Wilbur.', Connor sighed, looking away. 'It might make it easier to move on.'.  
'...Maybe.', Wilbur admitted, looking down at his hands. 'Maybe it will.'.

He looked out the window for a moment. He felt incredibly cold.

\---

It rained for three days straight.

Techno knew that was unusual. Even with how the weather was around this time of year, rain like this didn't seem right. He had found himself sitting by the window with a book for the third day in a row now, barely paying attention to the words as his mind kept getting drawn back to the weather outside. He had lost himself in thought when Phil suddenly caught him off-guard by getting closer to him, setting down a cup of tea next to him. He turned his head, meeting his father's gaze.

'Oh. Thank you.', Techno said, looking at the drink. Things had gotten so slow and lonely around their house since Wilbur and Schlatt stopped visiting – It was just the two of them for most evenings like these. 'I was just meant to make some myself.'.  
'Thought I'd help out. I don't have much more to do, really.', Phil explained, sitting down next to his son. He noticed something – Something about his hair, to be exact. He moved his hand forward, grabbing onto a strand. At first Techno tensed up, but he soon relaxed. 'Hey, mind if I try to braid it? It's been a while since I've done it. About time I practice.'.

'Sure...', he muttered, still focused on the rain. 'Go right ahead.'.

'The weather's been a little bad lately, hasn't it?', Phil started, carefully handing the little strands of hair between his fingers and tying them together.  
'It's so weird... It doesn't rain like this around here normally. Even during the bad seasons, it would stop at night. But it just goes on and on and on...'.  
'Do you think it's something to be concerned about?', Phil asked, still working on the hair. Braiding it was a bit more complicated than he remembered it to be, but most of it was muscle memory.  
'I don't know. Some businesses are already shutting down for a while since they can't do much in the weather. The crappy buildings in the old living districts are getting leaky. And the rain...'.

'...What about it?'.  
'It's... Warm.'.  
'I've noticed that too. It's almost like...'.  
'Tears. It feels like tears, doesn't it?'.

Phil looked out the window with a sigh.

'I hope this passes. I don't want more trouble for you boys.', Phil muttered under his breath, continuing his work on the braid. Techno put aside his book and put full focus on the rain.  
'Trouble follows this family around everywhere it goes.', he noted, looking down. 'Let's just hope this time it's not as bad as all the previous ones. We really deserve a break.'.

And the rain carried on, unstopped by their words.

\---

It rained for a whole week, and they finally knew they needed to address it.

It wasn't normal. Schlatt was the first to bring it up to everyone, and soon enough, Ted agreed with him. The seven had to go and speak to the city – People were becoming concerned over everything. Usually, the Lunch Club would come to their addresses with answers. But this time, even their elusive leader didn't seem to have a clue on how to approach the situation. Still, people were asking questions, and where questions were being asked, answers had to be given. They were the ones who had to have – Or at least pretend to have – Those answers.

And that's how they found themselves here.

Sitting at a large table on a stage in the plaza with a roof over them to keep them protected from the rain, meanwhile a large crowd stood in front of them with raincoats, jackets and umbrellas that got destroyed by the wind before they could even be properly used. If it weren't for their microphones, there would be no way for them to be heard above the thundering of the rain combined with the lightning striking something in the distance every now and then.

'Please, everyone, calm down!', Charlie tried to speak over the crowd, chatting between each other and shouting out things. Schlatt couldn't understand a single thing over the rain – All he knew for sure was that Phil, Techno, Wilbur and Connor were all in the crowd. And that was enough for him to feel uncomfortable – Why did they have to be there?  
'If we all settle down, we can figure this out together-', Travis tried to cut in, but found himself ignored. Soon enough, the others joined in with their own pleas to the crowd, while Schlatt remained silent. He had gotten so used to shutting up and nodding along with Ted that now, being here, with his own will to say anything... He couldn't find anything to add. He watched as Ted grew more and more frustrated with the crowd, and eventually, shot up, snapping;

'If everyone could finally shut up and let us speak then maybe we could actually try to explain what the hell is going on here!', he shouted out, everyone growing silent instantly.

Schlatt sat back. If that wasn't impressive, he wasn't sure what it was.

'This rain is by no means normal – This kind of weather is never seen around here, not to mention how warm and unusually strong it seems to be. I don't want to hide a single thing from this city – So I will simply state facts here.', Ted paused, taking a deep breath. 'Water levels have been rising in the nearby rivers. If this rain carries on at the rate it is now... SMPLive may be in danger.'.

An uncomfortable murmur went through the crowd.

'I would like to be able to say that there's nothing to worry about, but I do not want to lie. This is a cause for concern. Something isn't right and we are all in danger – Which is why now, more than ever, this city needs to work together.', Ted looked over the crowd, allowing it to quiet down. 'I want everyone who can to help us with figuring out the possible cause of this – Or, any way for us to slow it down, avoid it, or assure our safety from it. Anything at all is welcome.'.

Schlatt could see Wilbur – Something in his expression was... Unusual.

'We can get through this. As long as this city stands strong and united, we can find a way to get out of this. All I ask of you is for your cooperation – And for all to work together to try and get us out of this situation. We will update you on our situation as often as possible – Thank you for your attention. Now, let's get to work.'.

And just as they always did, they stepped down. But this time, there was no cheering, clapping, or questions. Now all that remained was stunned, fear-ridden and confused silence. A few reporters got up and started chasing them down with questions while they walked away – Despite the rain falling on him, the questions being hurled at him, and people grabbing onto him, Schlatt tried to walk forward. Ted had told him to always ignore anyone who didn't matter to him personally – Walk on and not let himself be distracted by random reporters. Only answer questions he wanted answered – And that was that. But that particular time, someone unexpected stopped him.

'Schlatt, stop! Hold on!'.

He turned back upon being grabbed, finding none other than Wilbur looking back at him.

'...Please! Just talk to me! For once stop turning away and talk to me, okay?', he screamed out over the rain, his face flooding with so much desperation it was clear he had been wanting to say this for longer than he could possibly admit. Schlatt looked back at him, feeling the eyes of the crowd around them burning into him. Ted looked, too. And yet, he did not say a word.  
'What... Do you want?', Schlatt asked rather coldly, looking around. Reporters, citizens, children who viewed him as a hero... He had to be careful. He had to be so, so careful, but seeing Wilbur's face again, seeing his eyes looking at him like that... Already, he could feel his facade breaking apart, his mask shattering, the lies fading away and all that was left was-

'I'm so fucking done with this, okay? I don't care if you're important, or famous, or whatever now, okay? I want my friend back! Where did he go, huh? Where did- Where did the guy who I listened to the discs with every evening go? Where did the guy who would never let anything happen to me go? Where did the co-founder of our company go?'.  
'I don't-', Schlatt tried to say, but upon feeling a tight squeeze on his shoulder, went silent. He knew that squeeze far too well – Ted was right behind him, sending him a signal. Sending him a signal about all of the eyes set on him right now – And all that was on the line.

'Are you gone for good? Should I give up? Or is there still a chance?'.  
'I...'.  
'Am I never gonna get you back, or is it over?'.  
'That's...'.  
'We made a promise, remember? Do you remember?'.  
'A promise...'.

'We're partners in crime. Remember?'.

The rain carried on. The crowd watched. Ted squeezed his shoulder more tightly.

'Schlatt... Please? Partners... In crime? Right?'.

The rain was warm. The crowd was scared, cold, confused. Ted was irritated.

'Please... Please, please tell me I haven't lost you yet.'.

Ted suddenly leaned forward, speaking into Schlatt's ear;

'Do you know who this man is, Schlatt?'.

And he looked back, a million things filling him as he watched Wilbur's face grow more and more distressed with each passing second. He felt the rain fall on him, the crowd staring at him, and he felt the tight squeeze on his shoulder.

'No, Ted.', he whispered, feeling the rain around him grow stronger. 'I have no idea.'.

He turned away, and without looking back, he walked.

\---

It would not stop raining. No matter what, it would not stop raining.

Wilbur dropped a bag in front of the Lunch Club office that morning, feeling the rain dripping down his hair and clothes as he whispered quietly under his breath;

'Partners in crime?'.

And as Schlatt picked up the bag he found in front of his office, one filled with four discs, he spoke slowly and carefully knowing it may be the last time he ever got to say it;

'Till the end of time.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DOUBLE CHAPTER UPLOAD!!!  
> im going back to school (albeit online) on monday, so...  
> gonna treat you with this since stuff might slow down  
> hope you enjoyed!


	108. The Truth (Part 25)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Captain meets the Lunch Club regarding his theory as to who's causing the rain. Schlatt and Charlie talk and share secrets. Ted receives news he isn't quite ready to face.

'Apologies for waking you up, gentlemen. And thank you for meeting me at such short notice.'.

If there was one state Schlatt never expected to have a meeting in, in his pyjamas and practically falling asleep while leaning over a table was definitely it. The whole Lunch Club was there, forced out of their beds in the middle of the night for an emergency meeting with an unusual guest. Ted, of course, was the only one who had somehow found time to fully dress himself into something nicer, sticking out like a sore thumb in the group of exhausted, half-awake men. Their visitor, however, didn't seem to mind their state – He himself looked like he had barely slept that night.

And their unusual visitor that day was none other that CaptainSparklez.

'Just speak, Jordan. Why did you wake us up in the middle of the night?', Ted asked, and although he was nicely dressed and rather composed, it was clear he himself wasn't too happy about his sleep being interrupted like this, either. The older man opened a journal he had brought with him.  
'I may have figured out what is causing the rain – But it is all very theoretical. You have to bear with me here – I'm trying to pull logical answers out of basically nothing...'.  
'A theory is better than nothing.', Schlatt spoke up. 'Just tell us what you know, Captain.'.  
'...During my research of the Nether ever since we first opened the portal I learned many things. One of these things was how the Nether affects us – I'm sure I don't have to explain Hybrids, Ancestors and Anomalies to you all over again. I believe we have one of each in this room alone, don't we?'. Schlatt looked around. He knew Charlie, Travis and Cooper were Hybrids, but he'd never be able to guess who in the room was to be an Ancestor and who was an Anomaly.

'Yes. We know as much. Carry on.', Ted quickly said, clearly engaged in the theory.  
'Well an Anomaly is only the first stage of something I am... Yet to understand.', the Captain paused, going over his notes once more. His eyes were tired, with dark bags under them. He must have had been working on that theory of his all night. 'But there are two more stages.'.  
'Two more stages after an Anomaly?', Charlie asked, leaning forward. 'How is that?'.  
'The third is still unknown to me, but it is something so dark and twisted it's better that we have not encountered something like it yet. The second stage, however – We have not faced one yet, but I believe it may be the cause of our issues right now.', the Captain paused, taking a deep breath.

'An Anomaly, with enough time spent in the Nether, is eventually destined to become a Source.'.

'That doesn't sound good...', Travis muttered, waiting for the Captain to carry on.  
'A Source is a person so corrupted by the Nether's energy that they begin channelling it into the Overworld. They will usually begin causing abnormalities in the world around them – A drastic change in the weather, for one, can be a sign that a Source is among us in SMPLive.'.  
'Well who is it?', Cooper instantly asked. 'Let's just get rid of them.'.

'It's not that simple. There is no way to tell if someone is a Source unless they, themselves, realize it and admit to it. Or, if we happen to catch them doing something particularly unusual. And the worst part is... The Source themselves would have no way of knowing they are one unless they truly looked – and it's not something someone just... Considers, on a daily basis. These sort of events usually only occur during high stress situations, or moments in which the person is in emotional distress – It allows the Energy to come through more easily then.'.  
'...So someone in SMPLive is bringing forward the end of the fucking world?'.  
'I wouldn't put it so crudely. The flood will only rise higher and higher until the Source either stabilizes emotionally or... Well, dies. And since randomly pointing to everyone emotionally unstable in this city and ordering their death – And trust me, there's a lot of people like that here – Will make you seven look like complete tyrants... Our best bet is to assure the safety of the city until the Source can be located and disposed of.'.

There was a moment of silence. Schlatt was the first to speak up;

'Any suggestions as to what we do now, Captain?'.  
'...Mason is a skilled builder.', the man started, looking around the room. 'If we begin construction on some sort of bunker now, we could have something stable and large enough to keep the citizens safe once the flood reaches us. We can build it in the mountains to buy us more time. If we're smart about it and make some farms inside... We could make it in there for roughly... six months? And... That's a very optimistic view of it. But we won't have to stay that long, hopefully.'.  
'You have a plan past that point?', Ted cut in, once more taking charge of the situation.

'Once everyone is safe picking out the worst off citizens and interviewing them one by one will be easier. I could have the Source figured out in a month or less.', the Captain looked up from his notes and met eyes with Ted. 'Based on tolerance, time spent in the Nether and the mental well-being of every citizen I could pin-point a few candidates – From there it's just a matter of trying to calm them down and seeing who's peace of mind brings about the end of the storm.'.

'And then what?', Travis suddenly spoke up. The Captain met eyes with him.  
'After we know who the Source is... The safest thing for us to do as a city would be to...', he hesitated, unsure if he could bring himself to say it. 'Eliminate them.'.  
'And what if they happen to be friends? Family?', Charlie cut in, practically pleading for mercy for the unknown person. Schlatt remained silent. Very, very silent.  
'...We'll cross that bridge when we get there.', Ted concluded the meeting, standing up. 'Thank you for the information, Jordan. I'll contact Mason and put our full focus on the bunker as soon as possible. Let's hope we can get it done before the situation gets critical.'.

'We're gonna meet again about this in the morning.', he turned to address the other six as the Captain said his goodbyes and departed. 'I think we all deserve some rest right now. Go back home and sleep. Meeting is at eight, first thing tomorrow.'.

Schlatt walked back to his apartment, the rain drenching him as he did.

And this time around, something in the rain felt strangely familiar.

\---

'Hey? Hey, Schlatt? You awake?'.  
'Huh? Oh. Yeah. Barely.'.  
'Just a little longer. We need to get this done.'.  
'I know... I know... Fuck I'm so tired...'.

Ted had separated the Lunch Club into three groups – Him and Travis begun planning the bunker with Mason, Charlie and Schlatt begun putting together a list of all citizens and various elements of them, such as age, gender, occupation, Nether tolerance, and many others, and the remaining three were put in charge on contacting various workers throughout the city to secure materials for the build. They had only been one day into preparing for the inevitable disaster that would strike soon, and already, Schlatt felt like everything was spiralling out of their control. He had never expected he would be doing this of all things when he started working with the Lunch Club – But here he was, and he sure as hell would not ignore his duties.

'God, could we have gotten a job more boring than this?', Charlie spoke up, rubbing his eyes. 'Out of all the things you could be doing in the apocalypse, we get paperwork. You could say it's... Catastrophic.'. Hearing Schlatt do nothing but groan, the man laughed. 'Okay, okay. That was a bad one. I cope with jokes, alright? Don't mind me and my shitty sense of humour.'.  
'It's better than sitting in complete silence. That's how Ted likes to do his work.', Schlatt said with a chuckle. 'He just... Stares at a page for an hour and ticks like... One box. Is that how he makes those infamous “picking the lesser evil” decisions of his?'. The two men laughed instantly. Their exhaustion was definitely making everything funnier than it actually was.

'Hey. Let's play a game. I can't focus on this anyway.', Charlie looked up for a moment. 'Well, not really a game. But it's gonna be funny. I promise. You in?'.  
'Sure. Why the hell not?', Schlatt shrugged. It wasn't like he had anything better to do.  
'Alright – Here's the rules. I reveal one weird thing about myself and you reveal one weird thing about you. How does that sound?', Charlie asked, making the other laugh.  
'Like it's gonna give you blackmail material. Can't wait already. Let's do it.'. The Slime Hybird leaned forward, lowered his voice to a whisper, and spoke;

'Ever wonder why apples aren't allowed in the office?'.  
'Yeah. It's... Weird. But Ted is really stuck-up about it.'.  
'Well... This is super embarrassing... But it's because of me.'.  
'Oh shit. What the fuck did you do with an apple?'.  
'It's not about something I did, it's because I, uh...'.

'I'm scared of them.'.

'You're... You're scared... Of apples?', Schlatt repeated, instantly bursting out into laugher as he saw the other nod. 'How- How the fuck? What? I'm sorry- I'm sorry, that shouldn't be- Holy shit-'.  
'Don't laugh! Irrational fears are a thing, dude.', Charlie warned him with a giggle. 'It makes as much sense to me as it does to you – Seeing an apple just sends me into full-on panic mode.'.  
'Any idea why?', the younger asked, incredibly amused with the whole situation. 'These sort of things usually come from something. Someone throw an apple at you when you were kid or what?'.  
'Actually... It's from a nightmare. A recurring nightmare.', Charlie admitted, his tone of voice suddenly growing more serious. 'I... Don't remember much of it, usually. There's rain, and something hot, and... I'm falling. A lot. There's water, and... Dogs?... This weird alarm?... And apples. For some reason. There's always apples, and they usually don't bode well.', Charlie looked up with a laugh. 'Now that I talk about it it sounds stupid as shit, huh.'.

'You're scared of a literal fruit, dude.', Schlatt responded. 'Nothing I say will make that any less funny. I can't do anything about that.'.  
'Alright, alright. Laugh all you want. You know, in the dream, there's always Condi and Grizz. I don't know why. Condi, Grizz, and someone else... Someone else I can never remember, but...', Charlie glanced up, cutting himself off as his eyes suddenly filled with fear. Schlatt looked at him, unsure what he was supposed to say. He titled his head and asked;  
'...Something wrong?'. Charlie blinked a few times, shook his head and laughed.  
'No, no. Sorry. I just thought... Never mind.', he paused and smiled. 'Now. Your turn.'.

'Tell me a secret about yourself, Mr. Jschlatt.'.

'Right... Huh... Well, Ted knows this, but I don't think anyone else does.', Schlatt started, leaning back. 'The Nether? I actually can't go in there. At all. I'm the first and only known case of what the Captain has started calling “Nether Hypersensitivity”. Fire, heat, anything like that can... Basically kill me. And if I ever go in the Nether... That's the last you'll hear of me.'.  
'Shit... That sounds awful.', Charlie muttered, looking up at his friend. 'So you've never been there?'.  
'Not once.', Schlatt said, although his tone of voice was... Very relaxed. Charlie could see he had gotten used to his fate a long time ago, but his acceptance carried a certain hint of sadness and regret in it. 'Am I missing out on much there? I've heard it's a... Hellhole.'.

Charlie gasped as Schlatt winked at him.

'You did not just use a pun on Charlie Slimecicle!'.  
'Hell yeah I did! What are you gonna do about it?'.

As the two laughed on, Charlie could not get rid of an unusual foreboding feeling somewhere deep in his heart. He wasn't sure why, but something in his friend's smile – In his eyes, in the curve of his lips, in the way he leaned back... It felt so familiar, so wrong, and so foreboding. Not only that, while Charlie had laughed off what Schlatt just told him, deep inside he felt as though there was something more there that people were not noticing.

He tried to laugh along.

But with the connections his mind was making, it was starting to become impossible.

\---

_Knock, knock, knock._

Ted enjoyed silence. He enjoyed working alone. Sitting in his office with nothing but his thoughts and the pages in front of him made is easier to focus – Now that Schlatt was gone and in an office of his own, he could finally fully put his mind to work... And with how things were going lately, it was a blessing to have some time alone like this. He was handed a city that was well on its way to destruction, and now it was up to him to save it. No pressure. The knock on his door that evening definitely didn't ease his stress in any way – But it wasn't like he could ignore it.

'Come in.'.

And in stepped his visitor.

'Charlie? What are you doing here this late?', Ted instantly asked, watching as his friend came closer and took a seat across from him. Something about the way he looked at him... His eyes held so much worry and uncertainty. 'You should be sleeping. It's practically morning.'.  
'You aren't asleep either. And... I'll just end up with another nightmare again. And I have something important to tell you about.', the man picked up a nearby pen and started playing around with it, clicking it and twirling it in-between his fingers. Ted could see he was nervous about something – But with all the things they had dealt with on that day, the source of it was impossible to guess.

'Alright. What's the problem?', Ted asked, leaning forward. He'd lie if he said he wasn't curious as to what Charlie could have possibly felt was so important to say.  
'...The Source... I can't stop thinking about that.', he started, rubbing the back of his neck.  
'We'll figure it out once the bunker is done. Right now we have to ensure the safety of everyone-'.  
'Just hear me out, please.', Charlie whispered, and yet his voice was still quite forceful. 'We can just pretend this is a stupid theory for now and sort it out in the bunker. Can we do that?'.  
'...Okay. Yeah. Let's do that.', Ted nodded, unable to hide his trust for Charlie. He was also... Worried. He had never seen his friend acting so erratic – It was unlike him to get this worked up.

'...The Captain said the Source is the second stage of an Anomaly, right?'.  
'Right. You were there. Why are you-', Ted tried to ask, being instantly cut off.  
'But what if he's wrong?', Charlie paused, and upon seeing his friend's confused expression, carried on. 'I mean... At least about how Sources work. Think about it logically. There is only a single person in this city that has a condition unlike anyone else and also happened to go through some tasking changes in his life just as the rain started. A single person tied to the Nether unlike anyone else. A single person that could-'.

'What are you saying, Charlie?', the man asked, although he already knew the answer.  
'...I'm just saying you need to consider the evidence right in front of us.'.  
'This isn't evidence. He physically can't go into the Nether, if anything he's the least likely to-'.  
'Just because you like him doesn't mean we can't suspect him! Think about it logically!'.

There was a moment of silence.

'...Do you really think Schlatt could be the Source?', Ted asked after a moment. It was the usual for him – Snapping at you, taking his time thinking over everything, and trying to move past his own mistake as if he had said nothing. Charlie shrugged.  
'It's a possibility we have to consider. Not act on. Just keep in the back of our minds.', the man cleared his throat and looked aside. 'We're looking for something that has never been seen before in this city, right? Something tied to the Nether that we have never encountered before. What Schlatt is is that very thing – Doesn't it line up a bit too perfectly?'.  
'...I...', Ted paused, looking aside. He took a deep breath. 'I'll keep in in mind, alright? But we can't put our full focus on some sort of... Theory.'.  
'You need to stop trusting a stranger so much.', Charlie hissed as he stood up. 'Schlatt might be one of us, but he's not... One of us. If you understand what I mean.'.

'….Charlie?'.  
'Yes, Ted?'.  
'...Get the fuck out of my office. Right now.'.  
'Right. Why am I surprised? Goodnight, Ted.'.

The doors locked, followed by nothing but silence and the sound of thundering rain outside.

It was the usual for him – Snapping at you, taking his time thinking over everything, and trying to move past his own mistake as if he had said nothing.

'Perhaps you're right, Charlie. But are we ready to admit it?'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GLATTBUR IS CANON  
> LETS GOOOO
> 
> watch glattbur be the only reason i rewrite arc 2 lol


	109. The Truth (Part 26)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As time runs out and the situation gets critical, the Lunch Club makes some bold choices. Wilbur learns the truth about himself.

'First and foremost we don't want anyone to panic. We have the whole situation under control – Or at least, as under control as a flood can be. We know the source of the rain – As of now, we cannot get rid of it. All we can do is ensure the safety of the whole city but we need everyone to cooperate with us. That is why we have begun construction on a bunker in the mountains.'.

Rain, rain, rain. The rain never stopped. Pouring down from above, soaking everything. The puddles in the plaza started merging – The entire area now had a coating of water over it. As always, Ted, alongside his six co-workers, were sitting on a stage and addressing a city full of citizens who didn't know what was going on. If only they could understand how much work they were doing – If they could possibly sympathize with them about how much they were sacrificing to make SMPLive safer for everyone... Maybe this would all be a bit easier for them.

'All citizens will be allowed inside the bunker. We will return to the city in a time estimated to be less than two months if everything goes according to plan. The city will, however, most likely end up completely drowned. Every citizen will only be permitted to bring one standard sized duffel bag of items into the bunker with them. Only take absolute necessities.'.

Chatter, chatter, chatter. Constant questions, whispers, mutters. No one could ever fully understand the sacrifices Ted was making to get them to where they were today. They could never put themselves in his shoes. He knew it was unfair to get this frustrated – Everyone was scared, confused, about to lose most of what they owned and forced to just... Calmly go along with that idea. It wasn't the perfect solution – Running and hiding. But was there anything else Ted could do? Sure, there was one thing. One thing he could do, taking a blind guess at something that was nothing more than a theory and risking everything.

'This isn't forever. We can and will get rid of this storm but we need time – This bunker will give us said time. We don't want anyone to panic. Staying calm and sticking together through this disaster is our best hope at surviving. SMPLive has been through bad times before – And we made it. The city has grown this strong somehow. We won't let it fall now.'.

He looked at Schlatt as he carried on speaking. He insisted on taking charge of the address this time around, finally starting to take more of a prominent role in the Lunch Club. Had Ted expected this? Definitely not. His plans with this man had changed a lot during the past few months alone. Starting off he was in the way of him and getting Charlie and Travis on his side – So he got rid of him by putting Wilbur Soot into the equation with the whole rock incident. Then he became a bother with his article at the Live Daily, so his goal shifted to eliminating him... but here Ted spotted his potential. So everything else was a test. A test of endurance – Very few were strong enough to make it through as much shit as Schlatt had... And come out as smart, calculated and focused as him.

'We will make it through this. We will find the source of the storm and eliminate it.'.

He had always been impressed with him, and noticed his potential. He grasped on, took him into the group and nurtured him into someone just as skilled as the other members who had been trained for their positions their entire lives. And yet, there was another problem. Another problem he knew he was avoiding. Schlatt could never understand the sacrifices Ted was making every single day. He knew it, deep inside. The way he looked at him, the way he talked to him... There was no way. He went along with it, sure. But he wasn't like them. He wasn't taught to look at every perspective, consider every positive over a negative. He saw things like every other average citizen – And that would be his downfall. That would be the problem when the inevitable stood before them.

'We will make it through this. We will find the source of the storm and eliminate it.'.

Charlie's theory made sense. And yet it was still too flimsy for Ted to agree with it simply because of how fond he had grown of the new member, and how he didn't want to let him go yet, no matter what. From the day they first met he always knew they were alike – Their minds thought similarly, and yet so, so differently. And that was the problem. Equally brilliant, equally focused, equally driven, but with their priorities in completely different places. That was why in the end Schlatt wouldn't make the sort of sacrifice Ted was willing to commit to for this city.

'We swore to lead and protect this city and that is what we will do.'.

Schlatt would never look the Source in the eyes and drive his sword through their heart personally if he had to. He would never kick an innocent family out of their home, force a single father into exile, traumatize a teenager for the sake of a lesson they needed to learn or control and manipulate his closest friends for years just for the sake of taking charge of a singular vote that mattered. Schlatt would never be able to make even half of the sacrifices Ted was willing to give this city, which was why he never belonged with them from the start. It was stupid to believe he ever would.

'Thank you, and good luck. It's only gonna get harder from here. But we don't have to be afraid.'.

Schlatt was never ever a true member of this group, and he never would be.

'We can make it through this together.'.

He wasn't like them.

'We can make it through this united.'.

He wasn't like him.

'We can make it.'.

No matter what he did, Schlatt would never truly be one of them.

'Thank you all for coming.'.

Ted returned to his office that day ready to make a sacrifice.

\---

Being called for a personal meeting with the Lunch Club never boded well.

The woman at the front desk opened the door to the meeting room for Wilbur as soon as he arrived, practically pushing him inside and shutting it behind him. The moment he stepped inside he was faced with seven people – Seven people sitting around a table, looking at him as if expecting something from him. He took a few steps forward, unsure what to say. He recognized all of them – Or, the six of them, at least. The seventh person....

Schlatt wasn't there. He had been replaced by the Captain. Why would Schlatt be missing?

'Wilbur. Sit down, please. We have something very, very important to discuss with you.', Ted spoke up, his voice unusually... Panicked? 'For once in our lives we're gonna have to put aside our opinions on things and focus on the survival of our city. Do you understand?'.  
'I... I think I do?', the man stepped forward and took his seat, unsure how to react. Everyone in the room looked so... Serious. Something about it was unnatural.  
'We believe we have located the cause of the rain.', the Captain spoke up, narrowing his eyes at the man. Wilbur wasn't sure why, but he felt an unnatural chill go down his spine. 'You remember Sources from our study of Anomalies, right, Wilbur?'.

'The second stage of an Anomaly. Right. They cause unusual changes to the physical world with the power of the Nether. You think a Source is causing the rain?'.  
'Exactly.', the Captain nodded along, clearly glad to see that his time spent with Wilbur's hadn't been for nothing. The man retained most of the knowledge from their research and was clearly catching on with what he was suggesting far more quickly than the Lunch Club themselves.  
'There's a Source in SMPLive, then?', Wilbur whispered, feeling his body growing weak. Saying the sentence alone made him shudder – He had no idea why. Was it fear because of what a Source implied, or was it.... Something else? He wasn't entirely sure.

'...We know who the Source is.', Charlie suddenly spoke up. 'That's why we brought you here.'.

Wilbur's heart sunk. At once, everything seemed to click.

_No, no, no, wait, that doesn't make sense, does it?_

'Now, no matter what, don't panic.', Travis muttered. 'This is only a theory as of now.'.

_Wilbur looked around. The jukebox was completely covered in... Snow? The whole rooftop was coated in that fluffy, white cover. Snow... In April? That didn't seem possible._

'W-what are you trying to say?'.

_Something was wrong, and he didn't understand it, but it felt like his body didn't belong to him, he looked down at his hands and they weren't his and it felt wrong so wrong because there was a stranger and was the wind getting stronger or was it all in his head_

'You're not saying... That...'.

_He screamed, and as he did, a single thunderbolt struck the tallest building in the city._

'T-that can't be possible, that-', as Wilbur tried to speak, Ted swiftly cut him off.  
'Yes, it's true. Whether you want to admit it or not, all the evidence points to it.'.  
'You have to hear me out-'.

'Schlatt is the Source.'.

'I didn't- ...What?', Wilbur whispered, looking around. Cold, cold, cold. He was so cold and he wasn't even sure if it was just him or the whole room any more and nothing made sense nothing but everything nothing everything why did it have to be  
'The theory seems the most likely right now.', the Captain claimed, getting closer. 'His heightened sensitivity to the Nether could be a side-effect of how much of the realm's energy he's already harbouring and allowing into the Overworld. It's like trying to put two magnets together.'.

'What happens to Schlatt around fire could simply be two forces colliding and refusing to give in.'.

'That... If... I-If Schlatt is the Source, then why are you... Why are you telling me this?', Wilbur muttered, pausing and stammering constantly, unable to get a full sentence out. The amount of things racing through his mind didn't even let him stop and consider why he was dragged in here about his former friend of all people. _They know, they know and this is some sort of trap I'm sure-_  
'We know you two are close.', Charlie cut in. For a moment, Wilbur's focus turned to Ted. That asshole, he tore them away from each other and now he sat back pretending as if they were still on good terms. He was behind this whole shit show, he was sure – And now he was sitting back as if nothing was wrong? What sort of twisted-

'We wanted someone who could keep an eye on him in the bunker to know.', the Captain stated. 'Check if anything changes depending on his mood. Try to figure out if we can somehow stop him, calm him down. Would you be able to do that?'.  
'...I... I suppose...', Wilbur muttered, still completely lost in his own mind.  
'And no matter what do not make him aware of what he is.', Ted warned him. 'God only knows what the Source will do once it becomes aware of its properties. We have to make sure he's contained and controlled. Once we figure the bunker out... Then we can worry about him.'.  
'Right. Of course. That makes sense.'.

_Nothing makes sense none of this makes sense can't they see_

'Travis, did you leave a window open again? Why is it so cold in here?'.  
'Of course I didn't! We've been locked up since the storm got bad last week!'.  
'God, I think I'm going insane... At least we're finally leaving tomorrow.'.  
'Wilbur? Wilbur, are you okay?'.

Pale, eyes wide, and lip trembling, the man looked up.

'Yeah.', he shrugged with a feigned, light-hearted tone of voice. 'Just a little cold, that's all.'.

\---

_This is wrong this is wrong this is wrong this is wrong this is wrong this is wrong_

How had Wilbur found himself out in these woods? He wasn't sure. Everything from the moment that woman at the font desk walked him out was a complete blank – Somehow, he ended up here, looking at the trees, feeling the rain slashing at him, hearing thunder growing louder and closer with each beat of his own heart. It didn't make sense. None of it made sense. Nothing fit. Why was everything always so confusing? Why couldn't something just make sense? Why why why why

'You have to calm down. You'll only make it worse.'.  
 _But how can I calm down when everything about me is so wrong_

'You don't have to be afraid of yourself. You have to listen.'.  
 _I'm trying I'm trying I'm really trying but the rain is so loud and my heart is so loud and the thunder_

'You understand now, don't you? It makes sense. Just accept it.'.  
_No no no no no this is a lie it doesn't make sense_

'You are the Source, Wilbur. You're the one causing this storm. You're the one raising the water.'.

_I know. I know I don't want it to be true but I know I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry_

Arms wrapped around him. So warm. The cold was gone.

'Don't cry.'.

But he did.

'Don't be scared.'.

But he was.

'You're not alone.'.

And indeed, he wasn't.

'Look at me.'.

He didn't. His chin was grabbed, his head was tilted up.

'Look at me, Wilbur.'.

And he did. She was familiar. So, so, very familiar. She wiped his tears, and he felt okay.

The storm didn't end, but it calmed.

'They think Schlatt is the Source, Wilbur. Are you going to let them condemn him when he's innocent? Are you going to let them hurt your friend?'.  
'But he hates me... he left me, he turned away from me-'.  
'He's blinded. He's doing things he doesn't mean. Just as you're causing the storm, he's turning his back on you because something else is influencing him. But you two can still get better.'.  
'I don't know what to do... I don't know what I am.'.

'You are Wilbur Soot. You are a Source. And that's okay.'.

She hugged him again. So warm. So safe. So, so familiar.

'You'll understand it all eventually. But I have to go.'.

She tried to push him away. He held on. He called out to her;

'Kristen!'.

But she was gone. Cold, cold, alone, cold and alone and cold cold cold

The rain carried on. He stood up.

His name was Wilbur Soot, and he was a Source. And that was okay.

'Partners in crime, till the end of time. I'm not gonna let our promise be broken. Not today.'.

The Source headed home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so now that the reveal is official, although it has been quite obvious for some time...  
> woo!!! where did this wacky idea even come from?  
> well, wilbur's source-iness is inspired by a very, VERY minor detail of the water rising video none of you seemed to have picked up on yet in relation to these chapters...  
> so let me give you a clue;
> 
> rewatch the water rising video and tell me: who's the one putting in the commands for the water to rise?
> 
> this twist has been in planning and foreshadowed for FAR LONGER than yall could ever imagine  
> if you go back all the way to chapter 25, with this conversation happening in a flashback;
> 
> '-And it's all your fault, Wilbur! You know it is! You're the reason we're here, and the reason we're- Fuck, fuck, fuck! We're gonna fucking die!'. He's shouting. Why is he shouting at him? What did he do? Wilbur looks around, seeing his partner in crime standing in front of him.  
> 'You're gonna turn this shit on me?!', Wilbur speaks, his voice cracking. They're standing at the top of a large mountain, there's thunder raging around them and rain is pouring down. The water that'd been rising for a long while now is only inches away from reaching their feet. 
> 
> this convo is yet to take place in the flashback chapters, but yeah
> 
> this was further foreshadowed in the captain's note to wilbur
> 
> "It's not your fault, Wilbur. It really isn't.
> 
> Don't let it define you"
> 
> and past this point, all the weather shenanigans begun outright confirming it all  
> so yeah, this is one of the main plotpoints of this story, and finally... we have reached the official confirmation! woo!
> 
> oh and kristen's here too i guess lol  
> what is she? now that's another twist y'all are gonna have to wait like 100 chapters for lol... jk jk, but it will only be revealed after the big kaboom i'm sad to say :(


	110. The Truth (Part 27)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the flood finally reaches the city, the citizens evacuate. Wilbur shares something with Phil and Techno. Ted is forced to make a sacrifice. Schlatt's mistakes finally become clear to him.

Finally, after weeks of work, it was time. They had to go.

Only one standard sized duffel bag of items was permitted – Even the Lunch Club had to stick to this rule for the sake of conserving space. Schlatt had spent his whole evening before the day wandering around his apartment and trying to pick out anything he found important – In the end, he was met with the realization that he, indeed, barely had anything of personal importance to him. The only thing was that torn, leather backpack – The backpack containing four discs that had been through almost as much as him. Wilbur had dropped it off at their office the day after their “argument” - He knew he had been unfair, saying he didn't know him... But his friend could never possibly understand the sacrifices he was now forced to make in this position of power.

It was necessary. That didn't make it any easier. It didn't make it any better. But it had to be gone.

Hesitantly, Schlatt grabbed the backpack with four discs and slipped it on. It was the only thing he could really see a point in bringing with him – There was nothing else he considered as vital as them. The four discs, after all, had always been his. He found them out in the woods when he was a little kid. He cleaned them, took care of them, and kept them safe. Wilbur didn't matter when it came to them – He never owned them. They were his. They were his so-

God, why did he feel so conflicted about taking them? They had one meaning. They were his. Some random discs he picked up somewhere when he was a kid and that was that, but... Who was he fooling? Of course they had another meaning. The moment Wilbur Soot waltzed into his life they got that meaning. No matter what he did, those four discs would remind him of him, their promise, their creed, their-

'Schlatt! We have to go! We're going up front!'.  
'Yeah, yeah. One second. I'm on my way.'.

He took the discs. He had no reason not to.

\---

The rain felt different now that he knew.

'I still can't wrap my head around this. If they know what the source of the storm is why are we still hiding from the flood? Can't they just get rid of it?', Phil continued ranting, as he had been since that very morning. Techno was helping him out with something meanwhile Wilbur sat alone by the window, watching the droplets of rain slide down the glass one by one.  
'Maybe it's not so simple. At least they're keeping us safe. That's got to count for something.', the man's son reminded him, grabbing onto his sword and sliding it into a sheathe on his back. His bag was mostly filled with armours and weapons, meanwhile Phil's found itself stuffed with various things from his travels. Wilbur... Didn't pack. He had gotten too lost in everything to find time to.

He moved his hand closer to the window, watching the rain shift away. The droplets scurried away like mice, scattering and scrambling to get away from his finger. He moved it back, and moved it forward again, watching the droplets return to their normal state and then shift away repeatedly. He was in a complete trance, unable to look away as-

'Wilbur?', he heard from above, making his head turn. Phil. Of course. 'You feeling okay?'.  
'...Can I tell you something, dad?', he asked, hugging his knees and shifting aside.  
'I suppose. But we have to go soon.', Phil reminded him as he joined him. 'There isn't much-'.

'I saw Kristen.'.

Silence. The rain carried on. Techno suddenly became interested in the conversation.

'You... What?', Phil asked in a whisper. A whisper with so much disbelief it felt heartbreaking.  
'No you did not.', Techno instantly cut in. 'What the hell are you even talking about?'.  
'I was in the woods.', Wilbur carried on in a calm tone of voice – Since the previous evening, he had become a... Shell, almost, of his usual self. Only able to focus on what was right in front of him and unable to think. 'She was there. She spoke to me. And then she faded away.'.  
'Kristen is here? Then, I have to- I have to go find her, I have to-', Phil begun scrambling to get up, being stopped by his eldest son straight away. Techno grabbed his arm, held on, and left him unable to move any further. He glared at Wilbur and stared him down.

'What are you even saying? Are you crazy?', he snapped, making his brother narrow his eyes.  
'I'm just saying what I saw. Kristen was here. I don't know where she is, but-'.  
'You're lying! You don't even know what she looked like! How could you know?'.  
'I just...', Wilbur looked down. How did he know? 'I just... Do.'.

'Techno, we have to find-'.  
'She's not here, Phil! He's making it up!'.  
'I'm not crazy! I know what I saw!'.  
'Well you clearly need to get checked-'.

'Kristen is gone, Phil! Why can't you just understand that?'.

The rain grew stronger. The thunder grew louder. Something was wrong.

'God why can't you just... Finally understand that? She's been gone for years, Phil. You're holding onto the past and only hurting yourself more.', Techno paused, took a deep breath, and moved forward. 'Kristen was a woman who abandoned you, okay? She left you with two kids, one of them an actual baby, and turned her back. She left you all alone. Why do you keep holding on?'.  
'...You didn't know her like I did.', Phil claimed. 'You don't get to say that.'.  
'What I know is you fell for a woman who never cared about you. She turned away from you and abandoned you and us and for some reason you're still holding on. And Wilbur's delusions aren't making it any better!', he lifted his hand, pointing to his younger brother. 'He doesn't even remember her face. What makes you think he actually saw her? Look at the state he's in!'.

He could see it in his face. The bags under his eyes, how pale he was. Even the way he was looking around and speaking. Slurred speech, whispering to himself, playing around with things around him and barely even focusing on what was happening. He was completely out of it – He hadn't been fully there since that morning. Phil knew he had always had trouble focusing during moments of high stress – Saying things he didn't mean, slipping into some displaced memories. But even hearing her name instantly made him throw all logic aside in hope of... Something. Anything.

Phil didn't say another word. He turned away, picked up his bag, and opened the door.

'Let's just go. The weather's is only getting worse.'.

Phil went first. Techno lead Wilbur out and followed behind. He locked the door, although there was probably no point in doing it, and turned. He gave the front door one last look before he went – And then, slowly but surely, he walked. They knew the situation was getting critical when the water already reached their ankles by the time they got down the stairs, having had only been a thin layer of puddles that morning. The whole time Techno was forced to lead his younger brother along – It was clear he wasn't in a completely stable state of mind. The whole city had been gathered in one particular place and was being lead up into the mountains by a trail that was paved and secured a week prior – Rain and wind lashing at them the whole time.

Eventually, they found themselves reaching a stopping point. The crowd of citizens already at the door of the bunker – A large metallic creation stuffed into the side of a mountain, built into an old cavern, from what Phil had said – Had stopped. The doorway was still locked shut, and the water down below definitely wasn't slowing down. By the time they got the time to stop and look back at the city, most of the first floors of buildings had long been submerged. They had truly made it out last second, but everyone appeared to be safe. So why did they stop?

Arguing. Shouting. Something was happening. Something wasn't right.

It wasn't hard for Techno to push himself to the front of the crowd relying on the sword on his back and his reputation alone – Soon finding himself, as well as his brother and his father, standing alongside familiar faces of the current and former Lunch Club alike. He had eventually noticed the source of the sounds – Most of it was frustrated shouts from the people around them shouting at the man standing in front of them... The single man that had to give the order to, and was the only one who knew how to, open the bunker.

Ted Nivison.

\---

'What's going on?!'.  
'Open the bunker!'.  
'The water is still rising!'.  
'Oh god, we're all gonna die!'.

'Ted! What are you doing?', Charlie tried to snap his friend out of his trance. The other had been standing still for almost two minutes now, arms crossed and looking over the horizon silently. The bunker had found itself close to the edge of a rather large cliff – The ever-rising flood was already forming waves and slamming against the rock below them. 'We have to get these people to safety!'.  
'Shut up for a minute! Let me think!', the other snapped instantly, his erratic nature incredibly unlike him. He looked around the group, people screaming things at him from every direction, talking between each other, expectations, rumours, whispers, they could never understand the sacrifices they could never understand never never never

'There's something I should have done way before we got here. It was a mistake to allow my indecisiveness to carry on this long. But I'm ready to finally make the sort of sacrifices this city deserves.', Ted suddenly turned to address the crowd, who, upon seeing the unusual glare in his eyes, instantly went silent, the shouting turning into quiet whispers and nothing more.  
'Ted...?', Schlatt spoke up. '...What are you talking about?'.  
'We know what the cause of the rain is. It's not something. It's someone.', Ted paused, listening into the crowd's whispers growing louder and more impatient. 'It's someone corrupted by the Nether and bringing its vile nature to our world! Destroying our city! The Source is the singular entity responsible for the disaster we are forced to endure here today.'.

Ted turned his head, his hand suddenly pointing to one of the members of the Lunch Club.

'Jschlatt, the Seventh Member of the Lunch Club, is the Source!'.

The crowd shouted out, gasped, whispered between one another... Schlatt stood still.

'You weren't supposed to say it!'.  
'What are you gonna do now?'.  
'What? How is this possible?'.

The wind grew stronger and stronger. The rain fell faster and faster.

'Based on substantial evidence we are almost completely confident Schlatt is the Source causing this storm – The Captain himself, an expert on the Nether, has confirmed it!', Ted carried on with his speech. The mentioned man looked aside, as if too afraid to meet eyes with the accused.  
'That's... True.', he spoke, barely heard over the rain. 'Schlatt is the most likely to be the Source.'.  
'No, no, that... I can't be, I mean...', Schlatt looked down at his hands for a single second, feeling the wind blowing all around him. The rain had always felt so strangely familiar. '...Am I?'.  
'A Source would not know unless made aware of the fact by someone else. All the evidence points to you. And I don't know about you, but...', Ted turned away, beginning to pace from one end of the open space near the cliff to the other. '...I don't want the cause of our problems to be with us in a place that supposed to be safe. Safe from this storm, and safe from the Source.'.

'What are you doing, Ted?', Schlatt whispered, feeling the eyes of the whole city on him.  
'Making sacrifices.', Ted responded, grabbing his arm. 'Something you could never be able to do.'.

Schlatt suddenly felt himself being dragged along by Ted, his grip on his arm too strong for him to let go. A mix of shouts rose through the crowd around them – Some in support of not taking any harsh actions, others calling for Schlatt to be killed then and there. He could barely think straight – The possibility of being the cause of all this, the implications, and whatever Ted was planning to do to him already made his mind race too much to focus on anything. Some members of the Lunch Club were forced to keep the crowd away – No one was there to help him. It was just him, Ted, and the edge of the cliff, getting closer and closer by each second.

'You can't do this! Hold on, wait, let's talk! Is this really necessary?', Schlatt tried to tear himself away, barely managing to push the older back as he fell to the ground. By the time he had scrambled back up to his feet, someone else was already by his side, holding onto his wrist.  
'As far as I know eliminating you is the single best shot at saving our city. I tried to protect you, but it was stupid. I can't let something stupid blind me. If I were in your place I'd gladly throw myself off the edge of that cliff if it meant SMPLive would be safe!', Ted shouted on as another figure got closer, trying to grab onto Schlatt as he continued struggling to tear himself free from their grasp. 'Give me one reason why I shouldn't make this sort of sacrifice!'.

'Because you're my friend!'.

'God, Ted, stop this already!', Schlatt shouted on as he noticed the other's momentary hesitation. 'I know you, okay? I've know you better than most of the people here do! I know that this is all an act! And you know it too! You act all tough and shit because that's what the people need – A leader! But come on! I know you don't want to do this! You're a good guy at heart! I've seen it!'.

Silence. So even with the water rising, the thundering rain, and the wind blowing, he carried on;

'Think about the amount of times we've all hung out together, right? Like friends! Laughing, joking, why does that have to go away the moment the whole city is watching? Why do you have to be an emotionless asshole because of something that isn't my fault? How could I control this? Ted, I'm begging you. Don't show these people the Ted Nivison that they've been seeing for years.'.

There was a moment of silence as the two men stared each other down.

'...Show them the Ted Nivison we see behind closed doors. Is that so difficult?'.

The crowd didn't speak any more. Not a single whisper. Not a single shout. Just silence.

'...You're right.', Ted suddenly admitted, reaching out with his hand. 'You're right.', he repeated, getting closer. 'How could I have been so blind? You're my friend. I can't abandon you like this. I need to help you figure this out. That's what friends do. Right?'.  
'Right... Right.', Schlatt responded, himself stepping forward. The sudden stress, mixed with relief over the whole situation crashed down on him, leaving him practically unable to move. He suddenly felt himself being pulled closer, Ted's arms wrapping around him. He flinched, for just a moment, and then relaxed. He wasn't sure why, but something in that hug felt... Unnatural.  
'I'm gonna be a good friend to you, Schlatt.', Ted's grasp on him suddenly grew tighter, making his whole body tense up. Something was wrong. This wasn't right. 'I'll teach you an important lesson.'.

'Grab him.'.

Before Schlatt could as much as move, two people were already standing by his side, both grabbing one of his arms and pulling him closer to the edge of the cliff. He called out to Ted a few more times, screaming, practically pleading for mercy but didn't receive as much as a look of pity. The man stepped back, the rest of the Lunch Club standing by his side equally silent and unmoved. He could see people in the crowd remaining quiet, not wishing to interrupt what was happening – They knew the truth. The truth that in this city it was best to stand aside and be quiet, because speaking out only got you hurt.

Schlatt spoke up. He reached for what he always wanted and this is where it got him.

One last order from Ted and a panicked scream from... Someone... In the crowd later Schlatt was falling off the edge of a cliff, barely able to recognize what had happened to him before his back slammed into the surface of the water below and his world went dark.

And above the rushing of the water, the pain in his body and all his fears, a single memory arose;

_'Let's swear on it. We're gonna be partners in crime... Till the end of time, okay?'._   
_'...Okay. Sure. Partners in crime, till the end of time. Let's call it a thing, I guess.'._

And despite everything he had thought, said, and believed, his mind still persisted.

_I'm sorry for breaking our promise._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO THIS SCENE  
> ITS BEEN IN PLANNING FOR SO LONG  
> IM SO HAPPY I FINALLY GOT TO WRITE IT
> 
> now you know why lifeboat is in the BDAM playlist lol  
> it singlehandedly made this scene happen
> 
> hope you guys enjoyed! <3


	111. The Truth (Part 28)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur decides he has to keep his promise.

'No! No, how could you?!'.

The thunder only grew stronger and closer. The water only kept rising.

Wilbur pushed aside everyone else in the crowd, all far too stunned to try and stop him. He stumbled into the front of the crowd and felt himself falling forward onto the grass in the large clearing, catching the attention of Ted himself. Until his outburst, the man had been standing over the edge of the cliff, looking down into the water below as if checking if he had succeed in what he had just done. Wilbur felt his head spinning as he got back up, his stomach twisting and turning – He felt sick. He knew, deep inside, this was all his fault.

'Why did you do that?! Why did you do that to him!?', Wilbur screamed without being able to control himself in any way, trying to grab onto Ted but being pulled back by one of the Lunch Club's many lackeys. The man looked at him with an absent expression – Had he no regret over this?  
'To save everyone in this city. You should be thanking me.', the man claimed, staring him down.  
'You killed him! You killed my friend!'. He knew he had to calm down. He could feel the wind getting stronger, hear the water rushing faster down below. He was only making everything worse, but how was he supposed to calm himself in a situation like this?

'Wilbur, step back. There's nothing you can do now.', he heard Phil from behind him.

_No no no no I made a promise I had a creed I'm not going to break it_

'Your “friend” was a liar and a monster, Wilbur.', Ted claimed from above him.

_You're wrong you changed him you turned him into something he isn't you broke him_

'Wilbur, that's enough! We have to get to safety!', he felt Techno grab his shoulder.

_You could never understand how many mistakes I have to make up for_

Wilbur looked towards the edge. The water kept rising. The rain kept falling. The thunder, as always, felt almost completely in-sync with his very heartbeat. He could feel himself trembling from the cold – Somehow, he seemed to be the only one there that felt it.

_There is only one way to fix this._

He knew it. From the day they made their promise to this very moment, he knew in the end it would come down to a choice like this. What sort of friend- No, what sort of partner in crime would he be if he let Schlatt die because of him, what he was, and what he was hiding?

Wilbur's eyes stayed focused on the edge of the cliff.

_Partners in crime._

He took a step back. He got ready. He heard someone gasp.

_Till the end of time._

'Wilbur, don't!'.

_We can't be that if one of us is dead, right?_

He ran forward, unstopped by the person. And motivated by something he didn't understand...

He jumped.

For the few seconds that he fell, he considered. He considered what got him there, who he was trying to fight for, and what sort of risk he was taking. But now, on his way to crash into the water, there wasn't much more he could do but let it happen. He had made a promise – A long, long time ago – And he had intended to keep it. Everything seemed to slip away as soon as he dove into the water – His mind was only focused on one, single thing.

A broken promise.

\---

Schlatt never learned to swim. It wasn't something he'd admit to, but he never did.

Right now, he wished he had.

When he was very young, god knows his parents never had time for him, not to mention time to bring him out to an open water source and let him learn by himself. Phil never had time or the money to travel with his sons, so they had to entertain themselves with whatever was on-hand, and with how SMPLive was expanding, even finding a clean lake close to their house was an impossible feat. And then his adulthood – Short-lived, it would seem. He had always focused on work over leisure and would never be caught dead going to a pool or beach – So no swimming there, either.

Maybe that was better. Who knows what he could have done with the water with what he was.

Or was he? That was the most interesting question. He knew what Ted had said to him – He had told him he was a Source. Schlatt remembered Wilbur saying something about those... Whatever came after an Anomaly. But it didn't make sense. He had never been to the Nether – He couldn't go to the other side if he wanted to. So how? Had he somehow gotten stuck there as a child, a time he couldn't remember? Could this whole disease he had thought to be a curse actually be a sign of something so much worse? Could this explain why his life always just seemed to get worse the happier he was? Could it be better if he just died here and-

He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe any more.

He tried to fight it but he knew he didn't have time. The water was rushing into his lungs, filling him with a pain he didn't understand, forcing him to scream but stripping him of the ability to. The waves were pushing him in different directions far faster than he could even react, barely being able to poke his head out above the water before he was taken down by another wave again. He wanted to keep fighting, but something in the back of his head kept numbing his body completely, leaving him in an endless struggle against his own mind.

What was the point in fighting? No one would come save him, after all.

He gave up. He stopped. He let go.

The water lead him deep, deep below, to a level where it no longer fought back. Now it was just him, a deafening silence and the ringing in his ears.. No waves, no rain, no thunder. Darkness, cold and empty darkness reminding him how truly alone he was.

Charlie, although crying out in his defence at first, stood aside and let him be pushed off that cliff. Travis didn't as much as flinch when Ted gave the order. And that asshole himself – God, why did Schlatt even think he was his friend? From the start, Ted Nivison had been wearing two masks. The mask he showed the city, and the mask he showed the Lunch Club. He wasn't real. He was a goddamn actor playing the shittiest role one could ever have. Were the laughs, the jokes, the smiles even real? Was every time he told him they were “friends”, that it was all “business” when in the public eye lies? All the times Ted taught him things, reassured him of things, showed him things, was all of it just one big fucking facade?

The water was so still down there. Still, slow, and cold. So chillingly cold.

Everyone turned their back. People he thought he could trust looked away knowing it was better to keep to yourself than to get hurt. Phil and Techno were his “family”, were they not? And yet they watched him be grabbed. Connor was his “friend”, wasn't he? And yet he looked on in silence as he was dragged to the edge of the cliff. Poki had been his boss once. The rest of the Lunch Club were supposed to be his co-workers. Pete used to be a business partner. There were dozens of people there he had considered close, trustworthy, good, and yet not a single person as much as protested.

Apart from one.

Even down here, in the water, it echoed. The cry of a single person in the crowd – And finally, Schlatt understood. Everyone had been turning his back on him, lying, deceiving, using him, and at the centre of it all there was a single person he trusted. A single person who actually cared. A single person who would never, ever do the sort of things to him that he did to them. It was ironic, wasn't it? In the end, even with death looming on the horizon, Schlatt did not think of all the things he never did, would never get to do, and would miss out on.

Even in his final moments, Schlatt thought of Wilbur Soot.

They were meant to be partners, right?

_Partners in crime... Till the... Till the end..._

_The end..._

_end..._

He heard a splash above.

An arm suddenly wrapped around his chest, griping him strongly and pulling him up. Just as his consciousness was about to leave him for good his head peeked above the water, letting him take a deep breath of the air. The rain was still pouring down and the thunder was as strong as ever, but just for the split second that he was dragged above the surface, the waves seemed to relax. Schlatt didn't have any time to take in his surroundings as he felt himself being dragged to the shore, a nearby meadow that the flood was yet to reach. He felt the grip around him get weaker and weaker, eventually forced to crawl out of the water himself. Feeling the unusually warm waves wash over him he finally managed to get somewhere safe, where he lay down.

What the fuck just happened?

Schlatt coughed, tried to breathe and coughed a dozen more times, feeling his whole body slowly regaining its strength. He tried to calm his breathing but the lack of air in his lungs combined with the amount of water he had to cough out left him struggling to even as much as lay down and let his body calm down. He felt sick, his head spinning, everything blurry but... Slowly but surely, it all came back to normal. With his ears no longer plagued by that ringing sound he could finally hear the full extent of how overwhelmingly loud the thunder and the waves happened to be. With all the things that were happening around him, he barely got time to check who had saved him.

But was it really a mystery? Even to him, it was obvious.

'...Why?', Schlatt spoke the moment his violent coughing turned to something more resembling heavy breathing, still gasping for air but managing to speak. His eyes, of course, were met with the trembling, exhausted and completely soaked in rainwater hero that was Wilbur fucking Soot. 'Why the fuck would you do that? Are you completely fucking insane?'.  
'...I asked you the same thing after the fire, you know. When Altrive's house burned up.', Wilbur responded, his breathing a lot more reserved and controlled. '...And remember what you told me?'.

Schlatt did. He wished he didn't, but he did.

'...We're partners in crime, right?', Wilbur reminded him of his own words with a weak smile. 'We can't be that till the end of time... If one of us is dead... Can we?'.

Was Schlatt angry at him? Yes. Yes, and rightfully so. Wilbur had just given up his chance at getting into the bunker and guaranteeing his own safety for the sake of prolonging the inevitable. He threw himself into a literal fucking city-destroying flood just to save someone who had turned his back on him, ignored him, and broke every promise he ever made with him. Schlatt didn't deserve something like this, and definitely not from a guy like Wilbur. But that was the problem with heroes – They're stupid enough to help everyone, even those who probably didn't deserve that sort of help. Maybe that was what Phil was trying to teach Wilbur with the Theseus story;

Don't be a fucking hero, you'll just get hurt.

'We have to get out of here. The water is just gonna keep rising.', Wilbur looked back at the waves, some already touching them despite the area being completely away from their reach mere minutes prior. The man came closer to Schlatt, crouching down next to him. 'Come on. Can you stand?'.  
'I...'. He wanted to snap, as per usual. Tell him some snarky remark about being able to handle himself, shrug him off and walk forward alone. But with how shaky and downright numb his legs were, how he was still breathing heavily and now shivering from the combination of soaked clothes and a fast, sharp wind tearing away at him... He didn't have the strength to. 'I don't know.'.

'Okay, just... Here.', Wilbur came closer, grabbed onto his friend, and before he could even as much as react, helped him to his feet. He wanted to say something, try to get rid of this uncomfortable feeling but no matter what no coherent words came. 'There. How are you feeling?'.  
'I'll... Be fine, I think.', Schlatt responded, managing to somewhat relax his breathing for once. 'We have to... We have to get somewhere high up, right? The tallest mountain that we can get to by the end of today is that way... This trail leads up to it.', Schlatt pointed to a nearby pathway he had noticed, with an old, worn-out sign stuck to a nearby tree, barely holding on with the wind;

_T#ail T#;_   
_Mou#t Ianite - ## Mile#_

'I heard about it from Cooper once. It's the tallest point we know in the area. If we want a hope at getting away we have to start climbing it and we have to start climbing fast.', Schlatt explained, passing the sign and getting on the trail. He turned back at his friend, who's eyes were focused on the sign. For a few seconds he stayed still, wondering about something.

'Mount Ianite?', he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. '...That's a weird name.'.  
'The Captain named it, from what I know. Back when he was in the Lunch Club.'.  
'...That name... I feel like he mentioned it to me before.'.  
'Come on, Wilbur. We don't have time for this. We've got to go.'.

The man, although still focused on the sign, nodded. Soon, he followed the other.

Silence. Somehow, they were silent. It felt impossible. With months of avoiding each other, that huge argument in front of the city, and the possibility of one of them being the Source looming over them, they still didn't say a word. All they could manage was the necessary - “Can you go any faster?”, “Did you get hurt?”, “When do you think we can stop?”. Nothing about them, their situation, their broken promise or the reason Wilbur would do something as stupid as throwing himself into this flood willingly just to rescue someone who had hurt him as much as Schlatt did. Was it comforting? Was it worrying? They weren't sure – It were as if they both wanted to talk through everything and completely ignore it at the same time.

Eventually, the two managed to make their way to where the entrance to the bunker was – Something on their way up the mountain. They knew there was no way they'd get in – And the completely empty surroundings and shut tight steel doors made that quite clear. Schlatt could see that Wilbur, for just a single second, looked at the bunker with a mix of regret and despair – But soon enough moved along, encouraging Schlatt to follow behind. They didn't say a single word to each other – They didn't feel the need to. It was early evening when they finally stopped, both too exhausted to keep walking and finding themselves hiding away in a cave at the edge of a rather tall cliff. The water was far below them – If they got lucky, they could most likely sleep through the night undisturbed and continue their climb the following day.

Wilbur lit a fire after a great amount of struggle, the task practically impossible against the rain and the wind, even if it did calm down slightly now that night was growing closer. The two sat in silence, warming themselves and trying their best to dry out their clothes despite it being futile with the constant rain not seeming to let up no matter what. It was still good to be able to rest – The two eventually agreed that it was best for them to sleep.

Right before lying down, Schlatt turned to his friend.

'Wilbur, I-', he stopped himself looking down. He had to say something. He had to. 'I'm sorry.'.  
'We can talk about it tomorrow.', Wilbur replied, turning to the side. 'Goodnight, Schlatt.'.

The man looked at his friend, silently turning to the side.

'Yeah... Night, Wilbur.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm really proud of this chapter uh-  
> hope you guys like it as much as i do!!!! ^^
> 
> oh also... ianite best girl lol


	112. The Truth (Part 29)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuing their escape from the flood, Schlatt and Wilbur finally get time to talk.

Rain. Rain. Rain. The rain never stopped. It was infuriating.

'...You didn't bring any food with you, did you?', Schlatt asked that morning, removing his jacket and wrapping it around his waist. Right before he did he removed his Lunch Club badge from it – And although every muscle in his body wanted to throw it over the cliff, something in the back of his head told him to hold onto it. He slipped it into his bag, rolled up his sleeves, and took a deep breath. No matter how exhausted he was, he knew they had to start climbing again soon.  
'No.', Wilbur replied, shaking his head. He himself had rolled up the sleeves of his sweater and completely given up on keeping his glasses on, seeing how they were coated in rainwater that would not go away and already cracking at their edges. 'I wish I did... I'm starving...'.

_Stop avoiding the topic. Just talk. It's not that hard. Come on._

'We better keep moving.', Schlatt suggested as he stood up. He looked over the nearby cliff, seeing the water rising below. He could still see the tallest buildings in SMPLive somewhat standing strong – But the smaller, shorter buildings at the edges had long been completely drowned.  
'Right. We can't waste time.', Wilbur agreed. The two gathered their things, although it boiled down to a small stack of good firewood and Schlatt's backpack, and got going once more. The trail was far from reaching the top yet – And with how tired they were, they certainly weren't going fast, either.

_Just speak up. You know you want to. Say what you want to say to him and that's that._

'Wilbur?', Schlatt asked, knowing there was no way he could get out of this without saying something. He owed it to him. He owed an explanation, but...  
'We have to keep moving. Come on.'. Wilbur didn't seem to want it. He put it off the day prior and he was putting it off again. Maybe this wasn't the time, but in a situation like this, when would it be?  
'Wilbur. Please. Five minutes. Just let me talk.', he insisted, taking a few steps forward. His friend looked back at him, a mixed expression on his face.  
'Five minutes is a lot of time to give the water.', Wilbur retaliated, keeping up his distant, uncaring attitude. 'Are you sure this can't-'.

_Fuck it. I'm not gonna let this go on any more than it has to._

'I'm sorry, Wilbur.', Schlatt finally said. 'I'm sorry for everything.'.

...Did the rain calm down for a moment, or was he imagining things?

'I... I know that's not enough for... Ignoring you for months, and for turning my back and for all the things I did but I- I never meant any of it, okay? Ted, that... Fucking asshole, got in my head and made me believe things I never would even think about for myself, okay?'.  
'He told me things... He said I was his friend, he taught me things, I idolized him. I thought everything he said was true because he was all I had in there. And... Then he cut me off from you, and I didn't even realize what was happening, and I- I was being so stupid!'.  
'I feel like a complete asshole, you know? You did so much for me, you never did anything wrong, and I just... I did all that, and I- I don't even know why- I- Why did I... I...'. Why did he? Why did he ever turn away? Why was he like this? Why did he do all of those horrible things, and-

Two arms wrapped around him. And suddenly... He felt better.

'...I'm sorry too.', Wilbur whispered after a moment of silence. 'I shouldn't have been mad. I should have helped you. I just... Didn't realize what he was doing until it was too late. But that ends here, okay?', the man grabbed onto his friend's arms, looking him in the eyes. 'We promised we would stick by each other until the fucking world ends, right? Well here it is. The world is ending and we need each other more than ever. Okay?'.

For a split second, the rain stopped completely.

'Okay. Yeah, okay.'.

And just like that, it returned.

\---

A strange thing Schlatt noticed was the rain always calmed down at night.

The moment the sky grew dark and the stars begun showing themselves, the rain would slow down, and during moments, cease completely, allowing them some time to rest. The day had been a constant cycle of climbing, stopping and resting, and climbing some more – It was getting tiring, but it wasn't like they could do much. Their clothes constantly soaked, practically starving from a lack of food and exhausted from constant, non-stop climbing being able to stop for a break every night was a blessing – Even if they were forced to do it under the stars, with no nearby caves or trees to speak of. It wasn't all bad, at least – For just a moment, they got to relax and look at the sky.

Wilbur, though, could not relax. No matter what.

They tried to avoid the topic. Even with an apology between them, that was still the one thing they could not discuss. Between the two of them, they both believed themselves to be the Source. Schlatt falsely, due to Ted's assumptions, and Wilbur knowing the truth, having the evidence right in front of him and confirmation from... Kristen? Had it even been her? He never met her, after all, so how could he know it was her? And yet he did... It didn't make any sense. He knew the woman was a touchy subject when it came to Techno – He had always resorted to blaming her for how their family ended up. Alone, poor, a single father with two kids to care for, not to mention all those mutations the Nether left them with.

It would seem, for Wilbur, the mutations had been more severe than he thought initially. He could have never known he was developing an unseen Anomaly into a Source when he visited the Nether as much as he did during the time he spent with the Captain, only noticing all the weather changes around him way later into his life, past his apprenticeship. Maybe, if they had spotted this issue earlier, nothing would be wrong. Maybe, he wouldn't have put Schlatt in danger, and he himself could have left, or died, or done anything at all that could have saved SMPLive.

He looked at Schlatt for a moment, silently admiring the stars just as he had been all this time.

He had to tell him. He knew he had to. But he was also afraid. He had just gotten his friend back – His partner in crime. Their climb up was stressful, tiring and disheartening knowing what they were running from. But... They talked. They tried to distract themselves from everything and talked. They caught each other up – Schlatt learned about how Ty and Altrive were doing working at Schlatt & Co, and how Connor had been managing the company, and in turn Wilbur was told about how the flood was being managed from behind the scenes. The sleepless nights, endless paperwork, and of course, the few times Schlatt got to get a break and spend some free time with the rest of the Lunch Club – The memories were rather sour now, every mention of Ted's name only making his mind flash back to the moment he realized he had lost his footing and begun falling towards the water.

Falling, falling, falling. That fear he felt still felt so fresh... He could barely focus.

Despite their respective problems to work through, the friends carried on in silence. They got tired of the stars eventually and gave into sitting by the cliff's edge and looking down into the water – Schlatt looked rightfully worried and kept a distance from the edge, while Wilbur's legs lazily swayed back and forth over it. He tried to not focus on the water too much – The stars and mountains in the distance were a far more appealing sight.

'...Hey, Wilbur?'.  
'...Yeah?'.

'...If we don't... You know, survive this.', Schlatt started, and instantly sighed realizing how stupid the start had sounded. 'And I don't wanna get cliché or some shit like that, but... You know I always cared about you, right? Despite all the characters and bits...'.  
'...I mean... Obviously.', Wilbur responded with a gentle laugh. 'We're partners in crime till the end of time, right? We don't just say that because it rhymes...'.

'Well, I guess we reached it.', Schlatt focused his eyes on the rising flood, clear panic overtaking him as a wave crashed into a wall below and made a loud splash. He was still quite jumpy any time the water even got close to him. 'End of time, Wilbur. How does it feel?'.  
'It would feel a hell of a lot better with some music.', Wilbur admitted. He listened into the sounds of the waves, which would have been relaxing, if it weren't for their origin. 'I'm guessing you didn't grab those discs of yours when this all started, right?'.

Wilbur watched Schlatt take off his backpack with a smug grin.

'No way! You did?', Wilbur asked with a gasp. He had dropped off the discs at the Lunch Club offices after their argument, but he never confirmed if Schlatt had actually gotten them.  
'If there's one thing I value more than money it's these stupid-ass discs.', the man responded, removing one of the discs from the bag. This one had a green ring in the centre of it, with a carefully painted white signature on it reading 'CAT'.  
'They've got names, right?', Wilbur leaned forward. The second disc Schlatt removed had a white and purple colour to it and was captioned 'MELLOHI'.  
'Titles. Of the pieces recorded on them.', Schlatt reminded his friend as he got the third disc out – One with a light orange ring and with 'BLOCKS' painted on the side of it.  
'Too bad we can't play them...', Wilbur muttered, sitting back. He watched as his partner in crime carefully removed the last disc – One he knew to be his favourite.

With a pitch black ring, the fourth disc read 'STAL'.

'I remember the tune.', Schlatt said with a proud grin, beginning to hum the melody of the song.  
'...Huh. You're really obsessed.', Wilbur remarked with a snicker. 'Why do you love these so much?'.  
'I... Don't know.', the man shrugged. He knew he found them in the woods... But he couldn't shake the feeling someone had handed them to him. 'Someone very important gave them to me, long ago.'.  
'And... Do you remember who it was?', Wilbur asked, looking at the four discs. Once more, Schlatt thought – He was too young to form memories back then. All that he knew was a stranger in the woods with a bag full of discs – A very, very important to him stranger. And the moment he was old enough... The first memory he decided to latch onto was Ted Nivison and that fucking rock of his.  
'No fuckin' clue, Wil.', he admitted as honestly as he could.

And even at the end of time, the two friends laughed.

\---

Another day, another long walk.

Three days into this disaster everything was becoming routine. Getting rainwater and doing what they could to clean it, eating whatever happened to grow or die on their way, and moving up, never stopping. The mountain seemed to never end – But neither did the flood, so it was better for them. The trail was luckily quite easy to follow – It had been laid out around the time SMPLive finally got on its feet and begun focusing on things above and beyond the basic necessities for its citizens. This was why the two weren't surprised to find an old mountain shack around one of the corners – One that had clearly been abandoned for a while, but was still definitely intact.

'Finally, a place with a roof! Are we actually gonna get a good night's rest for once?', Wilbur excitedly said as he got closer to the shack, inspecting the wood it was made from.  
'There's no windows...', Schlatt noted as he looked at the side. 'But as long as we keep to the walls and the wind stays calm we shouldn't have too much trouble.'.  
'It's better than the grass! Look, there's two beds! And they still have mattresses! Did we get blessed today or what?', the older of the two rushed into the house, followed behind by his friend.  
'It's better than nothing, that's for sure.', his friend followed inside, pressing down on one of the old mattresses. It was quite old, but still seemed comfortable. He sat down, feeling himself relax.

The rest of the evening was rather quick – The two spent some more time looking at the stars, and Wilbur ended up sharing a song he wrote, one titled... “Saline Solution”, if Schlatt remembered correctly. Listening to him sing under the stars definitely eased some of his worries... Although not much. The water below them, after all, was still rising. The tallest buildings in SMPLive had long disappeared under the waves, together with the doors to the bunker. Wilbur hoped it was still standing strong and everyone inside was alright – Hopefully, this whole nightmare would end soon. Eventually, night came around and the two decided to enjoy their temporary place to stay while it was still dry and above water – But not before an important exchange of words.

'Partners in crime, right, Wilbur?', Schlatt asked, turning his gaze from the ceiling to his friend, who was laying alone on the other side of the shack. He turned his head and smiled.  
'Till the end of time, like we promised.', Wilbur responded, closing his eyes. With this being the first comfortable place he had slept in in two days, it wasn't hard to drift off.

If he knew what his comfortable sleep would bring along, he would have just stayed awake.

\---

_It's cold._

_'Have you ever wondered about our world?'._

_So, so cold._

_'The world is made of dreams and memories. But what if there's something in-between?'._

_I'm so cold._

_'What if we're just stepping stones for a universe above us?'._

_I'm so cold i'm so cold i'm so cold i'msocoldcoldcold_

_'Look at me, Wilbur.'._

_Water. Rushing water. It's warm._

_'You have to remember it above all. The space between the dreams and the memories.'._

_I'm drowning. I'm drowning I can't breathe please let me go_

_'Away from these worlds. Away from the Nether. There's something more. You're something more.'._

_Please please I don't wanna die I don't wanna die_

_'You'll find me there. All of us. Between the dreams and the memories, that's where we really are.'._

_air air air air I need air im drowning_

_'Wake up.'._

_i can't_

He woke up with a gasp so sharp it hurt.

The nightmare was sudden – Unlike any he had experienced before. The voice in it kept drilling into the back of his head, so familiar and yet so... Distant. He tried to grasp on, but no matter what he did, it slowly but surely shattered and faded away. He could still feel the water on the tips of his fingers – It were as if he was still floating in that water in his dreams, so warm, so familiar, and...

No. No, no, no, he wasn't making that up. That felt...

Oh fuck.

The shack was filling with rainwater.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we are getting so close to the end of this smplive bullshit  
> don't get me wrong i love it here but GOD do i wanna get to the festival already  
> everything is gonna go REALLY fast from there
> 
> also the dream is SORT of hinting at what kristen may be but  
> it's very cryptic  
> and even when it's explained it will be VERY vague  
> so yeah-


	113. The Truth (Part 30)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the flood reaches the top of the mountain, Schlatt and Wilbur exchange important words.

'Schlatt! Wake up!'.  
'Huh...? What-'.  
'Wake up, the flood- We have to go!'.  
'What? What the fuck!?'.

Wilbur couldn't wait any more. He grabbed onto his friend's shirt, pulled him forward and forcefully dragged him out of the shack, the other grabbing onto his backpack last second as they made their way out of the now-drowning house. The water had somehow reached them – Which should not have happened. At the speed it had been rising until then they should have been safe to sleep and wake up early enough to start climbing again, and yet the waves were now crashing into the sides of the old, broken shack, practically breaking it apart.

Water washing over him, hitting him, tearing at him,

he's falling he's falling again and he couldn't breathe and the water

A wave crashed into him, the current pushing him into a nearby tree. Schlatt felt his arm fill with agony as he tried to pull himself away, looking around. Another wave came close, forcing him underneath the water. His panic, combined with the pain in his arm left him practically frozen, only rescued by chance thanks to Wilbur being nearby and dragging him out. The two stumbled out of the water and crawled onto a nearby part of the trail yet to be overtaken by the flood, struggling to their feet and running as fast as they could bring themselves to.

Almost five minutes of non stop running mixed with fighting against the strong wind, trying to get away from the never-ending rain and still being dazed from being woken up so early and so suddenly left them exhausted and panting for air. Wilbur was laying on his back and holding onto his head, meanwhile Schlatt sat up against a nearby tree and grasped onto his arm. The wave had pushed him with more strength than he could have endured – He was sure that pain in his arm wasn't just something that would pass after giving it a few hours of rest.

'How did it catch up with us?', the man shouted the moment he managed to breathe normally, looking down at the water below. They had made good distance between it and themselves, but it had clearly increased in speed. It would seem things would only get harder from here.  
'I don't... I don't know, I don't... Oh, fuck...', Wilbur looked down at his leg, noticing a large bloodstain slowly growing around a rip in the bottom left sleeve of his trousers. He gasped the moment he noticed the large, deep crimson red cut, looking away and covering his mouth.  
'We were so high up! We were way ahead of it, how the fuck did it catch up?', Schlatt continued shouting to himself, barely able to focus on his friend. The pain in his arm did not let up.  
'I don't know, I don't know, I don't...', between his panicked breaths and repeated words Wilbur started gagging, feeling sick as he watched the wound on his leg seep out more and more blood.

'This is all on me... This is because of me... Fuck, fuck, fuck!'.  
'H-how? No, no, no, this isn't your fault!'.  
'Ted said I'm the Source, Wilbur! And you're here because of me!'.  
'This isn't your- This isn't your fault-... Oh god... I'm gonna be sick...'.  
'How can you be sure? How can you be sure I'm not causing this shit?!'.

'Because _I'm_ the Source!'.

As Wilbur screamed, thunder struck the peak of the mountain – For a single second, the rain froze.

'...What?', Schlatt whispered, getting closer. He could see his friend was struggling to as much as breathe, but with how dazed the two were, there was no space for giving each other time to relax. Especially not with what Wilbur had just revealed. The man looked up, breathing heavily.  
'I'm the Source, Schlatt! Not you! Ted was wrong! The Captain was wrong, too!', he continued screaming, the wind only intensifying as he did. 'I've been... I've been changing the weather for a long time now, I just ignored it because I- I was scared. I didn't understand, I was-'.  
'Why didn't you say anything?!', Schlatt stepped back, looking around. The storm only got more severe by the second – The water was mere inches below them now. 'You're causing all of this and you didn't tell me? Why didn't you- Why didn't you step in, say something, why-'.

'I'm sorry!', Wilbur shouted out, covering his ears. 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...'.

The man carried on, trembling and curling up as a wave crashed nearby and sprayed them with water, swaying back and forth completely overwhelmed by everything and unable to think straight. Schlatt knew he had to act – He threw aside his fears, his worries, his anger and focused on one thing – On his partner in crime, and their promise. He sat down in front of him, trying to ignore the rain completely. He could see the water moving in in the corner of his eyes – Still, he persisted.

'Wilbur, Wilbur, look at me, okay?', Schlatt spoke up, watching as his friend slowly lifted his head. Wide-eyed, pale, teary-eyed. He was just as scared and confused as him – It wasn't fair to blame him. 'You have to breathe. You have to calm down. We're both fucked if you don't.'.  
'You hate me, I know you do, and I'm sorry-'.  
'I don't. I never would. I never will. I don't care what the fuck you are or what you can do with a bunch of clouds, I couldn't give less of a shit! You're my friend, and that's all I care about. So look at me and believe me – I'm here, and you're okay. Alright?'.

Wilbur didn't say a single word, but he nodded. It was a hesitant, shaky and panicked nod.

And still, the rain calmed.

'I need you to stay focused, okay?', Schlatt continued, and although he received no verbal response, he could tell the other was listening. 'My arm is most likely broken. You have a really deep cut in your leg. We need to get away from the flood and stop somewhere for a while to take care of these. Just keep breathing and follow me, okay? We're gonna be fine.'.

A nod again. He helped his friend up, as best as he could with one arm, and they walked on.

The rain returned to its usual state.

'Here. This seems good.', Schlatt concluded the moment they made it further up, the flood clearly having had slowed back down to its usual speed. He lead his friend to a nearby tree and helped him settle down. 'Sit down. Careful. I... I can't do much with one arm, so you'll have to help me out.'.  
'...Okay.', Wilbur spoke up for the first time in a while. 'What do I do?'.  
'You have to clean the wound. As soon as you're done rip away a part of my jacket and wrap it around the cut as tightly as you can. You have to make sure no more blood is coming through – Then you'll know it's tight enough. Once that's done...'.

And so they carried on. Eventually... The rain calmed down completely. The flood slowed.

And so came the questions.

'What the fuck is Ted gonna do once he finds out about this?', Schlatt muttered under his breath as Wilbur worked on a make-shift sling around his arm from whatever was left of his jacket. The Source paused for just a moment, looking up in silence. His friend was clearly surprised he had heard him, himself looking back at him with a guilty look of pity.

'Schlatt... No matter what happens... You have to promise this stays between us.', Wilbur whispered with a horrified tone of voice, clearly he himself having had considered the possible outcome a million times before. Schlatt couldn't imagine how terrifying hiding this must have been.  
'Wilbur, this is- This is fucking insane!- I- I can't fucking do this- I-', the man snapped, feeling himself panicking during the situation. Despite his own words, he was still far too dazed and frustrated to keep himself quiet and understanding – He wanted answers.  
'Schlatt! Please! If our friendship still means anything to you, you have to keep quiet.', his friend insisted, his voice cracking as he exclaimed.

Wide eyes. Pale face. Trembling lip, red eyes, bags under them... Wilbur was as scared and confused as he was. He couldn't blame him for all of this – Just as the Captain had said, the Source itself didn't control a single thing it did. Wilbur was an innocent bystander in everything, it wasn't his fault he was the one chosen by fate for this role. Schlatt sighed, nodding.

'Okay... Okay. I won't say a thing to anyone.'.  
'Thank you... I promise... I won't let this get worse.'.  
'…I know you won't. I trust you.'.

The rain, for a few minutes there, seemed to stop for good.

But as always, eventually it returned, and they were forced to walk on.

\---

With one person limping with every step and the other unable to climb onto most things by himself, the two's climb slowed down severely. The water was no longer a distant enemy – It was a constant, ever-approaching eventuality, creeping closer and closer with each minute. They knew there was no way they would get a chance to sleep that night with how narrowly they were avoiding the water... It definitely didn't lift their spirits in any way. The whole walk Wilbur's mind was plagued by thoughts – Some rational, others making a lot less sense to him. Still, they were there, and there wasn't much he could do about them.

Schlatt may have insisted he didn't care that Wilbur was a Source, but he knew there was no way he could just ignore it. The looks he gave him, the way he slightly distanced himself from him, how he'd look at him whenever the rain got stronger and he'd desperately try to calm himself to get rid of it once more. Maybe he was just making it up... Or maybe he wasn't. That was the worst part about one's mind – You never truly knew what to trust. And in that very moment, all Wilbur trusted was the voice in the back of his head convincing him his friend despised him.

And did he?

No. No, of course not. Why would he?

Sure, subconsciously, he was more cautious. With how he approached Wilbur, how he acted around him, how he even as much as looked at him. But it wasn't intentional. Deep in his heart he tried to be understanding – He tried to put himself in the other's shoes, trying to understand everything from his point of view. He had been, after all, in a similar situation only hours prior. He may not have been actually causing the storm, but he believed himself to be. And he couldn't describe the sort of helplessness he felt at seeing everything fall around him. He had to support his friend here no matter what – As difficult as it was now that he knew the truth.

They had to keep going. The flood would catch up if they didn't.

And with how many doubts Wilbur had, the rain was far from slowing down.

\---

Schlatt was first to realize. He was walking in the front.

'No, no, no... Come on! This can't be happening!', he shouted out, causing Wilbur to rush to him. What could have possibly... Oh. Oh, that made sense.  
'No... No... There has to be... No, come on!', Wilbur shouted out, already feeling his legs grow weak. He collapsed to his knees, looking around.

They had reached the top of the mountain.

There wasn't much there – A flag that symbolized SMPLive, an etched tablet with some sort of message and a small clearing that left them standing above everything else with the wind and rain tearing at them and nothing to protect them from it any more. There was nowhere to run – No higher point to climb, no shack to hide in, no tree or cave to use for cover. It was just them, a flagpole struggling to stay standing and the rising flood, still not showing any signs of stopping. And Schlatt, despite his earlier revelations, begun panicking. And panic meant saying things he definitely never meant, and would never say under any other circumstance.

'We're gonna die...'.

He wished he could take it back.

'We're gonna die, and...'.

He wished he never said it.

'...And...'.

Maybe nothing would have gone wrong later if he had just stayed silent.

'-And it's all your fault, Wilbur! You know it is!

Why did he ever even open his mouth?

'You're the reason we're here, and the reason we're- Fuck, fuck, fuck! We're gonna fucking die!', he kept shouting to himself, half paying attention to Wilbur and half frantically pacing between the edges of the mountain and stepping back the moment he saw the ever-rising water only coming closer and closer... There was no stopping it.  
'You're gonna turn this shit on me?!', Wilbur screamed back, the rain intensifying and the thunder seeming to hit together with his voice crack. He knew he had to calm down – And calm Wilbur down, most of all. He wasn't actually angry, of course. He instantly regretted his words, knowing he was only making the situation worse with what he was saying;

'No I- You know I don't fucking mean that.', Schlatt instantly said, trying to relax himself. Despite the panic in his heart, he had to stay calm. He had to focus. He had to somehow figure it out. 'I just... What the hell do we do? What- How do we get out- How- This can't be it!'.  
'I don't know I- I'm trying to...', Wilbur took a deep breath, trying to somehow control all of this. No matter what he did, the rain just seemed to grow stronger with each shuddering breath he took. 'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't- We should have gone with the others, we should have...'.

'Wilbur, I don't... Do you think I actually blame you for this?', Schlatt relaxed his breathing, finally calming down. He couldn't take his harsh words back, but he could at least try to repair things. 'Well I don't. I never did. So stop thinking I do, and just... Let's just let this happen, I guess.'.  
'I'm sorry.', Wilbur whispered, watching as his friend moved closer. He could already feel himself trembling, tears building up in his eyes. He tried to wipe them away, but there was practically no point with how similar the rain and the tears on his cheeks felt. 'I'm so sorry...'.

'Just stop apologizing... There's no point now. We always find our ways out of these things, right?'.

The water was at their ankles.

'...I don't think we're gonna be able to do that this time. I think this is when we lose.'.

The water was at their knees.

'Well... It's a hell of a lot way to go out. And at least we're together. Like we promised.'.

He was pulled into an embrace.

'Till the end of time.', Schlatt said.

He returned the hug.

'Till the end of time.', Wilbur repeated.

The water... Moved down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SPEED UPLOADING THIS ON MY BREAK IN-BETWEEN CLASSES  
> HOPE YALL ENJOY THIS  
> OKAY GOTTA GO TO MATHS NOW LOL


	114. The Truth (Part 31)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the flood moves down, SMPLive returns to normal. Wilbur gets his friend back, Schlatt comes back to his company, and Ted is forced to improvise.

'It's dry.'.

Charlie didn't say a word. He couldn't bring himself to.

'It's all completely dry.'.

Travis just watched. He had been doing that from the moment they left the bunker.

'It doesn't make sense.'.

Most of the city didn't dare to speak with the state Ted had been in for the past three days.

'How the fuck is it that a flood drowns the whole fucking city, and the moment we come back everything is completely dry?', Ted snapped, finally turning away from the building he had been inspecting. Since the flood moved down that day, rather rapidly and unnaturally at that, he had been acting more erratic than ever before.  
'Shouldn't we be happy?', Charlie stepped forward, looking around. Most of the citizens were in too much of a daze to just walk back into SMPLive after everything, standing around and talking between each other, waiting for some sort of guidance from the Lunch Club. The six men themselves were standing around equally helpless and puzzled.

'Nothing is damaged. There's not even a puddle left behind. The flood moved down only a few hours ago, this shouldn't even be possible!', Ted kept shouting to himself, everyone observing him in silence. Something in him definitely changed after he got rid of Schlatt – Everyone could see it.  
'This flood was caused by the Source. Therefore, all things related to it were also connected to it.', the Captain stepped forward, trying to bring some order to everything. 'The Source either died or stabilized – Its anomalies all disappeared with it.'.

'So he's dead?', Ted concluded rather quickly and crudely, a certain hint of anticipation in his voice.  
'It's not guaranteed, but... With how the flood retreated, and with how it was when you...', the Captain hesitated, the events of a few days prior flashing through his mind. '...Got rid of him... It is very unlikely either he or Wilbur survived. The bunker was the only safe place.'.  
'He's dead.', the man concluded instantly, hiding a grin. 'About fucking time. Now the city can-'.

'Don't celebrate yet, asshole.'.

The eyes of the city were soon set on on the nearby woods, from which two figures emerged. Both drenched in water, one limping, the other with a broken arm, and both considered practically dead men walking. They stepped forward, coming face to face with the Lunch Club and the large group of citizens gathered around them. They stepped closer, whispers arising in the crowd as they grew closer. The one with the broken arm walked right up to the Lunch Club leader, leaning forward.

'Guess what?', Schlatt asked with a smirk. 'I lived bitch.'.

'How... How the hell...', Ted backed away, fear coming to his eyes. Wilbur could feel his stomach turn – Everyone here still thought his friend to be the Source. All he had to do was say one thing – One thing and he was dead. He could turn away, leave him to die, leave him to-  
'I made the flood go down. I guess knowing what I am made it easier to control.', Schlatt said with a shrug. He turned to the rest of the city, clearly not minding the negative attention. 'You're welcome, by the way.', he added, putting an emphasis on the words as he met eyes with Wilbur.

He was... Protecting him? But why?

'You can't go back into SMPLive! You'll just destroy it again!', Ted moved back once more, barely able to come face to face with Schlatt without stepping down.  
'Kill it! Kill the Source!', someone in the crowd shouted.  
'What about that guy? He helped it!', someone else screamed, pointing to Wilbur.  
'The Lunch Club has to do something about this!', another claimed.

The crowd grew louder. Schlatt stepped back, clearly beginning to lose his grip on the situation.

'The Source must die – For putting our city at risk.', Ted spoke, pointing to the two men in front of him. 'And Wilbur Soot – The man who saved it and brought it back to our city, must be imprisoned for his treason against SMPLive! No trial, no hesitation – We end it here and now!'.

Ted and two of his bodyguards stepped forward, but before he could as much as do anything, something interrupted him. He was forced back by a strong gust of wind, meanwhile something covered his view completely and shielded Schlatt and Wilbur – That something being a pair of large, feathery grey wings, ones that separated the two men from their attackers and left them practically untouchable. The owner of this very pair of wings – A blonde man with a burning rage in his eyes and a relief to see the two figures again in his heart, spoke;

'Get the fuck away from my sons, Nivison.'.

'You as much as lay a finger on them...', Phil carried on, slowly lowering his wing and revealing Techno standing by Wilbur's and Schlatt's side, his infamous diamond sword in hand and ready to strike at a moment's notice. 'And you'll get a taste of what happens to people who hurt my family.'.  
'Right...', Ted stepped back, fixing up his shirt. Schlatt would lie if he said seeing such genuine terror in the man's eyes wasn't satisfying. Phil himself readied a sword, causing the crowd to gasp. 'Right... Let's not be hasty, we can... Figure something else out, of course.'.  
'We better “figure something else out”, asshole.', Phil hissed, sheathing his sword. It was clear he was overjoyed to see the two again – And would do anything to avoid losing them again. 'Now apologies. I have lot of catching up to do with these two. We'll be on our way now.'.

Phil walked forward. Techno followed right behind. Wilbur did, too. Schlatt, however, stopped.

'Oh, one more thing.', he turned to Ted, clearly quite confident in himself thanks to Phil's protection. He reached into his bag, dug in under the four discs and finally managed to fish out his Lunch Club badge. He forcefully grabbed Ted's hand and moved it up, forcing him to put forward his palm. With a rather arrogant move he dropped the badge in the other's hand, grinning. 'Lunch Club's back down to six members. Guess you're gonna have to get another innocent kid to traumatize.'.

'I quit.'.

And so, he followed his family.

\---

'So you're actually the Source?'.  
'Seems like it.'.  
'And... You've quit the Lunch Club for good?'.  
'Should have done it ages ago.'.  
'And how did the flood go down?'.  
'...I... Made it go down... I think.'.

Wilbur couldn't describe the feeling of stepping back into Phil's home again. Before heading there they stopped by Condi's and made sure their wounds were taken care of properly – Schlatt being given a proper cast and sling and Wilbur's cut being cleaned, stitched up and bandaged. Once they finally arrived, they instantly changed into whatever clothes Phil had around, with the younger being forced into a blue sweater, whatever he may have said about “preferring suits and shit”. To Wilbur, of course, another less dirty, yellow sweater wasn't much of a change. They collapsed on Phil's couch almost instantly, barely able to fully tell their story with how exhausted and starved they were – Phil was kind enough to make them something to eat the moment they got home.

'When we were at the top of the mountain Wilbur calmed me down and everything just... Fixed itself.', Schlatt continued lying effortlessly. It was almost terrifying with how much ease he said all these half-truths, turning the story in a way where his friend was safe and he took most of the blame for everything. 'I think it's gone... for a while, at least.'.  
'So you're not fully in control?', Phil spoke up, silently watching the two men across from him. They were both barely awake, too exhausted to even stand any more, not to mention give coherent responses. Techno was nearby, listening into everything but not saying a word.  
'I... Don't know.', Schlatt answered nervously, giving Wilbur constant side-glances. Every now and then he'd squeeze his arm in a specific way to tell him if he should say yes or no to certain questions, or if he should just avoid responding all together. '...That's the honest answer.'.

A moment of silence. Wilbur rubbed his eyes and yawned to fill it.

'Can we take care of the rest in the morning?', he muttered, although Schlatt could tell he was acting it up. It was clear he wasn't the only one who wanted to desperately get out of this situation. 'We haven't slept properly in three days. We really need a break right now.'.  
'Right, that's... Understandable.', Phil nodded along as he spoke. 'You two should stay the night here, though. The city is still a bit... On edge. You might get hurt if you go out there right now.'.  
'Understood. I don't mind staying here. It's not like I really... Even... Have a house, right now.', Schlatt said to himself, slowly realizing the consequences of his earlier decision. 'I guess quitting the Lunch Club came with a fair share of downsides... Losing the apartment is a bit... Bad. I'm gonna need to find a new job... And somewhere to stay...'.

'Look for a job?', Wilbur repeated as if it were a stupid thing to say. 'Schlatt & Co. is still there.'.  
'You'd want me back?', Schlatt asked with a laugh, to which Wilbur smiled.  
'Your name's above the door, man. I couldn't keep you away if I wanted to.'.  
'Well, we better give you two time to rest. We'll talk in the morning.', Phil turned away, Techno following soon behind. 'See you guys. Goodnight.'.

And once more, they were alone. In silence. Complete silence.

No rain. God, did it feel good without the rain.

'...Why are you covering for me?', Wilbur spoke up in a whisper, breaking the silence and turning it from something comforting into something far more menacing.  
'Why wouldn't I?', Schlatt instantly responded. 'It's the least I can do after ignoring you for five months... It's better for one of us to be at risk rather than both of us.'.  
'...Thank you.', the older said. Maybe, in another situation, he would have insisted to take the blame. Maybe, with something else, he would have tried to step in. But something in the back of his mind told him it was best to step down and just be grateful – So that was what he did.  
'We deserve a break right now.', Schlatt concluded, laying down on a mattress Phil prepared on the floor. Wilbur, on the other hand, remained on the couch. 'We can talk through everything in the morning, okay? But things are gonna be better now. We're back together, the city is safe, and Ted Nivison can't do shit to us. So... Let's just take a break for once, alright?'.

No rain. Just a gentle wind.

'Alright.', Wilbur whispered, laying down. 'Goodnight.'.

\---

'Well? How is it?'.  
'It's not... Lunch Club quality of uniform, but-'.  
'Oh, stop being an ass!'.  
'I'm joking, I'm joking.'.

Schlatt turned away from the mirror where he had been inspecting his newly acquired suit. He looked back into the Schlatt & Co. office, a place that had grown immensely since he last saw it. A front desk, actual spaces for people to work at, and the make shift home for Connor and Wilbur finally moved out – The two had more than enough money to rent out normal apartments now. Ty and Altrive were standing around somewhere together, and Connor was as always working away on something by himself in the corner. Schlatt smiled, glancing around.

'It's good to be back.'.

'Now that you're the face of the company again we're gonna get a whole lot more clients. Especially after how you told off Ted Nivison of all people in front of the whole city – People love that sort of stuff. I think... The Lunch Club is slowly starting to lose grip.'. Schlatt continued inspecting himself in the mirror, the lack of his badge almost... Staggering.  
'...Right... We can figure it out, though.', Schlatt turned to his friend. 'When have we not?'.  
'It's just hard to think everything is just going back to normal... Knowing what we know.', Wilbur lowered his voice, trying to keep Connor, Ty and Altrive from hearing. 'I just-'.  
'Don't think about it too much. We're gonna stick together, till the end of time. Just as our creed goes. So whatever bullshit happens now... I'm not leaving your side.', he patted his friend on the back. 'Well, I've got a meeting with good old Jawsh in ten. I better go.'.

'I'm not leaving your side, he says, instantly followed by leaving for a meeting.', Wilbur joked followed by a stifled laugh. It was good to see him smiling again – He had been in a daze since they came down the mountain, but slowly started coming back to himself.  
'Oh, shut up... But... What does Jawsh want from me personally, anyway? Seems a little early to set up a meeting when I just got back to the company...', Schlatt muttered under his breath, his nervousness about everything quite clear.  
'As I said. You're a celebrity. Everyone in the city either despises you or adores you – It's a perfect split...', Wilbur paused for a moment. 'Are you're sure you don't want me to come with you? People are still... Jumpy... Around you. I wouldn't want you to get hurt.'.  
'All I need to do is give them one angry look and they'll run and hide. I'll be fine.', Schlatt turned away, heading for the door. 'I'm gonna be late if I don't leave now. So... See you in the evening? Maybe we could even buy a new jukebox, and... See if the discs still work fine?'.

'Yeah.', Wilbur waved with a smile. 'See you then.'.

And so, he was on his way. Jawsh had sent a message to him earlier that day and requested a meeting one on one regarding some Schlatt & Co related business. Schlatt walked to the office noticing some things – The way people looked at him, how they stepped aside when he got too close. It wasn't pleasant, but he could never bare to watch Wilbur endure something similar. It was better to keep up this charade for now and protect his friend instead of risking him getting in danger. He eventually made it to the man's office – He owned a small company of his own, and definitely wasn't your average businessman. He was lead to Jawsh's office, the doors opened, he was pushed inside rather strongly, and...

The doors locked behind him the moment he recognized who was sitting across from him.

He turned back, grabbed the handle and tried to turn it, but got nothing. He was trapped. He noticed Jawsh standing in the corner of the room – A mix of guilt and indifference on his face, an unusual combination, but not something he didn't expect from this man. Schlatt, with no escape from the room, was forced to sit down and endure the meeting with who he had actually met here.

'Sorry, Schlatt.', Jawsh spoke up from behind him. 'I owed him a favour.'.

Schlatt's head turned, his eyes burning into none other than Ted Nivison.

'Sit down, please.', the man said, placing something on the desk in front of him.  
'What the hell do you want from me?', he instantly asked, trying his best to hide his terror. Alone, unarmed, and with a broken arm and no way to defend himself. He was fucked if Ted tried anything.  
'I just want to talk. And offer you a deal.'. Schlatt looked down at the desk. No, no, no-  
'What sort of deal?', he asked, his eyes meeting with a Lunch Club badge that had once belonged to him. He looked up at Ted, who met his gaze as his lips twisted into a grin.

'A deal you cannot refuse.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ted leave schlatt alone for 5 second challenge
> 
> in tommy's new video wilbur started acting sus around a storm and i was like  
> this sounds familiar... hm....


	115. The Truth (Part 32)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faced with a difficult choice, Will caves.

Schlatt came back only an hour or so later, and something was wrong.

Wilbur could always tell. They were such close friends, after all. How could he not? The nervous glances, a lack of communication. It was quite clear something had happened at that meeting, but no matter what, Schlatt refused to speak. He insisted the two get to work on something – The man claiming he had to “distract himself”. What could have possibly happened? After some time, he himself begun forgetting to ask the dreaded question. Whatever it was, it was clear Schlatt himself didn't think it vital enough to tell him about. If it were very serious, he'd say, wouldn't he?

They were partners in crime. They'd never keep anything from one another.

...Right?

But Schlatt was also so skilled at lying. Wilbur could barely ever tell that he was, even when he knew for sure. Such as with Phil – If he didn't know any better, he would have definitely believed the man to be the Source. He had to know for sure – He had to find out. He had to check, he had to figure it out, he had to... Schlatt would understand. He wouldn't get mad if he just... Took a small peek at his office, right? Searched through the cabinets? It was all a matter of trust, was it not? They trusted each other, so Schlatt trusted him to not take anything or leave the office a mess. He just had to make sure. Open a few cabinets, shuffle through the pages, and-

No.

No, no, no, no, no.

He trusted Schlatt. Schlatt trusted him. They were partners in crime, why would he-

Why?

...Why did Schlatt have his Lunch Club badge?

He gave it back to Ted. So why was it here, in his office, hidden underneath some papers in his desk? Where did he get it? They had spent all their time since the flood together – Apart from one moment. One single moment, one single moment where Schlatt was alone and free to do whatever he wished, say whatever he wanted. He could have gone to the office, he could have made a deal, he could have said something

He said something

He told him

Ted knew. Ted knew that Wilbur was the real Source, he was sure of it.

Schlatt was the type, wasn't he? Throw you aside the moment he got a chance for something better. His apology didn't really matter, there was no way. He told Ted the truth to get back into the Lunch Club and now Wilbur would die the next time he left this place. He'd be caught, killed for what he was and finally SMPLive would be safe but would Schlatt really do something like that yes he would but no he wouldn't but he was his friend, wasn't he? He was his friend why would he why

_'Good job, Schlatt. You just tore our whole fucking family apart.'._

He hated him.

_'Do you know who this man is, Schlatt?'._   
_'No, Ted. I have no idea.'._

He hated him.

_'And it's all your fault, Wilbur! You know it is!'_

He hated him.

He hated him he hated him he hated him he hated him

Someone knocked at the door.

\---

This was it. They were about to kill him. And what was he to do?

The woman at the front desk, just as she did last time, opened the door to the Lunch Club meeting room and practically pushed him inside. He was met with seven figures – Seven familiar figures. Seven figures he knew all too well, but was surprised to see someone missing. Six of these figures were the Lunch Club – And the seventh, instead of Schlatt, just as last time, was the Captain. They were about to tell him he was sure – Tell him what he was, slit his throat and

Why were Techno, Phil and Connor in the room as well?

Wilbur was invited for a meeting, just as he had been before the flood, expecting it to be the end. He was surprised he made it this far without being knocked out and brought somewhere to be stabbed, or wasn't already shot with an arrow to the back on his way there. Something was wrong, and the tense atmosphere in the room definitely didn't make him feel any better. He tried to keep calm – He slowly took his seat on one of the four chairs prepared for all the visitors, not saying a single word as he did. The seven men in front of him appeared worried – Phil, Techno and Connor were all about as stressed as him.

One, two, three seconds of silence. He counted every single one.

'...Thank you for coming. As sudden as this was...', Ted started, getting an instant response.  
'What's going on here? Why are we here?', Phil cut in, as always the only one willing to stand up to those six people. He had always been a very open critic of the group since he returned from exile.  
'SMPLive is not safe. Even with the flood down, there's no way to guarantee it won't show up again. The Source, as long as it exists, is a danger.', the Captain started, opening his journal. It was something Wilbur knew quite well – He kept all of his research from all his years of working carefully categorized inside. 'But... There's also a problem. Obviously. There's no way to know for sure what a Source will do once threatened, and what could follow once it dies.'.

'Even if you wanted to I wouldn't let you lay a finger on Schlatt.', Phil cut in.  
'If I wanted Schlatt dead he'd already be bleeding out in an alleyway with his throat slit open and you and your family none the wiser.', Ted snapped instantly. 'Now shut up and listen.'.

Phil sat back, stunned. Wilbur could feel his heart beating faster and faster. So Ted didn't know he was the real Source? Then why did Schlatt have the badge? Why were they here? None of this made any sense and with each passing second the walls just seemed to be closing in

Tap, tap, tap against the window.

It was raining again.

'...Schlatt can't die. But we can't stay here in the city either. As long as we are around the Source we are in constant danger. There is only one way out of this situation – The Source has to be abandoned and the city has to leave.', the Captain raised his head. 'During my research I've managed to track down another portal inside of the Nether – A portal not belonging to our Overworld.'.

_That shouldn't be him, that should be me, I should be the one being abandoned_

'We would only need a week of preparation. The whole city would have to leave together, and no matter what, Schlatt cannot become aware of it. We're telling you this because we need you to work with us on this – And... Because it's not a finalized plan yet. We are going to be voting about whether or not we leave this evening. We need more time to think...'.

_They can't, they can't do this, I can't let them do this to him, but_

'And that's why we brought you here. We need you to work with us. Schlatt needs to avoid learning about this in any way and be kept in the dark until the day of departure... If... We agree on the vote, that is. We're still mostly split over whether or not this plan will go through. It's a big risk – That many people walking through the Nether at once... A lot could happen.'.

_But he has the badge. So did he lie to me? Did he lie to us? Who's the villain here?_

'You expect me to just abandon him?', Phil spoke up, leaning forward.  
'Why should the life or one man matter over the dozens in this city?', Ted asked in retaliation.  
'I'm not gonna turn on my friend like that!', Connor shouted, finally breaking his silence.

_But he has the badge._

'...Phil, think about this.', Techno suddenly spoke, turning his head. 'As... Difficult as it may be to admit... The only way for everyone to make it out of this is to leave Schlatt behind and take everyone somewhere safe. He can't survive in the Nether anyway. In this world, he at least has a chance. And in another world, all of us do, too.'.  
'There has to be another way, something... Captain, isn't there a way to somehow... I don't know, get rid of the Source without hurting Schlatt?', Connor pleaded, getting a negative response.  
'The only way for everyone to survive is for us to abandon him. We either stay here with him and risk everyone's lives, or leave and assure everyone's safety.'.

_He has the badge!_

'This is a difficult choice for all of us.', Charlie reassured them. 'But... If the sacrifice of one man is what it takes to save the whole city in the end... Isn't it a simple choice?'.  
'...And while alone Schlatt would actually have a chance at living...', Phil whispered to himself, even though it was clearly hesitant. '… A good part of the city wants him dead, after all.'.  
'I... I can't do this... We can't.... But...', Connor muttered under his breath, looking around frantically. Techno was silent – But it was still clear he was quite conflicted over everything.

_Why does he have the fucking badge?!_

'The only way for everyone to get out of this alive is for Schlatt to be left behind and for us to travel through the Nether to a new home.', Ted spoke up, his eyes narrowing. Something in them... Something in them was unusual. Something about the way he looked at Wilbur, something about the way he spoke, something about how he looked right through him and spoke and

'In life we must make sacrifices to ensure our own safety. Isn't that right, Wilbur?'.

_He knows._

_He knows Schlatt told him he lied to me he lied to me he said he'd protect me_

_He swore_

_he swore he promised he said_

_partners in crime till the end of time THAT WAS THE PROMISE_

_WHY DID HE TELL HIM WHY DID HE LIE_

'I understand that.', Wilbur spoke up, lifting his head. 'Whatever your choice will end up being, you have my full support. The well-being of the city matters the most here.'.

Everyone present, but Ted, seemed shocked by the collected response.

'Very well, then. The vote will take place tonight. All we need you to do is make sure Schlatt remains unaware. From there... Whatever happens, happens.'.

'See you all on the other side.'.

\---

Phil and Techno did the hard part of everything – They made sure Schlatt stayed away from the Lunch Club office and had no way of knowing any sort of important vote was taking place. Connor and Wilbur, on the other hand, knew they couldn't just sit aside and watch everything happen... And just like that, they found themselves in the entrance hall of the office, Connor looking through a small window above the meeting room door and Wilbur sitting on one of the chairs. He could see that old Lunch Club picture hanging above him – The one Schlatt had taken back when he was still settling into the group. He couldn't describe the uneasy mix of guilt and anger that filled him as he watched it... Was he making the right choice here?

'Are the votes finalized yet?', he spoke up, watching as Connor moved forward and took another peek into the meeting room. They would have probably been kicked out if it weren't for the unusual lack of the lady from the front desk. Where had she gone?  
'That's weird... Look.', Connor muttered, soon having his friend joining him. The two watched side by side as the six men talked between each other, Ted sitting with his head in his hands and looking down at six pieces of paper, neatly spread out into two piles of three.

Wilbur gulped. They were split – When discussing the fate of the former seventh member, they ended up needing him the most. Wasn't that crudely ironic?

The two quickly moved aside as they noticed Charlie standing up and heading for the door, hiding to the sides as he peeked out. He looked at both of them, clearly quite disappointed, and sighed. He appeared somewhat relieved to see them.

'You two shouldn't be here.... But it's good you are.', he said, paused, and then looked up. 'We're at an impasse. Someone else has to take the final vote – We're completely split. I know you two are close to him, which I why I think it should be one of you. It's up to you who does it.'.

Wilbur and Connor looked between one another and nodded.

'I'll go.', Wilbur said with a hesitant sigh. 'Let's finish this, once and for all.'.  
'Alright. Come in, then.'. Wilbur turned to Connor for a moment, sighed, and walked in.

Wilbur entered the room. Seven chairs, and only one empty.

_Ted knows. He knows. He knows, doesn't he? He knows he knows he knows_

'Wilbur. Sit down, please.', Ted pointed to a chair – Schlatt's chair – And nodded. Wilbur slowly moved forward, took his seat and nervously played around with his sweater as he was handed a single page and a pen. '...This all comes down to you. Stay or Abandon – It's your choice.'.

Wilbur met eyes with Ted, clicked the pen, and looked back down at the page.

_Ted knows - But if he knows then why is he letting me make this choice?_

_Ted doesn't know - But if he doesn't know then why does Schlatt have the badge?_

_What's going on here? Why is this all up to me? Why am I making this choice?_

_Why am I hesitating?_

Name: Will Gold

_He'll die. He'll die either way. I'll die if I say anything._

_He'd do the same to me. He'd understand._

_But he has the badge. So he lied. So he's the bad guy._

_But I'm breaking the creed. But I have a good reason to. But why why why is it all up to me?_

Title: Wilbur Soot

_I have to save myself. He'd do the same thing. He'd do the exact same thing because he HATES ME._

Vote:

_Partners in crime, till the end of time._

Abandon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wilbur honey your paranoia is showing  
> i hope the practically no sense this chapter makes gets across how messed up our favourite tnt man is  
> he's just not doing so well mentally but what sort of dream smp character would he be if he was stable
> 
> so uh...  
> who's excited for epic smp today? :D


	116. The Truth (Part 33)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The city leaves as agreed. Schlatt finds himself abandoned - And panics.

10th of September. It was finally time.

After a week or two of preparation, sharing information and getting everything ready... It was time. It was time for the Source to be abandoned.

Wilbur was given the simple task of distracting him – Bringing him to an area of the city away from the Portal and giving him something to focus on for the time that the city needed to get through the portal. Leading up to the day he had questioned himself again and again – Whether he had made the right choice, whether he'd regret this, whether there was a way to take it all back, or-

No.... No, he had to go through with this. There was no turning back now.

Wilbur and Ted had put together a simple plan – They'd have to ensure Schlatt stayed at a distance alone for long enough that the city could gather and go through the portal. From there, it would be a matter of shutting the portal down from the other side and heading to their new home. The weeks of preparation were somewhat good at keeping him distracted from thinking about what he was about to do – But now, faced with his friend, a jukebox, and a single music disc, he could feel his stomach turning. This was the best thing he could do – For himself, for Schlatt, and for the city.

Or was it? He was still the Source. He would still be a danger, he would still-

He had to stop doubting himself. He had to commit. He had to get away.

Schlatt would do the same thing in his place. He was sure.

He hated him.

'So, here we are.', Wilbur spoke, surprised by how effortlessly he was able to tell his lies despite the amount of internal panic building up inside of him. 'I promised you I'd make your birthday special, with everything happening. So I prepared a surprise. But it's gonna take a while.'.  
'A surprise?', Schlatt repeated, looking down at the jukebox in front of him. Had Wilbur really bought a brand new jukebox just to drag it out to the gardens here? He was definitely one for theatrics, he didn't doubt that. But even this felt excessive.  
'I need you to fully listen throughout this disc. I need some time to get back to the office and prepare everything. Once it's done, just come back to Schlatt & Co. and I'll show you.', he carried on speaking without a problem, sick to the stomach at how easy it was to do this.  
'...Do we really need to get so worked up over my birthday?', the man asked with a nervous laugh. 'Especially with the state the city has been in for the past few days. We could get a lot of work done if we just-'. People were waiting. He had to hurry up. He had to do this.

He had to save himself. He had to. He had to, that was the only way.

'Just listen to it once. That's it.', Wilbur reassured him. The city seemed unusually empty that day – he knew why. Schlatt didn't, of course. Everything would go wrong if he did. He would tell them. But they already knew... Or did they? What was the truth here?  
'Just once?', Schlatt asked, grabbing Stal from the other. He moved it closer to the jukebox, but Wilbur grabbed his hand before he could. He didn't want him to start it early.

‘Mhm. And then you can look.’, Wilbur agreed, lying through his teeth.  
‘You know I hate surprises.’, Schlatt laughed nervously as he looked at his friends.  
‘Well, this won’t work any other way.’, the other convinced him.

‘Alright... Why this one, though?’.  
‘Because I know it’s your favourite.’.  
‘Hah... Okay, okay. One listen. Then look.’.  
‘Exactly. Listen once, then you can look.’.

‘...Great... You know what, Wilbur?’, he asked. He wondered why Wilbur had his backpack on him – He didn't know what was inside, but he didn't think to ask.  
'Yeah, Schlatt? What's up?', his friend responded, checking if his bag was still there. The other three discs and a scarf he got from Phil were all he was planning to take with him.

‘I always liked Stal.’.

Wilbur chuckled, and as the familiar song begun playing and his friend turned his back, he ran faster than he ever had before in his life. He ran through the plaza, into the large artificial tree nearby it and was faced with the Nether Portal – Very few remained around it, only those few who wanted to hear the news for themselves. Along those people is a mix of many – Friends, family, enemies, strangers. All connected by one thing – Connected by their unending guilt for their actions. But Wilbur was different, of course. He knew far more than everyone there. He knew this was far simpler than mercy for a monster that couldn't be fixed – This was him using someone who cared-

Someone who hated him. He hated him, he hated him, he hated him

'He's distracted. We have to go. Quick.', Wilbur quickly said, watching as people begun turning away and entering the Portal, one by one. He suddenly felt his arm being grabbed by Connor.  
'We're doing the right thing here, Wilbur.', he said. He didn't know. He didn't know just how much Wilbur was lying, how much he was using him- 'It's the only way we can all survive this.'.  
'I know.', Wilbur responded, trying to not let his guilt get to him. 'I know.', he repeated, looking back for a moment. He'd understand. He'd do the same thing in his place.

He hated him, after all.

'I just hope he understands that, too.'.

\---

_'I don't care what you offer me. I'm not coming back to this fucking group.'._   
_'Maybe listen before you shrug me off. I thought you were a good businessman?'._   
_'According to you I'm incapable, average at best, completely useless...'._   
_'Oh, come on. You know I never meant any of those things. I was just toughening you up.'._

_Trying to reason with Ted Nivison is like talking to a wall. That's what Schlatt concludes._

_'You don't have a choice anyway. So spare me a few minutes, will you?', the man asks, looking at the corner of the room. 'Jawsh, would you mind? This is a very private talk.'._   
_'...But you said-'._   
_'Leave.', Ted snaps, his eyes narrowing. 'Now.'._

_The man doesn't ask questions. The doors lock, and Ted and Schlatt are alone._

_'Whatever you offer me, I'm not gonna bite. I've already figured out your tricks, and-'._   
_'I know Wilbur is the real Source. And if you want that to stay between us, you'll listen.'._

_Schlatt is speechless. He sits back, eyes wide._

_'...The moment that storm came to an end and you two came down that mountain it clicked. It didn't make sense, the Captain's magnet theory or... Whatever bullshit he compared it to. You had no time to be in the Nether – You grew up with me in this city, and there wasn't a single moment I could remember where you were away. You've been incapable of being in that place since day one.'._   
_'...And... Wilbur?'._   
_'A known Ancestor... He was in the Nether for so long with the Captain... What if dear old Jordan happened to overlook some warning signs because he made assumptions? You were the only two at the top of that mountain, too. Everyone in the bunker was a mess when we got in, no way to stabilize – It all falls together perfectly. Oh, and...'._

_'Your reaction just there outright confirmed it. So, am I correct?'._

_Silence. Heavy, stressful silence that neither dare to break._

_'...He doesn't.... He doesn't control it, you can't hurt him-'._   
_'Oh, relax. I don't plan to. Quite the opposite, actually.'._   
_'What... Does that mean?'._

_'I'm willing to trust some things you said to me when you pretended to be the Source.', Ted starts, leaning forward. 'That the Source can control itself now that it is aware of its nature. I'm willing to trust that sort of theory – It makes sense. It's logical. And I'm a man of logic. But...'._   
_'But...?', Schlatt asks, feeling his whole body tense up._   
_'...Not the whole city feels this way, Schlatt. You've seen the way they look at you, blindly believing you to be the cause of the flood. It's only a matter of time before someone snaps and attacks you. You die, Wilbur gets guilty and mad, and we get flooded again. People put two and two together and Wilbur dies too – We lose both of you in a matter of days.'._   
_'...What are you suggesting?'._

_Ted points to the badge on the desk with his finger._

_'There's only one group in the city that's untouchable. Dozens of personal bodyguards, eyes on every corner of the city, rats and spies in every company and group. Those who are with us are protected – This badge makes you invincible...', Ted moves the badge forward and leans back. 'And I... Need my seventh vote. Sooner or later the guys and I are gonna be split over something.'._

_'I'm not coming back to that office. You can't make me-'._   
_'You don't have to. All I need you to do is keep this badge and show up to vital meetings.'._   
_'..That's it? I don't even have to go public with it?'._   
_'Not at all. As far as SMPLive is concerned...'._

_The man smiles to himself, looking outside._

_'Ted Nivison and Jschlatt are lifelong enemies.'._

_'If it keeps me and Wilbur safe...', Schlatt leans forward and grabs the badge, stuffing it into his pocket. 'Then I guess it's better than nothing. But Wilbur can't know.'._   
_'As long as you keep that badge somewhere safe, he won't.', Ted reassures him, leaning forward. 'But if he finds out, that's your mess to clean up, not mine.'._

_Schlatt looks the man in the eyes, feeling his limbs grow weak._

_'Welcome back to the Lunch Club, Jschlatt.'._

\---

Two minutes and thirty-two seconds, and the song came to an end.

Maybe he would have noticed how empty the city was if he paid more attention – But it was hard to. He was excited. Excited to see everything back to normal, to finally be back with Schlatt & Co, and even with his arrangement with Ted, to finally be somewhat away from him and the Lunch Club. His life had finally reached a point where he truly, for the first time ever, felt like it wasn't about to crumble like it always had before. Once he found Phil and his family, he lost them. Once he got his job at the Live Daily, he lost it. Once he got his company, he lost it. Once he fulfilled his dreams and joined the Lunch Club it all turned out to be a lie – And so, he lost it.

For the first time ever, he wasn't doubting everything. For the first time ever, he felt hopeful.

In retrospect, it had been incredibly naïve.

'Wilbur?'.

The office was empty. Completely empty. Ty wasn't running around and trying to sort out files, Altrive wasn't chatting away with Connor about something, and Wilbur wasn't silently writing something down in his office. There was no clients, no passer byers.... Everything was still, silent. Completely silent. He had never been in a place this silent. It wasn't right.

'Wilbur? Where are you?'.

Sill nothing. He called out a few more times, checked every office, and found nothing. He ran up to the roof of the office, and once more, found nothing. No jukebox, no discs, and certainly no Wilbur. All there was was silence, endless silence, and slow awareness coming to him. An awareness of just how quiet, empty and void of life the city was.

'Wilbur?!'.

Something was wrong.

'Connor?! Ty?! Altrive?!'.

He begun panicking. With each passing second he became more erratic, thrashing around in the parts of the office that made practically no sense to hide in. Nothing. He checked around the back, outside, in the neighbouring offices. Nothing. All the doors were left unlocked, every single neighbouring office left abandoned and without a single worker. Where could they have all gone, what happened here? It didn't feel real. Nothing about it felt real.

'Techno? Phil? Are you guys here?'.

Every apartment, every street, everywhere he ran, everywhere he checked, everywhere he thought he'd find someone, nothing. The Dome, empty. No Toxxxic, no Ty, no patrons. Live Daily, empty. No Pokimane, no Connor, no reporters. The Plaza was void of any shops, Pete's business completely silent and without a worker, and the Captain's office locked up and left without a trace of the man. Eventually, in his panic, Schlatt found himself wandering into a part of the city he had sworn he would not walk into unless absolutely necessary only days ago.

'Charlie? Travis? Is anyone here?!'.

The office, the meeting room, the apartments. He checked every single one. Every one of the seven private offices, one by one. Reading the nameplates, opening each door and hoping to see a familiar face. On the last door, he reached for the handle, hesitating for the first time since beginning his panicked search. He looked at the nameplate above the door, took a deep breath, and swung it open, trying to hide the fact he was hoping to see the man on the other side with all his heart.

'...Ted?'.

An empty chair, a lonely desk, a bookshelf, and not a man in sight.

'No, no, no...'.

_This has to be some sort of bad dream._

'Please, anyone? Someone?! Please!'.

_I'll just wake up and everything will be okay._

'I don't wanna be alone...'.

_Wilbur would never do something like this to me._

'I don't... Please... Don't leave me alone...'.

_We're partners in crime._

'...Till the end... time... time, time...'.

_I just need to wake up._

'...wake up... wake up... it's all a bad dream...'.

_Wake up._

Schlatt's body crashed to the floor, and the world went dark.

He passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're about two chapters away from getting this backstory done...  
> i'm very excited to finally be done with this jfc


	117. The Truth (Part 34)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alone in SMPLive, Schlatt tries to put together what happened from clues scattered throughout the city.

'...I'm alone.'.

Schlatt woke up late at night – Still alone, with no one there to find him and get him somewhere safe, with no one to drag him out of this nightmare and no one to tell him what the hell was going on. He opened his eyes, his head still throbbing in pain from hitting the ground and his eyes heavy from the overwhelming agony. He didn't even stand up for the first few minutes – He simply lay on the ground, watching stars glimmering behind the nearby window and listening into the howling of the wind. No chatter, no footsteps, no music, no shouting, no people...

...No life.

'I checked every corner of the city. Well, as well as I could. Unless everyone is playing some fucked up game of hide and seek, I'm alone. And it makes sense. I put it all together... Everyone gone, the portal shut down... You guys ran. You guys left me. You knew there was no way to destroy the Source so you turned away. Well joke's on you – I'm not it. I lied. I guess it came back to bite me.'.

He eventually found the strength to get up. He wasn't sure how long he had been out, but it didn't truly matter, considering his situation. He looked around Ted's office a few more times, in search of who knows what – And found nothing. He didn't even know what it was he wanted to find, exactly. But it wasn't there. So who cared. He left the office, now in a dazed walk rather than the panicked run he was in earlier, and headed home. Maybe, just maybe, he'd find him there. Maybe.

Surely he wasn't all alone.

'Before you say anything, Wilbur, I don't blame you. I'm guessing the Lunch Club pushed everyone out and forced you to come along. You didn't have a say in it – So... Don't worry. And I know you'll come back for me. Some day. Maybe you'll figure out a way for me to go through the Nether. There has to be some way. Has to be... I can't be stuck here forever, right?'.

When did it turn morning? It was hard to tell how quickly time was passing by, with everything blurring together, but he was slowly but surely gaining control over everything. He eventually found himself walking into the plaza, searching through everything that had been left there in search for something he could eat. He tried to keep himself somewhat focused, doing things he knew were necessary. Getting food, water, constantly looking around for where someone could be. Eventually, in his search through the marketplace, Schlatt came across something interesting.

'I found a voice recorder.'.

'In Junky's? I thought it was just a photography shop, but apparently he was selling more than just cameras. So I thought... Maybe I should keep track of things. Like... Wilbur, once you come back, I'll play all of these for you. Catch you up on what happened. It'll make everything easier, right? And... I guess it's better to talk to someone. I won't lose my fucking mind.'.  
'...You're coming back, right? Like... Once Ted turns away, or something. Once you're in a new city and he doesn't care to check if you went back any more. You'll come here and... We'll figure something out together, but... There's something here that just doesn't sit right with me, you know? About Ted, actually. Guess I can confess... It's not like anyone's listening.'.  
'Ted knows. He knows you're the Source. He... He's smarter than we thought, I guess. He put two and two together and figured it out. So that's why I'm so confused, I mean... If Ted knows you're the Source, why did he take you with everyone else? Or... Did he? What if he... No, no, I'm sure you're okay. Maybe he's actually keeping his promise and keeping you safe for my sake. The other guys probably voted over him on the leaving part and he wanted to stay quiet. Yeah. That's it.'.

'...I'm sure you're fine... Ted might be an asshole, but he's definitely consistent.'.

And that was how Schlatt found himself where he was at that very moment – Sitting on the wooden floor in front of the unlit, purple-dust coated portal, nothing more than a cold obsidian frame with no purple glow inside of it to speak of. No unusual warmth, no strange noises or irrational fear. Just an old frame, lifeless and abandoned, much like most of the things in the city. He was holding the voice recorder close to his mouth and muttering under his breath, trying to keep his focus on something other than that horrible feeling of solitude grasping at him with each passing second.

'...The Portal is weird when it's shut down like this. It's so.. Cold. As if the space here is not used to the heat being gone, so it's just freezing. And... Well, there's nothing to step through. The purple light faded – You can see what's on the other side now. Who knew there was a whole storage of confiscated potions and golden apples back here? They could come in handy, I guess...'.  
'And before you ask, no. I... I don't know how to activate the portal. I'd try if I knew. I... Wouldn't be able to step through to the other side, obviously. But maybe it would make it easier for you to find your way back to me... Or something. I don't know. I just hope I won't stare at an old, cold, and empty frame forever. That'd be... Depressing.'.

'I'm gonna figure this out. I'm gonna figure everything out, and I'm gonna be fine.'.

\---

'I need a system if I want to stay sane. I know that. So here's what I got...'.

The citizens left all of their doors unlocked – Some only left backdoors, others hid keys, and some simply abandoned all their houses with the doors wide open. Was it something they did out of pity? Out of mercy? Or as a way to show they did not plan on coming back? Schlatt wouldn't blame them, in their place, of course. They were running away from the end of the world, as far as they were concerned. Whatever the case for this was, it made finding things a lot easier. Food, clothes, somewhere to sleep. It covered all of the basics – Only a thousand more things to take care of from that point onward.

'It's funny, the stuff people left behind. Family pictures, personal items. I guess... Everyone's hoping to start fresh on the other side. I did notice our main Schlatt & Co. picture is missing – The one with you, me and Connor on opening day. I'm guessing either you or Connor took it... And... You took the discs. You know, I'd be mad, but... You left me with this one, I guess. Stal.'.

'It's a bit shit, but I guess it'll do.'.

He had nothing to do. With no one there and the basics covered by everything around him, he had nothing to do. The silence was growing louder and louder, it was deafening. He so desperately wanted to see someone, anyone. Following every noise just to find some bird or stray cat knocking something over, checking the corner of every room he entered in search of another person. Nothing. He had to do something – So he searched. He searched for answers.

'Did you know Ted Nivison keeps journals? Yeah, yeah. I could barely believe it too. He's been doing it since he was like... fifteen. One for each year. Weird stuff. It makes sense, though. Did you know him and the other five were trained to work for the Lunch Club since like... thirteen? The previous guys wanted to make sure the next generation could make the city perfect, so they churned out six clones of the outline of the ideal leader.'.

'...No wonder they turned out how they did.'.

Schlatt ended up finding Ted's most recent journal – He kept them all neatly organized, obviously. What else would you expect from a guy like him? He was wondering what he could learn from it – Lucky for him, the journal kept track of this very year, from the moment the Lunch Club first opened applications to the day they departed. And with nothing else to do... What harm could it do? He'd by lying if he said he wasn't curious of what the man thought of everything that had gone down – And what was going through his head as he made those infamous “sacrifices” of his.

'You know, if we thought this guy was stuck up with how he talked, you should see the way he writes... _We have finally moved forward with the applications – The box in the plaza is opened up and ready for incompetent amateurs to take their shot at joining our side in the single highest position of power in the whole city. They don't seem to understand the sheer amount of commitment, focus and_ \- God, this is so fucking pretentious. Let's move on.'.  
'...He kept a little record of every single person that came through. Come to think of it, this might have been the same journal he kept notes in when I came by for my interview. _Pokimane, as good as her rumour-spreading and fake news might be, cannot string together a coherent sentence to work as an introduction..._ Hah, I'd be lying if I said he was wrong there.'.

' _Jawsh, while harbouring some good points, has the most intense wording I have ever witnessed in a man..._ Yeah, you're one to talk. _...I don't know if Nick was drunk, high, confused, or a mix of all three, but I have never listened to a man more lost in his own world..._ Sorry not everyone is as direct as you, dude... _Schlatt..._ Oh. Would you look at that. There's a bit on me.'.  
'Hah, I can bet everything that he gave me a good paragraph on how immature and unprofessional I am. You can't even imagine the amount of times he gave me a whole talk on that. Here we go... _Schlatt, unlike the other applicants, actually came in and blessed us with a piece of his mind rather than reading from a shoddy script prepared ahead of time..._ Blah blah blah... Ah, here we go!'.

_'Schlatt, as impulsive and erratic as he may be, is the single most... brilliant, capable businessman I have ever come to face with... He's resilient... smart... I'm fascinated by his potential..._ No, no, wait. That... That doesn't make sense- I mean... Wait, wait, wait...'.

Schlatt placed the journal down, moving the recording device closer to him.

'He hated me. He always told me all the negatives in me, he never... He'd never say any of this to me. Well, only when he tried getting on my good side again, but... This doesn't make sense. Or... Well... Does it? What the hell is this guy's deal? Listen, wherever you are... I... Guess it doesn't make sense to say this, since you won't hear this all until after, but...'.  
'Stay away from him, okay? Don't let him get in your head. I wouldn't want you to end up like me. Anyway, I... I guess I'll keep reading this. Whatever bullshit this guy makes up, at least it might give me and idea of what exactly went down after the flood. Especially when they were in the bunker – I wanna know more about that. And hey, I'll read it aloud.'.

'It actually feels like you're here with me when I do. It's a bit better than admitting I'm alone.'.

\---

 _'...Just as expected, the guys voted for Schlatt to be taken in. Now the real interesting part begins – A man like him has potential, but needs someone to guide him in the right direction. I have tested him enough already – I know he's capable, I just need more time to work through the specifics. For now, he can serve as my right hand man. I had always wanted one of those. And Charlie and Travis have grown rather... Independent, lately.'._  
'Leave it to Ted Nivison to be angry that his friends are thinking for themselves... This is all... Well, I guess it makes sense, reading it all from this perspective. The constant critique and the sudden bursts of kindness out of nowhere. It's obvious from the outside – I guess it's a bit harder to see it once you're in the thick of it... I'll know better next time. Hopefully... I don't know, though.'.

Schlatt begun flipping the pages more frantically, in search of something.

'There's so much bullshit here... This is so frustrating to read. He keeps saying things that he'd never tell me if he was looking me in the eyes, you know? But... Whatever. That doesn't matter much right now. I skipped a few pages, and I think this was written after they entered the bunker... Just... Bear with me, there's a lot here. I'll try to be quick with it.'.

_'Schlatt is gone. I couldn't risk bringing the Source into the bunker – I did what had to be done. Wilbur jumped in after him and they're both most likely dead. Phil considered coming after them, but luckily that son of his seems to have some common sense. And as loving and caring of a father Phil would have you believe he is, as soon as Techno says a word... He listens. It's almost staggering how much he agrees with him.'._  
_'Everyone is stressed, I can see as much. No matter how many “eloquent” speeches I do addressing how we have to stay strong and united people are still uneasy. Let's just hope Schlatt dies as soon as possible and we can finally get out of here – I don't want to spend more time than necessary locked up. But the bunker doesn't matter much right now – I suppose... Schlatt himself does. I know people think I did what I did with pleasure – But why would I?'._

_'I wish it didn't have to end like this. Someone as skilled and showing as much potential as him just thrown away like that – But I do what I have to do for this city. And who am I kidding? I'm still... Distraught, is the right word, I suppose. He was... my... friend...'._

Schlatt felt the journal slip out of his hand, dropping the book to the ground.

'...That's enough for today. I can't let him get in my head again.'.

\---

'It's been a week. I'm keeping track, you know. It doesn't feel like it, but... Yeah. It's been a week.'.

'Something weird I've noticed about this place... I... I don't know if it's just my mind acting up, but... Everything is so still. And more still than just... The fact no one is here. The wind doesn't even seem to blow any more. The clouds seem to only move when I'm looking away. Day and night still happens fine, but... I barely feel the difference. I'm not tired, I'm not hungry, I'm just... Numb. It's weird, isn't it? Oh and... The vegetables that were left out in the marketplace... They've been out in the sun for a week, and they haven't even as much as started smelling bad... I tried one, and it's completely fine. Is like... Time just... Stopped.'.

'You've got to hurry, Wil. I'm think I'm losing my mind.'.

'Final pages of Ted's journal... Right before he up and left. Here we go. _I had my meeting with Schlatt... Told him the truth... Got him to take back the badge..._ This all makes sense. And... There he fucking goes again; _Good to have him back by my side._ Oh, shut the fuck up. You never cared. This was a few weeks before you all left... Something had to happen here...'.

'Wait. Wait, what's this? Something else happened that day?'.

_'The funny thing about people in this city that Schlatt is yet to get is just how selfish we all happen to be – We fight for what we want and push aside everyone in the way. It's something he is yet to realize... He has so much trust in that Wilbur guy, does he not? But how far will that sort of trust bring him? Today it's all coming out – No holding back. Let's test this city one last time.'._  
_'Wilbur knows what he is. But he also knows he has Schlatt's undying protection. The city can surely hold out for a bit more while I run a small experiment – If push comes to shove, we still have the bunker. And I'm still far more interested in this. This evening, I'm meeting with the Captain and the Lunch Club regarding what to do next regarding “the real Source”. We are inviting Wilbur, Phil, Techno and Connor, as well...'._

'...Wilbur? You never... You never told me about this, but... I... Hold on, this...'.

 _'...Wibur has agreed to leave Schlatt-_ You didn't, right? Ted- Ted must have said something, or- Well- You were just hiding yourself, right? You... You didn't... Wilbur, don't tell me! Hold on, hold on... _I expected as much. Just as I predicted – This city only cares for itself. Wilbur only cares for himself. Somehow, Schlatt was born caring for others – What a shame. With all his potential and such a flaw that tears him down...'._

'I don't... I don't get it... Wilbur, did you... Well, you had no say in the vote, but-'.

He didn't even have the strength to read the words aloud.

_Wilbur voted to save himself. He used Schlatt as a scapegoat. It would be funny, if it weren't so pathetic and predictable. I suppose the city will deal with the source a little longer – Shame. I had really hoped these two “partners in crime” were different than the rest of this shithole._

_But that's the one lesson I can't seem to learn. Everyone here is selfish and fights for themselves._

_We leave on the 10th._

Schlatt dropped the recording device, the journal, and felt his whole body go limp.

'...You'd never do something like this to me, would you, Wil?'.

But he did.

So why was the truth so hard to accept?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no one:  
> me: *introduces new storytelling device one chapter away from finishing the backstory*
> 
> no but for real uh  
> the voice recorder is a nice way to put schlatt's personality into the narrative i think  
> so it's not all just paragraphs of description since dialogue is near impossible
> 
> hope you guys enjoyed! <3


	118. The Truth (Part 35)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As years pass, Schlatt decides to put on one final show before everything comes to an end.

'Fuck you. Fuck you for everything you did to me. I hate you.'.

A month. It took just those few weeks for him to finally cave and go back to recording messages – He wanted to stay mad, but he knew Wilbur, whether he liked it or not, was the only one he could speak to about everything freely. And of course, he also needed to give the man a piece of his mind.

'You were always a selfish prick, I knew it. I tried to protect you but you turned your fucking back and left me to die. I hope you drowned whatever city you're in right now and killed everyone there. Should teach you a fucking lesson. And I hope all those assholes who went with you drowned too. I hope all of you are dead. Every single one of you, you hear me?'.

They didn't, of course. And he didn't mean a word of what he said. Eventually, the month turned into two months. Then it was three. Before he knew it, half a year had passed, and he was still alone.

'My arm's healed now, at least. I can finally do more stuff. Do you know how boring this shithole gets without you there to stab me in the back every five seconds? I've started climbing the fucking buildings just for fun. I'm gonna have another broken arm before I know it... And then I'll have even less to do. And I'll be even more alone. Shit...'.

A year. Then two. Then suddenly, it was five.

'You guys left behind a lot of alcohol. Most of it hasn't run out on me yet. It's not healthy, but who the fuck cares. If I keel over and die maybe that's better for everyone involved. You know, it's my birthday again. I deserve to treat myself. I know I shouldn't be around candles, but lighting one and quickly blowing it out doesn't seem too bad. It's something to look forward to, I guess.'.

Another five years, and suddenly ten have passed.

'I started talking to the pictures. I know they're not real and won't talk back, I'm not that far gone. It's just easier to look someone in the eyes. Yesterday I went by the Lunch Club office – I gave Ted a whole speech about how useless he was, and... Then I realized I was the one piss drunk and screaming at a picture, so I got mad and threw the bottle at him. The picture is all soaked and ripped now – You can barely recognize his face on there any more. Good. I can't stand him looking at me.'.

Ten more, he could barely even keep track of everything any more.

'...I punched one of them. It had a glass container. So... Luckily I found some bandages. In Condi's. That's where all the medical stuff is. I try to keep it somewhere easy to grab, just in case... Guess now is the time. The picture was that one you guys keep in the Schlatt & Co. office – With you, Connor, Ty and Altrive. I don't know why I did it. Sometimes it just doesn't feel like I'm in control.'.

Twenty more, they begun feeling like days rather than years.

' _Happy birthday to you.... Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday..._ Oh. Oh, I should... I should put this candle out, shouldn't I? It's getting a little hard to breathe...'.

And with each year came another lonely birthday, lonely candle and a lonely song – And with each year, it seemed harder to bring himself to put the flame out.

\---

'I give up.'.

Sixty years? Maybe seventy? Where had the last ten slipped away?

'...Whatever world you went to with the others... You're probably dead by now... So... No point in waiting any more, right? You know, as much as I hate you, I really do hope you managed to live a full life somewhere... Maybe find yourself someone... Have kids or some shit. You always said you hated kids, though. You'd probably make a shit dad. But hey, knowing you you gave it a go.'.  
'Nothing here moves. Ever. I can' take it any more. Every time I look in a mirror I look the same. I'm not ageing. The food never rots but I'm never hungry. It never rains, the wind doesn't even blow. It's just day and night, all still and quiet just like the previous thousands of them. It all blends together. And since you're not coming back... No point in me sticking around this place, right?'.

Schlatt picked up a bag of items – A disc, a pouch of golden coins and a photograph.

'I'm gonna... Call it a life, you know? I'd be dead by now if it weren't for how this world works. So I'm gonna... I'm gonna climb up to Mount Ianite. You remember it, right? It's where we went during the flood. Yeah, I'll go up there, and bring some potions with me. All the worse I can find. Let's hope I go out with a nice view, at least. That's better than nothing.

For a moment, Schlatt looked at the lonely birthday cake in the middle of the room, with a single blown out candle atop it. Before turning off the recording device and heading out, he muttered;

'Happy fucking birthday to me.'.

\---

The climb would have been long if time didn't blend together like it did.

He knew it. Even after all these years, he remembered it. It was so familiar – The flagpole with a symbol of the city and the single etched tablet – This time, he actually had the time to get close and read it. It must have been left by the Captain – He had always been one for theatrics;

_An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind,_  
_but if justice is blind, then what is the morality of revenge?_

_This mountain stands named after Lady Ianite;_  
_Goddess of Balance and Queen of the End and Ocean._

_May she rest easy in a world long gone._

'...Guess this is it.', Schlatt said to himself as he took a seat at the edge of a nearby cliff, rummaging through his bag and pulling out a few potions he had brought with him. They were way easier to prepare with no one there to insist they were illegal – Just him, some old books and a good few days of trying to figure out how everything worked. He had the time – He didn't mind the wait.  
'I always thought I'd end up dying some more dramatic way, you know?', Schlatt talked on. He didn't even have a device with him – But he had grown so used to speaking to himself like this, it wasn't like he could stop. 'Failed deal with some dangerous client. Assassinated mid-Lunch Club-address by Ted's side. Some shit that looks cool on a tombstone, you know?'.

'And here we are. He died as he lived – Drinking shit he definitely shouldn't be drinking and being a fucking mess. But then again, there won't be a tombstone. I won't even get buried.'.

The man looked down at the small glass bottle in his hand, filled with a ruby red liquid.

'...Harming potions. I always wondered why these existed. I mean... You can throw them, sure. But they don't do much when in contact with skin. You can hide them in food, but they don't have as much of an effect and can hardly kill someone once they soak into it. Disguise it as wine, it's easy to spot because of the smell. There's no way for these to hurt a man – Apart from one method.'.  
'...You down the sucker yourself. It's quick, practically instant, and painless. You wonder why stuff like this even exists, right? Why would anyone willingly drink something like that? Answer is simple – Someone who gave up. Someone like me, who gave up because of you. Because you decided I wasn't good enough and turned your back and...'.

'Whatever. I don't care any more. Here's to the afterlife – Let's hope I finally catch a break.'.

Schlatt lifted the bottle up as if toasting someone invisible, and slowly moved it closer...

_An eye for an eye..._

...closer to his lips...

_...and the whole world goes blind..._

...the stench of death filling his nostrils...

_...but if justice is blind..._

...the unusually warm temperature of the potion scolding his hands...

_...then what is the morality of revenge?_

'No. No, fuck this. This isn't how Jschlatt fucking goes out. I'm not doing this bullshit.'.

He threw the bottle forward, watching it crash on a nearby rock, the deadly liquid splashing to the side and killing all plants it came into contact with. They shrivelled and fell – But Schlatt did not. He picked up his backpack, turned back to the city and felt his heart fill with an emotion he couldn't quite describe – But he knew what he had to do.

If he was going down, this whole city was going down with him.

\---

Since he was seventeen and first diagnosed with that bullshit disease, Schlatt kept away from certain things. Candles, torches, lighters, and anything flammable. Now, in this newfound life, he blew out a candle for every year that passed. He used torches to light up the nearby woods. He used lighters to make fire when he was cold. Sure, the flames hurt, but it was better than freezing to death and getting swarmed by monsters every night. And now, in his moment of need, Schlatt reached for the single most flammable object he could find – Gasoline. With enough looking, he found large amounts of the stuff. Way too much for a city like this to ever need – But just enough for him to do what he should have had done a long time ago.

He looked around the Schlatt & Co office. The storage room that had once been his, Wilbur's and Connor's bedroom was as void of life as ever, all the files scattered about after Schlatt looked through them at least five different times He'd read and memorized most of them by now – There was no point of keeping them around. Ty and Altrive's desks were both messy and disorganized – They didn't have anything of value. The original Schlatt & Co. picture was taken and the secondary, the one with the other four and not him, was on the ground with the bloodied glass still shattered around it. Nothing here mattered. And so, finishing his wander, Schlatt left the office, turned around, lit a single match and watched it meet with the gasoline on the floor.

The nights with the four discs, the laughs in the office, the hard work and the wasted potential all went up in flames in a matter of seconds, the fire soon spreading to the surrounding offices.

Next came the Live Daily Offices, Pete's office, and AntVenom's office. A place where he had met his best friend and grown as a person, a place where he had managed to make a powerful friend, and a place where he moved past his childish dreams and faced reality. It all burned and fell apart, collapsing into a useless pile of black, charred dust. He grabbed onto another bottle of whatever it was he brought along – One with whiskey, another with wine, another with a few drops of vodka left over from wherever the rest had gone, taking long swigs between each new place he found himself at. Burning up the memories and drowning out the pain – What a way to go out.

He then moved on to the living districts – Some of the fires begun spreading around to them already, but he had to make sure it all went up in flames as planned. Firstly, the tertiary living district. Where he spent seven years before his parents graciously kicked him out – Watching their apartment fill with smoke was strangely satisfying. Then the secondary living district – The one built over Phil's old home, the one where Pokimane had granted him a place to stay and the one where he reconciled with Wilbur. The flames looked more beautiful than the stars that night. And finally the primary living district – It didn't even hurt to see his own apartment go.

Barely standing up straight, he stumbled forward. He walked on, grasping onto whatever was yet to be engulfed by flames, coughing and struggling for air as he carried on through the city. He didn't care about the bloodstain growing around his stomach or the overwhelming pain in his lungs – He'd be gone soon, anyway. He just had to make sure it all went with him, too.

The Lunch Club Office. A place where a new life for him had started, became unbearable and eventually ended. He didn't care as he watched everything he had once dreamed about, fantasised about, wondered about be covered by the fire, taking pleasure in watching the old pictures burn away. All six of the pricks who turned him into what he was in that very moment – Gone in an instant. Just how they abandoned him, their faces disappeared in the fire. He couldn't quite explain the feeling that filled him as he watched it all go – Was it pleasure? Was it regret? Was it a mix of both, or something completely different? He didn't care. He finished downing another bottle, smashed it on the nearest wall and watched the glass scatter and fall into the fires.

The plaza would be covered too, eventually. The little benches and bushes, the market stalls and that infamous stage. It would all disappear – He could move along. There was no point in staying here now. He didn't have to watch the place where he used to steal for food, where he joined the Lunch Club, where he argued with Wilbur, and where he had eventually found himself standing alone. He walked right through it and headed to the last place where he knew he wanted all of this to end – As the fires spread at more and more rapid rates he stumbled into the artificial tree that had become the home of the Nether Portal – Cold, empty and deactivated.

He collapsed to his knees.

The pain of the fire had finally gotten to him, leaving him coughing on the ground, feeling blood fill his throat and nose, pouring out. He couldn't breathe any more – He sat aimlessly on the floor, his head tilted up and focused on the portal. On his back, a backpack with nothing but a disc he didn't want and a bag of coins that ruined his life inside – And in his right hand, a single photograph. That failed picture of him and Wilbur he had kept so close to his heart for so long... And a picture that was now burning at the edges, with the smile on his friend's face in it seeming far more malicious than it had when he looked at it years before.

He could see ash and blood coating most of his clothes as the heat grew stronger and stronger, practically clawing away at his throat and leaving him struggling to even as much as sit up straight. He finally gave in and collapsed forward, still grasping the photograph and hearing the fire crackle all around him. Parts of the tree broke away and fell down, sparks floating around, appearing as something resembling stars in his blurred vision. He felt his whole body shaking, but still... He smiled. He said he'd take the city down with him – This was one way to-

In the corner of his vision, he saw a purple light.

With the last of his strength he forced himself back up to his knees, lifting his head. And even though his head was spinning, his eyes were clouded and he could barely even move any more, he could see it. The portal was activated again – How had it happened? Was it related to the fire? Had the heat somehow made it happen? Did it matter? It was there, the voices from the other side were drawing him in, and he could feel his world slipping away. And in the single moment that he watched it, the flames rising around him higher and higher, he felt a thought overtake him.

_Do I want to die here to myself?_

He forced himself to his feet, stumbling forward.

_Or do I want to die trying to get what I want?_

A few more steps, each more painful than the last.

_If you're still out there, why shouldn't I try to find you?_

He felt the warm surface of the portal grow closer and closer.

_Partners in crime, till the end of time, right?_

His hand slipped in as he pressed it forward, soon followed by the rest of his body.

_Well time is yet to end, and you can't get rid of me that easily._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alexa, play pity party by melanie martinez  
> yes, that song is the single reason this whole chapter happened  
> i wish i was kidding
> 
> so, here we are  
>  the end of schlatt's backstory  
>  following this our favourite business ram went on to meet minx on the other side, made a deal with her, and it's all history from there  
>  so... what now?
> 
> It's no secret this backstory stretched out a bit more than intended  
>  originally I planned to have this take about 10 chapters, maybe 20 at a stretch... and that turned into 35 before I even knew what was happening  
>  but... hey! Who cares?   
>  I like schlatt and I like what I wrote here, and I write fanfiction for myself above all. It's been nice writing this, as long as it took. And i'm very happy with it!
> 
> I'm gonna take a few days off now – i'm gonna read over the story before this backstory and make sure I take note of all the storylines I need to finish up and take care of before then, so that nothing is left unfinished!  
>  I won't be long! Just a couple of days, and I might update my polish translation of this fic meanwhile (poor blokes are still back at chapter 4 with their translation...)  
>  thank you for your support so far, and I can't wait to see you once we get started with the festival!
> 
> <333


	119. The Afterthoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the story comes to an end, Quackity, Tubbo and Techno try to figure out the situation. Schlatt and Wilbur realize things have changed - And the stakes have been raised.

It rained, and they were silent.

What else was there to say?

\---

Schlatt slowly moved his hand away from Tubbo as the boy grew speechless, pausing his work around the bandage completely. It seemed pretty much taken care of anyway – His hand was bandaged and all of the cuts on it seemed to have been mostly cleaned and stitched up in the places it needed to be. He could feel the gaze of the two men, as well as the Dreamon who never left his side, burning into him as he finished telling his tale. He, instead, moved his attention to the shattered mirror in the corner of the room – In whatever was left of it, he could still see a small bit of himself.

Himself, and all his mistakes. How had he gotten here?

'...You know, even though I'm hearing that sob story of yours a second time, I almost feel bad.', Minx spoke up, seeing as the two humans listening in could barely bring themselves to open their mouths. 'Almost. All the other shit piled on is making it a bit hard to sympathize. But I have to admit, burning down the whole place is a way to go out. I'd do the same thing.'.

God, she was a headache. Out of all the Dreamons that happened to be on the other side of the SMPLive portal, she just had to be the one he ran into while numbed by his pain and blackout drunk. He could have ran into one that would have killed him the moment it found a better host. He could have found no one and just died in the Nether. But no – He got Minx. A Dreamon who couldn't do anything, and all she did was sit around and complain. He normally would have hated being alone – But now that being by themselves was impossible for the two of them, he wished he had never met her in the first place.

'...Wilbur... Wilbur is a... What?', Quackity was first to speak up. Tubbo had heard the story before, although only in small elements when he got stuck in the Nether with the president, so he wasn't as shocked. He was simply disheartened – Hearing it a second time didn't make it any easier.  
'...A Source. One step away from becoming a Dreamon.', Schlatt responded. He had noticed telling the story gave him some time to wind down – He felt a lot more collected than he did earlier.  
'Well we have to do something! We have to- What if he finds out?', the Vice-President begun panicking, looking around. Schlatt, on the other hand, seemed awfully relaxed. Or rather... Defeated.

'Tubbo?', he said, making the boy perk up.  
'Y-yes, Mr. President?', he asked, his voice quite shaky.

'Open the window.'.  
'But it's raining-'.  
'Open it.'.

Tubbo did as the man instructed, the sound of the rushing water outside filling the room.

'I want you to stick your hand out. Let the rain fall on your hand.', Schlatt carried on.  
'O... Okay?', the boy followed the instructions, clearly confused.  
'What does the rain feel like, Tubbo?', the President continued, his voice growing weak.  
'It's...', the boy's eyes widened as he backed away. 'It's warm. Like tears.'.

Schlatt's gaze once more focused on the shattered glass on the floor, his eyes void of emotion.

'He already knows.'.

\---

'Wilbur?'.

_You are Wilbur Soot. You are a Source. And that's okay._

'Wilbur, can you hear me?'.

_I'm the Source, Schlatt! Not you! Ted was wrong! The Captain was wrong, too!_

'Wilbur, talk to me.'.

_Partners in crime-_

'Wilbur!', came another shout, and finally, the man felt himself coming back to reality as someone grabbed onto his arms and squeezed them tightly. The painful sensation was enough to ground him in reality once again, giving him the awareness he needed. Eyes wide, he looked around, finding his older brother glaring at him with an expression he couldn't read.  
'...Techno?', he whispered, realizing half way through the story he had gotten lost in his own, completely vivid flashbacks of the events – For a moment, he had forgotten there was another world he was in, one that wasn't that accursed city that had ruined everything. For a few minutes, Wilbur Soot lived in a world where everything wasn't falling apart.

But reality took him back soon enough.

'I need you to breathe, okay? You need to relax.', Techno carried on, his voice calm and collected as per usual but now with a hint of panic building up in it. 'Just try to focus on my voice.'.  
'...What did I do?', the man whispered, feeling his whole body grow weak. He was lucky him and his brother had taken a seat on an old log before he started speaking – He'd have passed out if he was forced to stand during all of this.

'Just stay calm. Look at me.'.  
'What am I...?'.  
'You're a Source. That's the truth.'.  
'I can't-'.  
'You are. You have to accept that.'.

There was no way to describe what Wilbur was feeling – It felt like there was no more air in his lungs, his chest tightening more and more with each second. The rain around him felt hot – But the moment it hit his body, it became impossibly cold. He was shivering, his coat barely helping at all as he tried to wrap it around himself more tightly. He could feel his brother's grip on him, trying to remind him he was still there. Holding onto him, trying to keep him stable. In a way, it was helping quite a bit – Having someone else there, someone who understood him and was there with him in that first world. He could feel his headache getting worse and worse as memories rushed back.

'Wilbur, you have to calm down. You know what will happen if you don't.'. The man felt Techno grab his hand for a moment, making his shoulders relax. 'You can control it. You just have to accept it. You've seen the memories, you know what you are. Now take control.'.  
'...Don't worry, Techno.', Wilbur whispered, slowly lifting his head. Something in his eyes was unusual – Was it that hint of anger? Regret? A mix of both? Either way, he spoke; 'I'm in control.'.  
'Then... Then make the rain stop. Wilbur, come on.', Techno spoke with a soft voice, trying his best to be understanding. He was aware that his brother was a completely different person now – And yet, he still wished to be as gentle with him as he was with the Wilbur there mere hours ago.  
'I will. Don't worry.', for a second, the former president looked towards the direction of Manberg.

'...I just want him to know we're on the same page now.'.

\---

There was a half-empty bottle of whiskey on the bed-stand. He reached for it. The bottle was shifted away, replaced with a glass of water. He looked up, meeting eyes with Quackity.

'Try that. It's better for you.'.

He'd have said something, if he wasn't so exhausted. He grabbed the glass and took a sip.

'Doesn't have the same taste.'.

Quackity scoffed, although it was more frustrated than anything, and then took a seat next to his superior. Tubbo had left a few minutes earlier – He was clearly worn out from the day, and it was unfair for them to make a kid stick around this late and deal with something as heavy as this. They hadn't said much to each other since he left – Schlatt didn't seem to be able to say much, and his friend didn't want to ask anything that could bring back the wrong type of memories. They were now sitting next to one another on the bed in complete silence, hearing the rain hitting against the window outside. It was hard to describe the tension in the room – It was unnatural.

'...Can I ask you one question?'.  
'I'm surprised you only have one.'.  
'I have more. But I wouldn't want to overwhelm you.'.  
'How fuckin' gracious of you.'.

'How did you make it through the Nether?', Quackity asked, and in the corner of his eye, Schlatt could see Minx shift. Her heels tapped on the wooden floor below as she walked across the room, stopping in front of her host and leaning down. 'I mean... If you barely survived the fire, how did you survive the Nether for the few weeks you walked? What was it, six?'.  
'...Be very careful about what you say here, Schlatt.', Minx whispered. 'Think about-'.  
'I made a deal.', Schlatt instantly said, ignoring Minx completely and turning his attention to his Vice-President fully. '...With a Dreamon. Do you believe me when I say that?'.

The rain carried on.

'...With how this city has been recently? I'll fucking believe anything.', Quackity stated, although his casual attitude towards everything clearly came from how tired he was.  
'...A Dreamon named Minx. She kept me alive for the walk, in exchange for me bringing her here.', Schlatt carried on, meanwhile Quackity's eyes grew wide. He spoke up;  
'...You brought a Dreamon into the DreamSMP? Well where is she right now?'.  
'...Where's Minx, you ask?'.

Schlatt turned his head once more, his eyes focusing on the woman in front of him.

'Right here. She's right here.', he spoke up, earning an instant reaction;  
'You're the dumbest cunt I've ever had the displeasure of knowing.'.  
'And you're the most annoying bitch I know, but here we are.'.

Quackity looked at Schlatt, where he was looking, and then back at Schlatt again. Just hearing this story drained him of all energy and left him... Sombre. Empty. He couldn't even imagine how this man was feeling, having had gone through all of that. He sighed, trying his best to be understanding. He needed to give him time to rest. That was what he needed right now.

'Schlatt, I think...', the man stood up, turning away. 'I think it's best you sleep. You're exhausted.'.  
'Yeah.', the President nodded along, barely focusing on his surroundings any more. 'I should.'.  
'We'll talk more tomorrow, alright?', Quackity muttered right before leaving the room.  
'Yeah. We can talk tomorrow.', the President responded with a nod, laying back on his bed.

'Goodnight, Alex.', he shouted out, although he was unheard.  
'Do you think he thinks you're crazy, drunk, or both?', Minx asked as she knelt down by his side, putting a confident grin on her face just to taunt him more. The man groaned and turned away.  
'And goodnight to you, Minx. Now fuck off.'.  
'Yeah, yeah. Night, asshole.'.

\---

'How are you feeling?'.  
'Cold.'.  
'Get closer to the fire.'.  
'Okay.'.

Techno managed to lead Wilbur back to Pogtopia after some further discussion about the details of everything – Eventually, the rain ceased and the man agreed to come himself. They sneaked their way into the ravine, knowing Tommy was most likely already asleep, and lit a fire at a distance from the bedrolls, trying to have some sort of conversation. With how out-of-it Wilbur was and with how exhausted Techno had been from the seemingly never-ending story he was forced to tell, it was practically impossible to have a proper talk. Still, the older of the two brothers tried. He knew the other needed explanations, and would not be able to ask for much himself.

'You can ask me anything you want about yourself, Wilbur.'.  
'I don't have any questions.'.  
'Then... You can ask me anything about me, if you wish.'.  
'...Right... I can do that, can't I?'.

'...How did you find out I was the actual Source?', Wilbur whispered as quietly as he could, hoping to god Tommy wasn't awake and listening in. He wasn't ready to tell him everything yet – He had barely even wrapped his own head around it.  
'You told me and Phil yourself.', Techno replied, recalling the memory. 'While we walked through the Nether, you admitted it. The guilt got to you. We kept it hidden from everyone else.'.  
'...And you let me get away with it?', Wilbur whispered. '...You let me walk away and leave Schlatt behind? You and Phil both? How... How could you do that, I mean-'.  
'If we said anything you would have been killed. Schlatt would have died in the Nether, anyway. Whether we liked it or not, this was the best solution. The only way for everyone to survive.'.

Wilbur didn't ask further questions. No matter what he believed, he knew his brother was right.

'..And the voice in your head? Is that still there?'. Techno looked down. Out of all the questions he was ready to face head-on, this was one he wished Wilbur would avoid.  
'Yes. Yes, it is. It's... Gotten worse. After SMPEarth and all our time in the Nether in-between. It's not just one voice any more...', Techno touched his forehead, hearing a familiar whisper somewhere in the back of his mind. 'There's multiple. Sometimes they all want different things. Sometimes they're unified. The potions help me quiet them down – As much as I can.'.

'What are they saying right now?', Wilbur spoke with a voice that was... Unusual for him. Distant, curious and confused, as if an innocent child or something far more malicious masquerading as one. Still, Techno spoke. It was best to keep him distracted while he was in this state.  
'...They're worried.', he answered, shutting his eyes. 'They don't know what you're capable of. They don't know if you're truly in control. They're doubting you.'.

'...I see.', the man looked aside, rubbing his arms. Why was he still so cold? His clothes were dry and he sat by a fire – Where was this chill coming from? 'Techno?'.  
'Yes?', the older asked, trying his best to focus fully on Wilbur and nothing else.  
'...Do you hate me for this? For everything I've done?', he asked, his voice growing weaker.  
'I don't.', the other reassured him, shaking his head. 'You're not to blame for what you are.'.

The crackling of the fire filled the silence between them as Wilbur thought.

'I made the Hunters come to SMPEarth too, didn't I?'.  
'Yes. You did. But you weren't in control. It wasn't your fault.'.  
'I ended two worlds. Who says I won't somehow end this one?'.  
'You won't. I know you're stronger than this. You just have to stay focused.'.

'You should sleep, Wilbur. You need rest.'.  
'Yeah... You're right. Goodnight, Techno.'.

And while the two brothers got ready for bed, a third lay silent in the distance.

Turned away to hide his wide open eyes but still awake, he gulped as he listened into everything they had to say. He felt his whole body grow numb for a moment – And they intended to hide all of this from him? He could barely bring himself to sleep while laying right next to Wilbur that night, knowing what he knew now. He knew things would change from now on...

But Tommy could never predict the suffering his brother's newfound awareness would bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM BACK BITCHES  
> here are some things I did on my rather short break;
> 
> \- went back over chapters 1 – 83 and corrected all grammar mistakes or typos I found  
> \- removed a character in the smplive chapters and replaced them with another. I'm sure keen readers will notice who and why was replaced (none of the dialogue or plot has been changed, the character's name was simply swapped out so don't worry about having to re-read it)  
> \- took notes on all unfinished storylines that now have to be wrapped up
> 
> i'm very excited about everything to come, and i'm happy to be back!  
> let's finish this story – after all, the actual server is already a whole arc ahead of me...
> 
> HERE WE GOOOOO


	120. The Calm (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things change in Manberg. Schlatt appears troubled, Quackity meets a Dreamon, and Tubbo makes a bold request.

Tubbo didn't think Manberg would change as much as it did – But something definitely shifted.

The President, the day following everything, didn't look in any way bothered. You'd never guess the things he got off his chest with how he was acting – Completely casual, talking to the passing people as if everything was fine, sometimes even laughing or cracking jokes. But Quackity knew better than to fall for something so simple. He could see the other, smaller details with his behaviour – Such as standing aside and seemingly whispering to himself, nervously playing around with the edges of his sleeves, and of course, the concealed bottle of some sort of alcohol he kept in his pocket. He would have said something, but he barely got the chance to.

Until the meeting, that is. A usual meeting, just like the ones they had every day.

'Morale... Is still as low as ever.', Fundy spoke, although he was hesitant. He remembered how aggressively the President reacted previously, and how risky speaking up to him could be. Strangely enough, Schlatt simply leaned back, speaking to himself.  
'...Yeah... I can see now letting Technoblade and Dream fight may have been a mistake.', he muttered to himself, earning a confused glance from most of the cabinet. The President of Manberg? Admitting to a mistake? It seemed impossible, didn't it? 'What can we do?'.  
'A display of what we're capable of would be best.', Tubbo spoke up, clearly hesitant about voicing his opinion in this room. 'It can't be based on violence or weaponry. That's what they expect. For us to flaunt how well we can kill and what not – That's not what Manberg stands for. If we want to show we still follow our creed, we need to show it... Peacefully.'.

'So what's your idea, Tubbo?', the President asked, clearly growing interested.  
'I say... We have a festival.', Tubbo said in response, shrugging.

'A festival...?', Schlatt repeated, the idea slowly settling in with him. The boy cut in.  
'A way to celebrate the peaceful nature of this country. No bloody fight, no speeches, no changes. Just a way for us, and the DreamSMP, to come together for something more... Relaxed. Forget the struggles for just one day and celebrate... Uh...'.  
'Democracy!', Quackity cut in, seeing the other was starting to get convinced. The cabinet had never gotten so close to having their President listen to them, and yet here he was completely engaged with every word they were saying. 'That's your whole thing, right Schlatt? You're the first democratically elected leader of this nation – We should celebrate that somehow.'.

'A festival for democracy, huh?', Schlatt repeated. The three braced for some sort of insult – They had grown incredibly used to the usual abuse from their President. And yet, the man stayed silent. For a few minutes he just looked down, rubbing his chin and thinking deeply about something. 'Can't remember a time in my life where a festival went wrong. Let's do it.'.  
'R-really?', Tubbo looked around, visibly puzzled as to why the man had grown so agreeable.  
'Yeah, fuck it. You and Fundy should plan and decorate it, you know. You've both been contributing so much to this nation – I'm sure you can handle it.', Schlatt said with a rather relaxed shrug, sitting up. He leaned over the table and smiled. 'Any ideas as to what we do?'.

The three looked between each other, more pleasantly surprised than anything.

'Well we need games, right?'.  
'Someone has to make the invites!'.  
'What colours are we going for?'.

The president leaned back, quietly listening into the three pooling their ideas together. A discussion like this – Throwing whatever they could think of at the wall and waiting to see what would stick – Greatly reminded him of something very distant, something long lost in his past. A time where, for a few months, he really thought he had found a group he could belong with. It stung. Reminding himself how relaxed, how peaceful, and how at home he felt in those few moments, and then instantly being hit with the realization of how swiftly it was torn away from him in a matter of days – Days that showed him the truth behind every lie he was tricked into believing.

_'If we put anything there, people care just gonna trip over it, Charlie!'._   
_'Yeah, but you gotta admit. It would be really funny watching people fall over all the time.'._   
_'I can't fucking believe these are the idiots I'm forced to work with.'._   
_'Awe, come on, Ted! You know you love us!'._

Schlatt shook his head, suddenly standing up.

'You guys keep at it. I need some... Uh... Fresh air. I'll be back.'.

And despite being surrounded by confused silence, the President walked out.

\---

'So not only are you gonna keep drinking, now you're gonna start smoking, too?'.

Quackity knew he couldn't just let Schlatt walk away in the state he was in, leaving Tubbo and Fundy to think through everything by themselves a little longer. He found him not too far from the White House where they held their meetings – Overlooking the newly-raised flag of Manberg. Designed by Fundy, it was nothing more than a pitch blag flag with an orange half circle and a cross inside of it. It was a grim, dark homage to the L'Manbergian flag they had burned to a crisp, a perfect representation of how the country had merely become a shadow of its former self. The President himself moved a single, lit cigarette away from his mouth, coughing as a large amount of smoke escaped his mouth.

'Can I not get a moment of peace around you, Alex?', Schlatt asked with a tone of voice that definitely contrasted his seemingly chipper attitude during the earlier meeting, now instead coming back to that sombre look of defeat he had worn after finishing up his story.  
'That there seems to be doing you more bad than good.', Quackity noted as he pointed to the cigarette. 'Especially with the intolerance. Isn't smoking gonna seriously hurt you?'.  
'That's the point.', Schlatt responded rather casually, considering the gravity of his statement. 'Don't worry. Minx will keep me alive. She doesn't have much of a choice, really.'.

For a second, there was silence, filled only by the sound of Schlatt blowing out more smoke.

'...I wasn't wasted when I said that, Alex. It's not bullshit. It's real. There's a Dreamon possessing me. She got me through the Nether and she's keeping me alive. And she's right here with us.', the President carried on, his tone of voice so unclear and tired one would think he wasn't even fully awake. He looked to the side, finding his Vice-President staring at him wide-eyed.  
'...Can I meet her?', the man asked, opting to play along. He had seen far too much in his short time spent in the DreamSMP and Manberg to be doubtful of what could and couldn't be. Schlatt, for just a moment, seemed to consider. His eyes widened slightly, but he nodded. He dropped the cigarette to the ground, stomped it out with his foot and fixed up his tie.

'Minx, you're free to do whatever. But remember I can easily take back control, so don't try anything. Do your worst, I guess.', Schlatt spoke, although not to Quackity, and instead seemed to be addressing a completely empty space next to him. He fixed up his jacket, crossed his arms and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Was he waiting for something to happen?

'...Schlatt? What the fuck are you-'.  
'Just give her a moment. She's weak.'.  
'Are you sure this is-'.  
'Oh yeah you are. Don't even try to bullshit me.'.

'I mean, you can't even-'.

Schlatt froze mid-sentence, gasping. For a moment he grasped onto his chest, backing up slightly. His back pressed against the wall of a nearby building and he slowly slid down, his head dipping down as he did. He started taking in sharp breaths, clearly showing he was in agony. Quackity tried to help, getting closer and saying his name a few times, grabbing his shoulders... Nothing worked. After a few seconds, he felt an unusual sensation on his palm – Hair was brushing up against it. As he looked at Schlatt, he found his hair had grown a lot longer, now reaching down to around his shoulders. While following his hair, he looked at his face, and there...

...He found a woman with icy blue eyes looking back.

'What the fuck?!', he instantly screamed, jumping back. The woman had a much similar reaction, rising to her feet and backing up against the wall. The moment she did, though, she seemed to be stunned by her hands alone, swiftly looking down at them.  
'Holy shit! Holy shit, I have a body!', the woman started looking around, turning back and glancing at her own back. 'And no wings! Or tail!'. She suddenly grasped onto her head, finding herself disappointed as her hands met with Schlatt's infamous ram horns. 'Still got horns, though. But these ones are nicer. They're not all... Spinny. And stabby. At the edges. Y'know?'.

Quackity blinked a few times, convinced he was dreaming.

The woman in front of him took Schlatt's place completely – She was wearing his suit, one tailored for a completely different person and clearly quite uncomfortable on her. She still had those ram horns and ears of his – And hair of the same colour. The hair, however, was far longer, to around her shoulders, and her face was completely clean of any of Schlatt's usual facial hair. She looked around a few more times, pointed to the man, and screamed;

'You stupid cunt! You need to get your shit together!'.  
'Huh? What the fuck? Who the fuck are you?'.

And all at once, it seemed to click.

'Wait- Wait, you're the Dreamon! You're Minx!'. The woman appeared almost... Disappointed? As if she had expected the man to put two and two together a bit earlier. She rolled her eyes.  
'Fucking right I'm Minx. But forget me – This is the first chance I've gotten to speak to someone that isn't Schlatt or Niki in two fucking years, so bear with me.', Minx looked around a few more times, touching everything around her in a strange trance. It were almost as if she hadn't touched a single thing in years – She was fascinated by every sensation.  
'...You're... the Dreamon? Who kept Schlatt alive?'.  
'Biggest mistake of my fucking life, let me tell you that much.', Minx blew some hair out of her face and grew closer. 'Listen to me. You need to get your shit together. Put your foot down. I've been watching your dumbass fall for his little lies way too long. So listen to me!', the woman snapped, grabbing the man by the shoulders forcefully.

'E-excuse me?'.  
'You need to stop listening to him! He's lying! He's manipulative! He doesn't give a shit about anyone around him, and he's going to- Agh!'.  
'Minx? Are you okay?'.  
'I'm... I'm running out of time, listen- Listen to me! Don't fall for his lies, okay? He'll just use you. And I can't take it any more, watching him take advantage of you like that- Shit!'.

The woman grasped onto her chest, much like Schlatt had done earlier.

'Of course that asshole won't let me stick around longer-'.  
'Wait, you're leaving? Already?'.  
'Don't have much of a choice- Just... Keep what I said in mind, okay?'.  
'Minx? Minx, are you...?'.

Before she could say much more, the woman collapsed to the floor once more, Quackity helping her lay down more slowly so she didn't get hurt. By the time he looked at her face once more, he instead found the President – Who almost instantly begun coughing, pushing the other away. Once he gathered himself, he stood up and fixed up his suit, wiping some blood away from under his nose. He met eyes with the other man, clearly spotting his confusion and clearing his throat.

'Hope she wasn't too much. She can be a headache sometimes- Actually forget that. She's always a headache.', Schlatt muttered to himself as he tried to get his, once again short, hair back in order. Quackity kept looking at him, without a word said. 'Alex, can you talk with me, or-'.  
'This whole time that girl has been just... Living in your body?'.  
'Outside of it, actually.', Schlatt nodded his head to the side. 'She's standing right there. You just can't see it. And she won't shut the fuck up!', he suddenly snapped to the side, getting into a one-way argument with... Nothing. Quackity backed away, trying to let the situation settle in with him.

'I... I need a moment...', the Vice-President said, moving further away. His superior shrugged.  
'Sure. Whatever. I came out here for a break, anyway.', Schlatt turned towards the Manberg flag once more, pulling out another cigarette. 'Oh, and... Alex?'.  
'Yes?', Quackity responded, looking back for a single second.  
'Don't listen to a word she said.', Schlatt warned him with a cold glare in his eyes. 'She's what Wilbur would turn into if he stayed in the Nether longer – She's worse than him. She's a heartless monster who gets into people's heads and uses them. Don't listen to her.'.

The man looked aside, placing a single cigarette into his mouth.

'I wouldn't want you to get hurt.'.

As he walked away, Quackity smiled to himself. It was nice to know underneath it all, he still cared. Even with everything happening and with the drastic changes taking place in Manberg, he knew...

Quackity appreciated Schlatt.

\---

_Knock, knock, knock._

'Mr. President? May I come in?'.  
'Go ahead. I don't have anything better to do anyway.'.

The doors opened, and the President's right hand man peeked inside.

'What do you need, Tubbo?', Schlatt asked, pushing aside some of the papers scattered around his desk. The boy came forward, taking a seat across from him.  
'You look tired, sir.', the boy spoke. 'Are you sure you have the time-'.  
'Just a bad day.', the President reassured him, although Tubbo could clearly see the bloody tissue he was trying to conceal in a nearby drawer. 'Now. What do you need? Is it about the festival?'.  
'Yes, actually. About the guest list. There's someone I'd like to invite.', Tubbo spoke with hesitance.  
'Everyone in Manberg and the DreamSMP is already invited, who could possibly-'.

'Tommy is my best friend, Mr. President.'.

Schlatt grew silent, and as he did, Tubbo carried on.

'Me and Tommy have been friends since he first got here. And I... I don't care about all the laws, and countries, and wars and politics if I can't be with my friend. It's not fair. So... I... I humbly request that... Pogtopia is invited to the Festival. I'll take full responsibility of them and make sure they leave right after! I- I promise! I just... I want to see my friend again.'.

As Schlatt looked at Tubbo, it were as if he saw a flash of a completely different person.

_Partners in crime, till the end of time._

And as strange as it was...

'Maybe it's about time to put the past behind us.', Schlatt agreed silently, but he spoke more to himself than he did to Tubbo. The boy shot up.  
'R-really?!', he exclaimed, barely believing that the man would agree to something like this.

'Don't invite them yet, though. I need to figure out the-'.  
'Okay! Yes! I'll just- Wait on your order! Thank you Mr. President! Thank you so much!'.

The doors slammed shut, and for a moment, there was silence.

_Wilbur only cares for himself,_ Ted had written.

'...Maybe you were wrong. Maybe there's still a chance.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're going back to pogtopia next chapter i promise lol  
> anyway uh
> 
> MINX POSSESION POG!  
> she didnt stick around for long but she was there  
> good for her good for her


	121. The Storm (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Pogtopia, things seem to change. Tommy is agitated, Wilbur is starting to change, and Techno can slowly feel himself losing control. Dream visits with a gift.

The man standing in front of Tommy was not his brother.

Or at least, he was not the brother he remembered. Wilbur had changed – Seemingly overnight. First, there was the look in his eyes. Something in the way he looked at his little brother didn't have that care and gentle nature it did before – Now, as they trained, he was a moving target he was not afraid to swing at, even when he saw the other was getting tired. Tommy wasn't sure how to feel. He had never expected the other to treat him like family, of course. Even in SMPEarth they barely knew they were related, so there was no familial memories to latch onto... But that didn't mean that the cold looks Wilbur was giving him didn't sting.

There was another side to everything, of course – The things he heard. Techno and Wilbur came back to Pogtopia in the middle of the night soaked in rain and worn out from god knows what, and while he initially planned to get up and ask them questions, with the things he overheard he decided it was best to pretend to be asleep. Questions about the past were being asked – Questions about SMPLive. Clearly, Techno had told Wilbur things he for, whatever reason, did not want him to know. Was he not worthy of getting to learn about the other worlds? What made him and his brothers somehow different? It wasn't fair, was it?

And then all the information being shared – Wilbur caused the Hunters to arrive? There were voice's in Techno's head? Wilbur was a Source? None of it made sense. What they were saying, put up against what he knew thanks to his eldest brother's oh so generous information-sharing, nothing seemed to piece together. And the other two, of course, would never say anything to him. Why would they? He was their irresponsible, irritating, useless little brother, wasn't he? That was all he was to them. An obstacle. A bump in the road. Dead weight. If they had a choice, they would have had handed him over to Schlatt any chance they had. That was the truth.

The truth Tommy learned after being knocked to the ground for the seventh time that morning.

'Since when are you so good with your offensive?', the younger asked his brother as he was helped to his feet once more, picking up his sword and turning around.  
'SMPEarth muscle memory. It started coming back to me.', Wilbur responded, and Tommy was shocked as to with how much effort he avoided the topic completely.  
'Right. Sure.', he hissed under his breath, grabbing onto his sword and cleaning it how Techno instructed them to do after every session – He'd kill him if he didn't listen.  
'What's with the attitude?', Wilbur asked, although his tone of voice was a lot more angry and flat than it usually would be when he spoke.

'Just me being a stupid kid who doesn't know anything.', Tommy responded, pure venom and spite in his voice. He turned back and forced a somewhat condescending smile. 'Just do what you usually do and ignore me. You never seem to have an issue with that.'.  
'What is the deal with you?', Wilbur came closer, looking into the boy's eyes.  
'I already said, it's nothing. Let me be.', Tommy snapped, turning away. Before he could even take a single step, though, he felt himself being forcefully grabbed. The grasp was strong – Unnaturally strong, painful, and bone-chillingly cold. The moment he felt it touch his body he tore his hand away and took in a sharp breath, backing up.

'Shit, I'm sorry-'.  
'God, what the hell is your problem?'.  
'My problem? What's the deal with you? You're the one being such a little shit!'.  
'Well maybe I'd be a bit nicer if you'd fucking tell me things from time to time!'.

Tommy didn't want to speak to that asshole any more. He needed a break.

Despite being called back by his brother Tommy didn't stop for a single moment – He grabbed onto his backpack, barked out something about going for a walk and ran into the woods. By the time he was a short distance in, it would seem his loving brothers already gave up on trying to get him to come back, letting him wander away alone. And by the time he stopped hearing their voices completely, he was hit with the realization that every single tree looked practically identical. He walked and walked, the wind blowing at him and tearing away like a million swords, until-

Something shuffled in the bushes.

Tommy's head turned in an instant, his hand travelling to his sword instantly. He removed it with a swift movement, just in time to block an oncoming attack. He dodged to the side, trying to regain his footing as the mysterious attacker pushed forward at him once more. He was knocked to the ground, his sword flying aside and stabbing into the ground, a knee pressing down on his chest and a foot digging into his arm. Unable to move and at the mercy of his attacker, Tommy tried to scream, but his mouth found itself covered by a black, leather-gloved hand. His worries faded slightly as he recognized the cocky grin above him, making him groan.

'You shouldn't wander away from Pogtopia, Tommy. Lots of Schlatt's lackeys in these woods.'.

'Why are you out here, Dream?', the boy asked as his attacker moved away, helping him up to his feet. 'You probably want the other two assholes, not me.'.  
'No, actually. I'm here for you. And I'm glad I ran into you. It's best if the others don't find out about this. It's between you and me.', Dream responded with a strangely... Calm? Tone of voice.  
'Seems like a lot of shit these days is.', Tommy looked down at Dream's hand, finding it holding onto an old leather backpack. 'What's in there?'.  
'What do you think?', the man asked, unzipping the bag and removing a single music disc from inside. He handed it to Tommy, who grasped onto it instantly. This one had a salmon-coloured circle in the centre of it, and his name crudely painted on the side.

'Blocks? Why are you...', the boy looked up, realizing the man facing him had removed his mask.  
'Think of it as payment. For taking care of my sister. With how George and Sapnap are acting sometimes I'm not so sure I can trust them any more. So if I ever need you to watch over her again – You owe me. Understood?'. Tommy, although hesitant, nodded.  
'Fair enough. And what about uh... The other two?'. Dream laughed, turning away.  
'Oh, you're not getting those back so easily. And not just because I don't want to give them to you...', the man paused, and then shrugged. 'I traded them. Well, not traded. Call it safe-keeping.'.

'Safe-keeping?', Tommy looked up with a laugh. 'From what?'.  
'From you.', Dream quickly snapped back. 'Oh, come on, Tommy. Don't think we're friends just because you have one of them back. Treat it as a... Motivator. You have one.', the man leaned forward with a grin. 'Now you can try getting the other two.'.  
'...And where are they?', the boy asked, although it was clear he was hesitant.  
'One, I gave to Skeppy and Bad. They're keeping it safe. The other?', Dream paused, a small smirk coming to him. 'I gave to Schlatt. He keeps insisting they're his – Come to think of it, I never actually asked you where you got these. Maybe he is the rightful owner, who knows.'.

Tommy was appalled, while the other just shrugged.

'I don't... I don't understand this-'.  
'Think about it like this, Tommy.', Dream turned away, looking at the trees. 'I'm not on anyone's side, you understand? I support who I think will benefit me most at any given time. I support Pogtopia because I don't like Schlatt – Not because I like you, or Wilbur, and certainly not because I like Technoblade. It's all business.'.  
'Right, but the discs-'.  
'But conflict is fun, too. I mean, look around. At the unions forming. At the unlikely alliances. Friends turn to enemies and enemies turn to friends – Conflict brings progress. Manberg and the DreamSMP are growing – We were stuck in a useless limbo where there was no progress, no development. Without conflict there is nothing.'.

'...And someday, Tommy.', Dream carried on, noticing he had rendered the teenager speechless. 'The conflict will end. The dust will settle, the arrows will stop flying. Who knows what happens? Maybe Wilbur keels over and dies, maybe Schlatt finally has one drink too many. But either way, at the centre of it all, one single fact will remain.'.  
'That there are three, historical, war-changing discs, and not a single owner has all of them.'.  
'And a single owner, eventually, will want all of them. I mean, these discs... They made L'Manberg happen, did they not? They're some of the most powerful objects in this whole city. And when that time finally comes, Tommy... You and me are gonna be the ones who know what they are, where they are and just how vital they are.'.  
'...The discs will bring conflict.'.

'One day it's just gonna be you and me Tommy.'.

The man slipped his mask back on, turning towards the woods.

'Just you, me, and the discs. And when that day comes... Nothing else will matter any more.'.

And just like that, he was gone. Tommy turned back towards where he vaguely guessed Pogtopia to be, and with Blocks back in his possession, walked. Returning home that day he was convinced he had dreamed the whole unusual encounter – But the disc in his hand reassured him of the contrary.

He took a deep breath. He'd figure it out once it came around. Now, other things mattered.

\---

_'Who are you?'._

_Quiet. He just wants them to be quiet. If they don't shut up, he isn't sure what he'll do. He can feel an itch in his hand, his grasp around his pickaxe grows unusually strong. One of the Antarctic villagers he brought with him has clearly noticed his behaviour and is trying to talk him down – He is too agitated to think straight. He turns back, meeting eyes with a young villager, no way for them to even be eighteen yet. Fifteen? Sixteen? He isn't sure, but they're in the way._

_'This is a private mine. Only Leaders are allowed to mine here without permits.'._

_He is a Leader, but he can't say it. If the other nations find out the Antarctic Empire is stealing diamonds from unclaimed African mines that will be the end for them. He can't risk that – He can't risk him, Phil and Pete losing their home. He can't risk losing their progress. His grasp on the pickaxe grows tighter – He can feel it. He can feel it rising, but he can't **Blood** it overtake **for the** his thoughts **Blood God** clouded and **Blood for the Blood God** he's swinging the **Blood For The**_

_'You have to leave, or I'll be forced to report you.'._

_**Blood for the Blood God!**_

_The villager stands still with a pickaxe in their skull and blood pouring down their face._

_Technoblade watches, silent._

And his brothers looked back, unsure what to say.

'Techno? You alright?', Wilbur came closer, grabbing his shoulder. God, why was he so cold? It had to be something related to the Source, but it felt... Worrying.  
'Yeah. I just... Remembered something.', the man responded, trying his best to make the strange memory go away. 'Let's finish up for today. Tommy, one more fight.'.

The youngest of the three, who had gotten back only a few minutes prior, clearly cooled off from his fight with Wilbur earlier and now seemed more... Concerned, than anything. Techno rarely just spaced out like that – He was normally an incredibly focused person. But knowing what he knew about Wilbur, and all of the implications of it, he could barely think straight. He cleared his throat, looked around, and fixed up his braid.

'Tommy, I need to test your defensive. Last time today, I promise.', Techno reached for his sword – The sharp, unbreakable Netherite blade. One of a kind, a killing machine. A dangerous thing to use for training, sure. But he wasn't planning on striking with full force. He just had to make sure his brother could dodge those attacks properly. They didn't have to be deadly.

They couldn't be. One hit from this sword and the teenager could be as good as dead.

'Don't attack. Just dodge or block. I'll swing a few times and avoid harming you, alright?'. Tommy nodded along. Even without this explanation, there was a silent understanding between the two that during training like this there was no possibility of him being hurt. But that required mutual trust and an understanding of one another's skill – Which, luckily, the brothers possessed.

And yet... Techno couldn't ignore the strange rush of adrenaline through his body as he grabbed onto his sword, his fingers wrapping around the handle carefully.

_Blood..._

...Did he hear something, or was he making it up?

Still, the fight begun. A few standard swings Tommy had no trouble dodging, Wilbur following along with call-outs that allowed him to analyse his brothers' style as well as practising for leading something bigger and more organized in the future. They barely had to even explain to each other the rules any more – In the few months out here, in Pogtopia, they had grown to understand a system by which everything around them ran.

Tommy barely managed to dodge a swing, backing up last second. He lost his balance for a moment, which normally would signify to Techno he should take a step back and let him gather himself or knock him down and start another round. But... He didn't. Instead, he felt compelled to move in with another strike. He was sure his brother could handle it – They had been training for months, after all. He was skilled. He was capable.

_...For the..._

'Techno, Techno, wait, I can't-', Tommy tried to explain, but found himself unable to speak as a third strike came, this time the boy dodging it by pure accident thanks to slipping on some grass. Wilbur tried to step in and help, shouting out;  
'Hey, hey, hey! Stop!'. But it was too late. Guided by nothing but instinct and blinded by something he didn't understand, he moved down his sword and watched as the impossibly sharp edge grazed his brother's skin, a cut growing on his forearm.

_...Blood God._

Technoblade stood in silence and watched as Tommy gripped onto his arm in agony.

'Techno! Techno, what the fuck?! What were you thinking?!', Wilbur screamed as he grabbed his brothers arm and pressed his coat against the wound in a panic, trying to stop the bleeding. Tommy practically screamed out in pain, not even trying to hide the tears creeping up on him. Blood on the grass, his arm, Wilbur's coat... So much red, so much suffering – Techno couldn't even imagine the pain that his little brother was in.

'But I... I drank the potion, I... Why...', the man looked down at his weapon, dropping it instantly.  
'Tommy? Tommy, stay awake!', Wilbur kept panicking, the wind already picking up as he did.  
'Oh god... Oh god it hurts...', Tommy continued struggling through yells of pain and choking sobs.

'...I'm sorry, I didn't-'.

_Blood for the blood god._

'Get bandages! Stitches! Anything! Tommy, Tommy, stay awake!'.

_Blood for the blood god._

'Please, please... Please make it stop...'.

_Blood for the blood god._

Techno ran into the nearby cave, frantically searching through his supplies. And although his brother was suffering right outside – He prioritized something else. He knocked over a few empty bottles as he struggled to search for a full one in complete and utter panic – The moment he spotted a full potion, he opened it and chugged the whole thing almost instantly. For a moment he did nothing but hold onto his table and breathe heavily, trying to relax himself.

_You can't keep us silent forever._

And with that, Technoblade grabbed any bandage he could find and rushed to help his brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hah, you thought the angst was over with the schlatt chapters?  
> it's only starting, babyyyy  
> with how nice things are in manberg, SOMEONE has to suffer  
> i guess it's gonna have to be the sleepybois this time around
> 
> only four more chapters of some important development stuff i have to do before we get to the festival announcement - hope you guys don't mind the filler!


	122. The Calm (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Manberg, preparations for the festival begin. Tubbo and Quackity talk about their worries, while Fundy second guesses himself. Schlatt finds comfort in an old enemy.

_Wilbur is a Source._

Perhaps Tubbo didn't give it much thought initially – That was a mistake on his part. The first time he heard the story he focused in on Schlatt's experiences far more than anything there, blinding him to the elephant in the room. The second time, though, the story begun showing him the true danger of what Wilbur was. More importantly, it reminded him that Tommy was alone in Pogtopia with not only a Source, but Techno, too. And from Schlatt's story, Tubbo could only guess what sort of danger that man could pose if provoked. Only a few days had passed since him and Fundy begun planning out the festival when he found himself standing alone near the edge of the Manbergian border, looking into the forest vaguely towards the direction of the rebel base.

Tommy was his friend. From day one, when no one else bothered to come to his side, Tommy was there. He listened to him talk about the flowers – The daffodils, the tulips, the lavender, the poppies and the gladiolus. Then, Tommy talked about his nightmare – One which, although they didn't know it back then, had been of Techno. He talked to him as he recovered from the duel, he talked to him every evening during the election and gave him the chance he needed to just... Be himself. Not a hardened politician, not the Vice-President. Around Tubbo, Tommy was just Tommy, and around Tommy, Tubbo was just Tubbo. Without one another, it were as if they were constantly just playing some sort of role, some sort of act – It wasn't right.

Tommy was alone with a Source and a bloodthirsty killer, and Tubbo wasn't doing anything about it. But he tried, right? That didn't make him a bad friend, did it? He asked Schlatt to invite Tommy to the festival, maybe from here he could check up on him, and if something was wrong, hide him away? Eret was on their side and his castle had plenty of room – He knew, he still lived there with Niki and the King himself, after all. He could still help his friend, he could still-

'Shouldn't you be planning the festival by the Podium? Why are you out here?'.  
'Mr... Vice-President? What are _you_ out here?'.

Quackity looked... Tired. Exhausted, even. With the festival beginning to move forward, him and Schlatt were left alone to handle everything else from behind the scenes. Tubbo couldn't imagine how all the important meetings looked now, just between the two of them and no one else there to talk the President down if he got too focused on some especially troubling idea. The man stepped forward, stood next to Tubbo, and glanced towards the same direction.

'I had to go clear my head. What about you?', he asked, hesitantly. There were some tensions between the two of them, that was for sure – Since the election, they rarely talked like they used to back when Quackity did nothing more but handle business in L'Manberg. Now, it was all business, and any time it got personal, it spiralled into a fight.  
'...Same here, I guess.', Tubbo said with a sigh. He didn't feel like getting angry today. He didn't feel like snapping about how stupid everything Quackity did was, how this was all his fault, how his friend would be safe if it wasn't for- No. No, he had to stay calm. Right now he didn't need an enemy. Far from it.

Right now he needed a friend.

'What's on your mind?', Quackity was first to ask, coming closer. 'Wanna talk about it?'.  
'I'm just... Worried.', the boy admitted, playing around with some of the buttons on his jacket. 'About Tommy. Out there, in the woods. With... Wilbur and Techno. If what Schlatt said about them is true, I mean...', Tubbo paused and looked at the other. 'He's in danger.'.  
'...I'm sure he'll be fine.', the Vice-President reassured him, although his hesitance to speak such words was clear. 'And Schlatt agreed to let him come to the festival, did he not? We could always talk to him then. Make sure he's okay. And if anything's wrong, we could...'.

A pause. The wind blowing around them seemed much more foreboding with what they knew.

'We?', Tubbo cut in before the other could speak. 'You're... On my side?'.  
'I always was, Tubbo.', Quackity shut his eyes and sighed. 'Our opinions on Schlatt might be different, but we both just want Tommy to be safe. Listen, if... If Tommy comes here, and he tell us he's in danger, I'll do everything I can to let him stay. Schlatt has been a lot more agreeable since he told us everything. Maybe he'll listen. Maybe he'll understand.'.  
'Yeah...', Tubbo looked into the woods. 'I hope so.'.

'He's a good leader, you know.', Quackity continued, as per usual, spiralling into his usual praise of the President. Tubbo could see what was going on - But as far as the Vice-President went, it didn't seem to click. 'Just... A messed up person. A person who's been through way too much.'.  
'...But does that excuse some of the things he's been doing?', Tubbo whispered. 'Don't get me wrong, I agree. He's brought some good changes. The country is growing, our relations with the DreamSMP are better than ever, but... You can't forget what he did to us. To Niki. Niki's house going up in flames, all the times he's dumped all his work on me, all the arguments you two have-'.

'What's between me and Schlatt is none of your business. You shouldn't care about that.', Quackity quickly snapped, as he often did. He wouldn't let anyone get in-between whatever it was those two had formed. Tubbo just nodded along.  
'Right. Sorry.', he muttered, crossing his arms. 'But you can't say he exactly treats you... Well.'.  
'That's all business. We argue like people do in any meeting. But you don't know him in private like I do.', Quackity told him, although it sounded more as if he were reassuring himself than the boy. 'Just... Forget it. You probably wouldn't understand it anyway.'.

It didn't seem like the Vice-President quite understood it either, but still, Tubbo nodded.

'Right... Forget I said anything.'.

\---

Fundy didn't understand it. At all. Nothing he felt made sense any more, no matter what he did.

Tubbo left him at some point, leaving him alone to work on some decorations they were preparing. They had put together a few attractions they could use during the festival itself, planning how they would work and what sort of prizes they could put together. He could already see this event shaping up to be something that would go down in the history of the nation – And for once, it wouldn't be because of its violent nature. It wouldn't be a bloody war ended with a tragic duel, it wouldn't be a violent fight organized by an eccentric entertainer from outside the city, it would be something they could look at with pride. And yet...

Why did he feel so uneasy?

'The colours are looking good, Fundy!', came a cheery exclamation that could come from no one else but President Schlatt, who had caught him off-guard mid hanging something up. Fundy, being startled, nearly fell down from the side of the Podium which he was decorating, catching himself on a piece of stone sticking out the wall and holding on.  
'Ah! Mr. President!', he looked down, finding the man looking up at him from below. 'Um... Thank you! Me and Tubbo have been working hard putting this together. It's coming along rather nicely, don't you think? Really makes the Podium... Uh... Pop, I guess?'.  
'You're not an expert with this, are you?', Schlatt asked with a laugh, to which the other responded;  
'I'm making it up as I go, that much is true.', Fundy reassured him, jumping down to the floor.

'What are you doing here, Mr. President?', he asked, coming closer.  
'Just checking how progress is going. Catching a break from work. You know, the usual.', Schlatt, for just a moment, looked at the man's chest, suddenly moving forward. 'Your tie is all off.'.  
'Oh. S-sorry, I just can never get it right, I'll try-', Fundy started, expecting criticism, but got nothing more than the President coming closer and beginning to fix the piece of attire himself.  
'It's not that hard once you get the hang of it. You just need someone to teach you.', the man carried on, grabbing onto Fundy's tie and beginning to fix it up. 'I could barely do it myself when I was fifteen. It comes naturally after you actually figure it out. Look.'.

'...And who was the one to teach you?', Fundy tried to be friendly with the question, but wished he could take it back the moment he noticed the other's expression shift. He finished fixing up the tie with a rather quick and strong movement, tightening it.  
'Wilbur. Wilbur always fixed it up for me.', Schlatt responded, seeing the man in front of him flinch. His eyes avoided his gaze completely. '...You're not the only one that man has hurt, Fundy. Although... He was far closer to you than he was to me, isn't that true?'.

As Fundy looked down, Schlatt spoke on.

'I always knew he'd make a shit dad. He could barely take care of himself, not to mention a kid.', the President continued speaking, meanwhile the younger listened in silently. He wanted to say something, protest, defend Wilbur in some way... And yet nothing came. 'He messed you up. That's not fair on you. You deserve something better, don't you think?'.  
'Not much Wilbur can give me now.', the man responded, turning away. He picked up a few more decorations from a nearby box and got them ready for being put up. 'Now that I'm an adult.'.  
'I always thought learning things from your parents was a waste of time. They're just you but a bit older and more depressed. You need to learn things from mentors – People who see the potential in you and take you under your wing willingly. The type that won't be held back by loving you or wanting to take care of you or whatever. The type that can put their foot down when they have to.'.

'...That does sound more appealing than some fake affection, doesn't it?', Fundy muttered under his breath. 'Something that actually teaches you things. Not... Messes you up for life.'.  
'I made the mistake of marking someone who was trying to help me as my enemy, once.', Schlatt spoke, and as he did, begun making his way around the area and taking a look at all of the decorations Tubbo and Fundy had managed to prepare. 'He wanted to teach me a lesson... And here I was thinking he wanted nothing but to hurt me.'.

Fundy looked back at the President, finding his eyes focused on something in his hand. He was playing around with it aimlessly, looking at it from every angle.

It appeared to be a badge.

'Looking at things from a new perspective is always a funny thing, you know?', the President carried on with his rambling, now lost in his own world more than anything. 'You notice where you made mistakes, but with no way to go back and fix them, you're forced to just look. And unless Karl's endless chatting about the possibilities of time travel leads to something... It's gonna stay that way. Doomed to look back at the past forever – It drives you mad, doesn't it?'.  
'...It can be bothersome, sure.', Fundy spoke up, although he was clearly a lot less interested in the topic than the other. 'But... It's part of being alive, right? Regret?'.  
'...Right. Of course.', the President turned away for a moment, smiling. 'But I've had enough regret, you know? There's a way to ensure that you have none of it. So allow me to teach you something I wish I learned a long, long while ago.'.

The man put the badge back into his pocket and turned away.

'Never hesitate. The moment you see an opportunity, the moment someone does something slightly off, the moment you even as much as have a hunch – Strike. Take the opportunity. Push that person away. Follow that feeling as if it were fact. You can't live with regret if you never let anything pass you by. Do you understand that?'.  
'I...', Fundy paused, looking aside. 'I think I do?'.  
'And that's why you also can't hold onto the past. Things that are done. Things that have passed. You will wallow in regret and you will never grow – Never improve. You'll just end up like me...', Schlatt stopped for a moment, lowering his voice; '...A useless sack of shit.'.  
'Sir, what are you-'.

'Let go of the past. That's how you'll become better.'.

Schlatt fixed up his coat and walked forward.

'You're a good kid. I wouldn't want you to get hurt.'.

Fundy wasn't sure what to do. Keeping Schlatt's advice in mind, he carried on with his work around the Podium, Tubbo eventually getting back and joining him. The whole time, the President's unusual advice floated around his mind and made him question everything. Letting go of the past seemed like such a broad idea – What exactly did that entail? Letting go of his father? He had done that a long time ago. Letting go of L'Manberg? Now that was a different conversation. Niki and Tubbo definitely thought he had given up, become a perfect servant to Schlatt and nothing else. But he knew the truth – The truth contained in a single, hidden diary in his room.

As he did on most days, he entered his room in the evening, pressed his back against the door and slid down, allowing his body to collapse to the ground completely. Pretending like this was tiring.

The mirror in the corner of his room had become something that mocked him rather than reflected him – Who he was seeing there was not Fundy. That perfect, clean suit, the tie that had been fixed up by Schlatt, and of course, that look in his eyes. That look of someone who was considering doing things he had never considered before – All because of the words of a single man. How had the President managed to get into his head as he did? Was it wrong? Should he have tried to fight it? Should he have tried to resist it? But... Was it not good? Finally having someone who cared? Finally having someone who bothered? Someone who, unlike his father actually treated him like a person?

Was being on Schlatt's side truly the “evil” choice?

Fundy reached into his desk, pulling out his journal as any other day. He lit a candle, opened the book, and got a pen ready. He caught a glimpse of himself in the corner of his eye – The reflection, as it always was, was looking back. But this reflection was not that of regret, hatred, mockery, or anything else. This was a reflection of Fundy – And Fundy, as Schlatt had advised him, would let go of the past and ensure that he would not have any regrets.

He begun to write.

_At first, I was supposed to be a double agent._

_I swore to myself to become a spy for L'Manberg – Slither my way into Schlatt's cabinet and gather information for my nation. Take Schlatt down from the inside. But lately... I've started to think..._

_Schlatt may not be the bad guy._

_He is a bad person. At times. But he is a good leader. He's making this country better. And slowly but surely, he, himself, is improving. This man has potential to outdo our previous leader – Wilbur Soot could never do half the things President Schlatt has managed in the past few months alone. Maybe, we should give Schlatt a chance._

_I'm willing to let go of the past to ensure a lack of regret in the future._

_This may be my last entry._

Fundy put the small journal into his desk, locked it, and hid the key away.

He had no intention of ever opening it again.

\---

Schlatt watched the smoke from the cigarette rise up into the starry sky, silent. He reached into his pocket, removing a familiar badge from inside. He looked down at it, his finger tracing the edge of the inscription. The one thing he had kept on him since he first arrived – Even Wilbur didn't know he had brought this in from the other world. His eyes stayed focused on it for a long, long while.

'...I wish I realized what you were trying to teach me earlier.'.

Schlatt put the Lunch Club badge back into his pocket, sighing.

'But I understand now. I get what you were trying to show me.'.

He took a long swig of whatever drink he had brought with him and felt his shoulders relax.

'I won't disappoint you any more, Ted.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a lil dadschlatt moment in there inspired by some fanart i saw of schlatt fixing up fundy's tie  
> cutest shit ive ever seen, officer


	123. The Storm (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pogtopia continues crumbling. Techno is regretful, Wilbur is angry and Tommy needs to talk to a friend.

He couldn't afford hurting Tommy again.

Techno didn't speak to him the morning after – He apologized about a thousand times, despite the boy having had forgiven him after the first few, and tried to keep his distance from him for the rest of the day. He could see he was nervous. Whenever Techno got close, Tommy would flinch and move away. He would cover his bandage with his hand, a bandage that covered most of his right forearm, wrist and palm, and in places even went up to his elbow, and try his best to avoid his brother completely. He had not touched his sword once since the incident – It lay in the corner of his storage room still coated in Tommy's blood.

Every time he looked at it it were as if he was back facing him again, those voices in the back of his head chanting at him to do things he'd never even think to do himself. He could hear Wilbur shouting at him, Tommy crying out in pain, and feel his heart beat so hard it nearly broke through his very chest. He couldn't allow himself to lose control again, not with how fragile their revolution was. Wilbur could turn around and break down any moment – And that would bring disaster. Tommy could get hurt if either him or his brother lost control. And Techno had promised Phil he would keep them safe, no matter what – That was what he swore to do before they went their own ways all those years ago.

And that was what he would do.

When Techno retreated into the supply room in the midday to take his usual potion, he knew he had to do a lot more to protect his brother in their upcoming training session. And if taking some risks was it, he didn't have a problem with it. He prepared one potion, drank it whole, and took a deep breath. Then, he prepared another, drinking it. And just to be safe, he prepared a third – Already, he had taken three times his usual dosage for an entire day. But he didn't care – If things were getting worse with him now, he had to fight back with equal strength.

And although dizzy and with his thoughts unclear, he stumbled out of the cave and carried on.

\---

'Today's focus is speed. I want you to disarm me as quickly as you can manage. No defence, no offence, I just need you to move fast and efficiently.', Techno begun explaining, clearly seeing his younger brother was quite nervous. He was holding onto his sword lightly and kept playing around with the handle, looking as if he were about to drop it at any second.  
'...Right... Speed... Just move fast...', Tommy was muttering under his breath, trying to focus on the fight in front of him. Normally, Wilbur would have stepped in by now and helped him relax, but clearly, the former President had something else completely on his mind. Techno could feel his heart skip a beat every time he met eyes with that bandage around Tommy's arm – With one of the worst cuts he had ever endured underneath.  
'Alright. I won't attack, just use basic stances. Go whenever you're ready.', Techno stated, readying a wooden sword. He wouldn't dare use his Netherite blade again, not with what happened. As he lifted the weapon, for just a moment, the warrior felt something... Strange. The unusual silence in his head was one thing – But together with it came a feeling he couldn't quite place.

Overwhelming exhaustion.

Tommy moved in. Disarming someone was an art far different to just hurting them or blocking an attack. It was all about anticipating what their defensive would be like, moving around it and putting your full focus on the single most useful, but also most dangerous, part of a battle – The weapon. Tommy, however, had mastered it – He did everything Techno had taught him. Normally, this would mean he'd be easy to avoid, and he could force his brother into something he wasn't used to, urging him to improvise. This time around, something was wrong though. Techno wasn't sure what had happened, but before he could as much as react, his arm was hit, he was forced to let go of his sword, and he watched it fall onto the grass.

'Good... Good job. That's good.', Techno muttered under his breath, although he was clearly shocked as to how Tommy had managed to win so easily. The boy clearly noticed it, too.  
'You don't have to go easy on me, you know.', the boy looked down at his bandage, shrugging. 'It doesn't hurt as much any more. I'm fine to fight like any other time.'.  
'Right. Right, I'll go all in this time.', Techno picked up his sword, and as he bent down to get it and straightened up once more, he felt his head begin spinning. He found his footing rather quickly, but Wilbur had clearly noticed him stumbling.

Tommy was a lot more careful this time. It were almost as if he was expecting to be tricked, but instead came to a sudden stop as he noticed Techno's rather... Lacklustre stand. He took a few swings to try and test his brother's strategy, and found nothing else but sloppy dodges and an eventual spin that forced him into getting so dizzy and light-headed he could do nothing else but fall down. By the time he gathered himself and looked back up, he found both Wilbur and Tommy sitting by his side, trying to support him. He got up, shook both of them off and got to his feet on his own, nearly falling over as he found his balance again.

'Techno? Techno, what's wrong?', Wilbur came closer, noticing how dilated his brother's pupils were. He grabbed onto his shoulder and asked; 'How many potions did you take today?'.  
'One in the morning...', the man started, grabbing onto his head. Where had this headache come from? 'Three before the fight.', he added, receiving shocked gasps from his two brothers.  
'That's way too many! You're gonna hurt yourself!', Tommy exclaimed. Techno was surprised – Despite what he had done to him, he was still worried? He hadn't expected it. 'You need to rest on this. Lay down and let it fizzle out. You're not walking around until you can recite to me exactly what those assholes in your head are saying, understood?'.

'Tommy, I don't need-'.  
'Shush, you don't get to protest! Come on, nap time!'.

And in his weakened state, Techno had no way of resisting as Tommy dragged him into Pogtopia.

\---

'Do you think he blames himself for this?', Tommy asked, playing around with the edges of his bandage. He ensured that Techno got some rest before he did anything more, stepping outside the cave only once he was positive that his older brother had drifted off.  
'I don't think he does, I know he does.', Wilbur responded, looking into the cave. He could see Techno's entire potion-brewing room was practically flipped upside down. 'The potions have lost their potency, somehow. I... don't know how, but-'.

'You're lying.'.

For a single second, the wind seem to stop. Tommy had had enough – It was time to speak.

'What was that?'.  
'You're lying. You know what's going on.', the boy started, days of frustration finally building up in him and practically crashing down in this single moment. 'I know you two have been talking about things behind my back. I don't care if I wasn't in SMPLive, Wil! I should get to know what happened! Isn't that what we promised so long ago? That'd we'd tell each other everything?'.  
'You... You heard us?'.  
'Oh, I heard a lot. I heard a whole fucking lot Wil, and I know that you've been lying to me for days. I didn't care much that evening – You were tired, you probably thought I was asleep. I waited for you to sit me down about it next morning. Nothing. And yet I still believed. I waited for a whole day. Nothing. Another day. Nothing. A few more days passed and my own fucking brother stabs me. What the hell is going on? What the hell are you, and Techno, and what happened in that city?'.

Wilbur didn't speak. For some strange reason, he couldn't bring himself to.

'Wil!', Tommy snapped, making the man flinch. When had he gotten so loud, so aggressive? 'Fucking... Talk to me! Holy shit, do you really hate me that much? Is it that hard for you to just fucking communicate? Do I not deserve the same treatment as Techno, or you? Is it just because I'm younger than you? Is it because I wasn't in the first world? I'm your brother! How can you-'.  
'Stop bullshitting.', Wilbur felt the words escape him before he could even think them through fully.  
'W-what?', Tommy whispered, stepping back. Finally, he got a grip on himself, calming down.  
'Stop with that brother bullshit! It doesn't mean anything! We're related by blood but that doesn't make us family! We didn't grow up together, we didn't know we were brothers most of our lives! And you wanna use a shitty excuse like that to guilt trip me into telling me things you have no fucking clue about the severity of? Do you even fucking know the shit I'm going through?!'.

'But... We are brothers-'.  
'No the fuck we're not. Yeah, sure, by definition we are. But you can't look me in the eyes and tell me we're family. That's not how these things work-'.  
'Oh, and let me guess.', Tommy spoke up, finally realizing what was going on. 'Let me fucking guess. Back in SMPLive you, Techno and Phil had your loving little family, right? Grew up together, lived together. Perfect home, huh?'. The boy paused, laughing to himself out of pure frustration. 'That makes so much fucking sense. I get it now.'.

'Tommy, it's not your fault that you were only born into the second world. But that also means I never... I never got to know you. We were close as... Strangers, sure. But Techno...'.  
'You know him as your brother. No. I get it.', despite his calm voice, a quiver in Tommy's speech was clearer than ever. 'The two of you don't give a shit about me. I never mattered here.'.  
'Of course you matter!', Wilbur insisted, getting closer. A chill overtook Tommy's body as he did – When had his brother- Or rather, this man, grown so cold?  
'Then prove it. Tell me what the fuck is going on in this place. I don't want to be kept out of this any more. Explain what the fuck is your deal, what the fuck is Techno's deal, and why we haven't even considered attacking that dictator asshole keeping my friend hostage!'.

Wilbur walked away and swallowed – This would be the first time he would admit something like this to someone who wasn't there with him when he first found out. He took a deep, shaky breath.

'I'm... A Source.'.

'A... Source?', Tommy repeated. He knew what it was vaguely – But he wanted to hear it from him.  
'...What comes after an Anomaly and before a Dreamon. An unstable force of nature that channels energy from the Nether into the Overworld and wrecks it. I nearly drowned SMPLive and I was the one who brought the Hunters to SMPEarth. I'm... A constant danger to everyone around me.'.  
'And... Techno?'.  
'Techno is an Anomaly. There are voices in his head that relentlessly try to perfect his fighting and therefore demand blood... Constantly. If he doesn't quiet them down he loses control. After telling me the story about SMPLive... For some reason... The potions begun working less and less. That's why he attacked you. That's why he's so... Off.'.  
'And you two have been keeping all of this from me?'.

Wilbur couldn't bring himself to respond.

'Why didn't you say a single thing?'.  
'I didn't want to worry you-'.  
'That's bullshit! You said yourself, it's because you don't see me as family-'.  
'But that doesn't mean I won't-'.

'Well you know what, Wil?'.

Tommy picked up his bag and glared through the man with eyes burning with rage.

'You may not see me as a brother... But that's what I am. I'm your little brother and I'll look up to you, whether I like it or not. So thanks for being a shitty fucking liar of a role model – Now fuck off and let me be mad at you in peace.'.

And with that, Tommy charged into the woods, his brother watching him and standing still.

\---

_They love meeting up at the bench. They always did._

_No one knew when or why this bench was built – A small piece of furniture seemingly unfitting the rest of the city, by the side of the Prime Path near the edge of a small cliff. Tommy and Tubbo found it in-between their busy days of working on L'Manberg, and have been meeting up there ever since. They fixed it up, cleaned it, and even inscribed their own names into it – To make sure it is theirs forever. They're sitting there alone as they would on any other day, silently watching the sky in front of them – The sun is starting to set, and they know they'll have to go back home soon._

_'Hey, Tommy?', Tubbo whispers, turning to the side._   
_'Yeah, what's up?', Tommy asks, looking back at his friend._

_'You know... I never properly said thank you.', the older starts, playing around with the button on his jacket. 'For trading your discs in. I know how much you cared about them. So... Thank you.'._   
_'For L'Manberg?', Tommy repeats with a laugh. 'It's nothing. And I mean... I can still get them back. Who says I can't? Me, you and Dream – We've barely started this war of ours.'._   
_'Me... And you?', Tubbo repeats, slightly confused._   
_'Obviously! There ain't no Tommy without his Tubbo!'._

_Tubbo laughs as Tommy puts his arm around him and pulls him closer._

_'Even when this whole thing comes crashing down, we're gonna be together. It's just gonna be you, me and the discs. We're gonna get them back. And if shit hits the fan? Hey, we can always skip town. Who the fuck cares? As long as we got each other, yeah?'._   
_'Yeah.', Tubbo nods along with a smile. 'We've got each other. No matter what. It's always Tommy and Tubbo, and no one is ever gonna get in the way of that. We won't let them. If all of this ever falls apart... We'll have each other. And that's all that matters.'._

_'Hey, Tubbo?'._   
_'Yeah?'._   
_'You sounded so fucking cheesy there.'._   
_'Oh, come on, stop ruining the moment!'._

_Tubbo punches his friend's arm playfully._

_'You're a jerk, you know that?'._   
_'Awe, you know you love me.'._   
_'You're a jerk, but... You're my best friend, too. So I can put up with it.'._   
_'You're being cheesy again-'._

_Another punch, this one followed by a laugh, and then... Nothing._

_And the two continue sitting on the bench, in pleasant, familiar silence._

Tommy knew what he had to do.

Wandering through the woods in a daze, subconsciously, he knew exactly where he was going. Even if he wanted to resist it, there was only one place where a boy like him could be going. There was only one place where he'd feel at home, where he wouldn't feel as if he was in constant danger, where he would actually feel like he belonged. And as risky as it was, as stupid as it was, and even though he knew he was risking a lot... He walked.

Tommy, above all else, had to speak to Tubbo.

And he had to do it now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> angst :)))  
> ALSO I FORGOT TO SAY THIS BUT UH  
> 350K WORDS WOOOO


	124. The Calm (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Manberg, the country continues changing. Niki questions herself, Schlatt talks about Tubbo, and Tommy meets with his friend.

'…Sometimes it feels like you're the only one who understands me.'.

Niki was alone. She always had been, as far as this country went. Wilbur and Techno were out in the woods and barely ever spoke to her any more. Tommy couldn't do much with them keeping him tied to Pogtopia. Tubbo and Fundy had gone full pro-Schlatt – She could barely rely on them. Eret was helpful, sure. But Dream was incredibly pressing about him keeping away from all politics and remaining nothing more than a symbol of the DreamSMP, rather than its actual ruler. This left her alone – Alone to work through everything, alone to cope with this situation, alone to figure everything out. But she still had someone – Just one beam of support.

'...You'd never turn on me. You're not the type to pick sides.'.

She'd meet with him every day. She had been, since day one. Hiding out in the stables that were built in L'Manberg shortly after it got to its feet, she'd bring him food and make sure he was comfortable. She knew she could trust him – Someone like him would never try to pick a side in a war, and she knew that. Just like any other day she was standing in front of him, whispering about all her worries, letting them melt away in the presence of someone she could trust. The stables had this familiar aura to them – The feel of the hay below her boots, the smells around her, the quiet whinnying of the horses being kept there... With her house gone, this was where it felt like home.

'...I just wish you'd talk to me, too. But... That's fine.'.

The woman took a deep, shaky breath, trying to keep herself focused. There were tears prickling the edges of her eyes, slowly moving down her cheeks, falling to the ground below. She tried to calm her breathing, choking sobs escaping her as she continued thinking more and more about the seriousness of her situation. Everyone turning away, the country falling apart, was there even a point in supporting a revolution that was doomed to fail?

'But at least I have you. I'm glad you're here.'.

Niki lifted her head.

'Even if you are... Well, a horse.'.

And Fungi, her trusty stallion, flipped his mane and neighed in response.

Niki continued what she had been doing most of that morning – Brushing the horse's mane with a brush she brought along, petting his head from time to time and handing him food in-between her tasks. She thought she was alone here – No one took care of these horses but her these days, and most of their owners were either exiled or granted office jobs, with no time left for the animals. That was why she felt so free to cry here – Let all her fears out, relax. What she didn't expect, however, was hearing footsteps approaching her from outside the stables. She quickly wiped her tears with her sleeve and turned away, feeling spite fill her as she recognized the man.

'Mr. President. Why would you come down here?'.  
'It's a part of my nation. Only fair I stop by from time to time.'.

'...This horse is yours, right?', Schlatt came closer, giving Fungi a look. She could feel a panic overtake her as he moved his hand closer, Fungi himself instinctively moving his head away. The President himself didn't seem all that bothered – He was more focused on Niki herself.  
'Yes.', the woman grabbed onto Fungi's reins, pulling him closer. With her other hand, she begun moving her hand down the side of his head, trying to calm him down. He had gotten incredibly panicked out of nowhere. 'I've had him since L'Man... Manberg was first created.'.

'Are you good with horses, Ms. Nihachu?', the President asked, turning his attention away and instead focusing on the gorgeous white stallion in the next pen over. She didn't recognize it – It must have been brought there quite recently.  
'I guess.', Niki responded, unsure why Schlatt would pursue a conversation with her for as long as he did. Usually, he'd make his intentions with her very clear from the start. 'Why are you asking?'.  
'This horse here was caught in the fields a few days back.', the man looked at the white horse. 'I need it trained. It'd be good to have a horse, in case things get... rowdy. You'd be capable of that sort of task, right? Fundy tells me you trained Fungi yourself.'.

'...I did.', the woman spoke up after some time, rage filling her. Why would Fundy say a word about her to this man? How much did he want her to get hurt? '...I could train the horse for you. But you need to give it a name. Every good horse needs a name.'.  
'...I know a good one.', Schlatt started, looking at the stallion. She could see him playing around with something in his pocket. '...Ted. That's a nice name, right?'.  
'...Ted? For a horse?', the woman asked, although quickly changing her attitude when she remembered who she was speaking to. 'Your choice. I guess it works well enough.'.

A moment of silence followed. He gave her an order. Why was he still here?

'...You live with Eret now?'.  
'No other choice, since, you know...', the woman shot the President an angry look. 'My house went up in flames a few weeks back. Not sure if you remember that.'.  
'...I don't, actually.', Schlatt admitted, clearly trying to ignore her attitude towards him. 'One too many drinks and everything sort of blurred. I don't actually know what happened that night.'.  
'Well, let me give you a recollection.', Niki snapped, feeling an unusual anger build up in her. 'You came to my house as I got back from the prison and had Sapnap light the whole thing up – You gave me a long talk about getting what I deserve for disobeying you as he did it. Because, according to you, we all have to suck up to you just because you're the guy in power.'.

And then, the President did something Niki never expected him to do.

'Well... I apologize.'.

She looked back at him, stunned.

'W-what...?'.

'An “I'm sorry” and a pat on the back doesn't make up for what I did, I know. But we can't sit here and pretend we're both right – The fact of the matter is, we're both in the wrong.', the man carried on. Just the way he talked made her blood boil – How casual he was about the things he tried to feed you, how easily he could lie right to your face. It was sickening. 'I have been known to be erratic and impulsive. You have been known to be aggressive and completely against change of any kind. But have you ever considered your stand may be... Wrong?'.  
'Wrong?', Niki repeated with a scoff. 'I don't see anything wrong with standing up for myself.'.  
'Of course not. I have a high respect for people who get out there and get what they want. But that's not what you're doing, Ms. Nihachu. From day one you were against me just because of my initial choice to banish the previous tyrants – Aggression had to be fought with aggression. You see?'.

For a moment, the woman's eyes widened.

'...You're saying I deserved what you did to me? Really helping your case there, Mr. President.'.  
'I mean I was cold and apathetic because that's the attitude I got from you initially. But look at everyone else. Tubbo loves it here – Look at all the work he's doing around the festival. And Fundy? He was more than happy to get away from that father of his- And don't even start. You may have your admiration for Wilbur, but you can't look me in the eyes and tell me he's a good parent.'.  
'Maybe not. But you've done other things. Taking your anger out on your cabinet, wrecking our nation and tearing down its history, keeping me away from Minx-'.

'You care about Minx?'.  
'Of course I do!'.  
'Funny. You didn't even ask once where she is.'.  
'Where Minx...Is?'.

Niki looked around. Where had the Dreamon gone? She was always around Schlatt, and yet she couldn't be spotted anywhere near him right now. The woman hadn't even taken note of her absence until now – She was far too focused on what the President could want from her to note her not being there. She glanced around a few more times, feeling herself panic.

'What did you do to her?'.  
'Nothing. She's waiting outside. I told her to wait there.'.  
'...She's... Then why did you...'.  
'Why did you assume I did something to her straight away?'.

Niki blinked a few times, stammering.

'Because... That's what you do. You hurt people. You hurt people who get in your way. So I just assumed the worst. No reason not to.', Niki stated rather coldly.  
'...And that's an assumption you've been making since the election. But tell me, Niki. When did I ever hurt you before you started opposing me? Name one situation, please.'.  
'Well you... you banished Tommy and Wilbur-'.  
'Ah yes, the two paragons of good leadership. You know they were both dictators by definition, right? They put themselves into power. They took control by force. And they didn't let anyone else make decisions. I was elected by vote. I have a cabinet that all my ideas go through.'.  
'That doesn't mean you're any better than them.'.  
'No, it doesn't. But it does say one thing...'.

'...Maybe it's time to reconsider who's the bad guy here, Niki.'.

And so, the woman was left alone with nothing else but her thoughts, two horses and the unusual familiarity of the stables – And it was this peace and solitude that made her truly wonder – Had she been too harsh? Had she judged someone with good intentions too early and made a mistake? No, no. Schlatt was a tyrant. That much she was sure of. So why would he go out of his way to come here and speak to her? To apologize? As half-assed as it was... It was an apology.

But did he mean it?

'This is why I like you guys more.', Niki eventually said, turning to Fungi and Ted. 'You two are a lot easier to understand than everyone else in this country...'.

And still, she felt as though she had finally gained somewhat of an understanding of its President.

\---

'Are you gonna let me take charge again?'.  
'I don't plan on it.'.  
'Why not? Come on, just a few minutes-'.  
'You're pushing your luck here, Minx.'.

Quackity, if he were to be honest, wasn't sure how to feel about the President and his Dreamon. Now that he knew about her existence, the two would talk openly around him. The only problem with this was he only heard one side of the conversation – And he was never quite sure if it was aimed at the woman, him, or if Schlatt was just wasted again and talking to himself. Either way, he had to put up with it. He, after all, admired, trusted and looked up to Schlatt. Why would he in any way try to get in his way? As far as he was concerned, his best bet was to stand aside and let him do whatever he needed to do to deal with that Dreamon. She seemed to be a problem when he had to ignore her all the time as is – Giving them time to talk seemed like a good thing to do.

'Ah, fuck you. You're a cunt, you know that?'.  
'And you're a fucking bitch, but you don't see me complaining.'.  
'Actually, yes. You complain quite a lot. Asshole.'.  
'Well maybe if you kept your mouth shut I wouldn't have to?'.

But god, were they difficult to ignore.

'Is she giving you a hard time again?', Quackity eventually spoke up. He had been trying to help out Schlatt as much as he could – From what he knew, Minx was nothing more than a bother to him. Endless comments about what she wanted him to do, whatever unspeakable acts that Dreamon could think up. And then she'd try to convince him the President was the bad guy here...  
'She always is.', the man responded, passing another insult to what to Quackity seemed to be a completely empty space next to him. 'I can't stand it.'.  
'Just talk to me, then.', the Vice-President suggested to Minx's dismay. 'She'll get bored eventually. And we've got a lot to figure out with these invites.'.

'...You've got him wrapped around your little finger. How can you be so cruel?'.

And Schlatt, as he often did when it came to Minx, did not respond.

'Are you absolutely sure you want to invite Pogtopia to this festival?', Quackity spoke up, trying to find a topic that the two could focus on. 'I mean... Wilbur and Techno are both dangers.'.  
'If we just invite Tommy those two will think it's a trap and won't let him come. All three have to come, that's the only way to do it.', Schlatt quickly reminded him.  
'And why do you want Tommy to come?'. To this, the President hesitated.  
'Because... Tubbo deserves to see him again.', the man shrugged. 'And who knows? Maybe there's still a chance as far as it comes to those other two... You know?'.

'You seem really fond of Tubbo these days. Why is that?'.  
'I don't know... I guess I see a bit of myself in him.'.

While the President and Vice-President discussed, in another part of the country, Tubbo found himself wandering away, down the Prime Path. He eventually stopped at the bench – The bench where his and Tommy's names were still carved into the old wood, left to mark it as their spot for as long as it would stand. And how long would that be?

'He's a good kid. He's been through a lot. And... I was rough on him at first, but... He deserves to be happy. He deserves to have a normal life. I didn't get that – Kept getting separated from my friend, my family, everything getting torn apart by people around me. What's between me and Wilbur is our own problem – It's unfair to break apart Tommy and Tubbo like that.'.

Tubbo took his seat on the bench, imagining his friend being by his side. He looked at the inscription and traced the edge of it with his finger, remembering the day they carved those names in there with an old iron dagger Tommy brought along. Back before the war and while the Dream Team was away, they even dragged a jukebox out here to listen to Tommy's discs. Now it only remained as a quiet reminder of the past – And nothing else.

'And Tubbo trusts me. And I trust him, too. That sort of trust isn't easy to build. I can see he's a good person – And sometimes, you and him feel like the only ones in this country who actually care about what I have to say and don't just see me as the worst person alive because of a few mistakes. He'd never do anything to betray me – Only fair I do something good for him, right?'.

Tubbo's head snapped back as he heard something – Shuffling. He wasn't alone by this bench. Someone else had made it there, observing him in silence. The boy shot up, gasping as he recognized the figure. He instantly rushed forward, joy overtaking him.

'And you're sure you can trust him?'.  
'Yeah. He's on my side. I'm sure of it.'.

Tubbo got closer to Tommy, feeling relief overtake him as he wrapped his arms around his friend. He was okay. He was still okay. He noticed the massive bandage around his arm – But he tried to ignore it for now. He was already stressed for the other as is.

'Tubbo's the first person I've trusted in a while.'.

Tommy kept holding onto his friend, feeling too alone now to let go.

'I'm sure he'd never do a thing to wrong me.'.

And Tubbo returned the embrace, finally feeling like himself again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY BEFORE YALL START FREAKING OUT LET ME EXPLAIN TED THE HORSE
> 
> TED THE HORSE WILL NOT APPEAR AGAIN AND HAS NO PLOT RELEVANCE JUST WANNA MAKE THAT CLEAR  
> IT'S A REFRENCE TO ANOTHER FANFIC CALLED "GOLDEN" BY SYVERNESIEN IN WHICH TED NIVISON IS LITERALLY A HORSE  
> I SWEAR THIS WON'T COME UP AGAIN I JUST REALLY WANTED TO REFRENCE THIS BECAUSE I THINK TED THE HORSE IS VERY FUNNY AND THAT FIC HAS MADE IT AN INISDE JOKE BETWEEN ME AND MY FRIENDS SO JUST  
> YEAH TED THE HORSE ENJOY HIM HE'S NEVER COMING BACK AGAIN LMAOOO
> 
> also LMAO lift your hand if you thought i was describing ranboo at the start  
> how many of yous did i manage to jebait


	125. The Storm (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy and Tubbo meet and talk about everything going on. Schlatt makes a decision.

Tommy rarely cried. Which was why Tubbo was so worried when he did.

'Tommy? Tommy, what's wrong?', the older asked as he moved away from his friend, the other sniffling under his breath and frantically wiping away tears. Before they even as much as begun talking, they decided it was best for them to take a seat at the bench – Tommy didn't seem to be in the right state to be standing up. He looked pale, weakened, dizzy... What happened to him?  
'I... I just... I'm really happy I can see you again.', the younger claimed, although his friend knew him better than to fall for a simple lie like that. Tommy rarely got emotional, and wasn't the type to cry out of joy. If he was pushed to a state like this something must have gone horribly wrong in Pogtopia – And his bandage, combined with what he had heard from Schlatt, definitely did not ease his anxieties about this whole situation one bit.

'Tommy, what happened?', Tubbo moved his hand to his friend's arm, noticing the bandage. As he touched it the other flinched and moved it away. He didn't speak. 'Did Techno do that to you?'.  
'He didn't mean it.', Tommy whispered in response. 'At least... I don't think so. He just lost control, and didn't think it through. But... How did you guess that it was Techno?'.  
'...It's... Because...', Tubbo played around with his fingers for a moment. Could he tell him the truth? He was his best friend, after all. '...Schlatt... Told me some things. About SMPLive.'.  
'What?', the boy instantly snapped and stood up. Tubbo wasn't sure how to react – Why was he so angry? Was he missing some vital piece of all of this? What the hell was going on?

'Schlatt told me about-'.  
'Schlatt trusted you with that stuff and my own fucking brothers won't tell me a thing?'.  
'Your.... Brothers?'.

Tommy tried to calm his breathing, clearly realizing he had lost control of himself.

'...Wilbur and Techno. It's... A long story.', Tommy admitted with a sigh. 'I should have told you earlier, I know. I... I just...', the boy sat back down again, putting his head in his hands as he tried to gather his thoughts again. Tubbo knew he had to be gentle with him – Something was clearly wrong.  
'Did something happen with those two?', Tubbo came closer, putting his hand on his friend's back to try and provide him with some comfort. 'Tommy, you can tell me. I'm here for you.'.  
'They...', before the boy could even properly start speaking, his voice already begun cracking, his eyes getting blurred by tears once more. 'They're losing it, Tubbo. Techno's all weird and jumpy and shit and Wilbur keeps snapping at me, and- And I don't know how much longer...'.

'Hey. Hey, it's okay. I'm here.', Tubbo inched closer, putting his hand on his friend's. 'Listen, I... I can't do much as is, but... I can try to help. You can talk to me. And if things are really rough, I could try to get you out of there. Maybe... Maybe Eret would have a place for you to stay...'.  
'But I can't abandon them, Tubbo!', Tommy snapped, and realizing how angry he sounded, quickly lowered his voice. 'They're... They're changing, sure, but they're still my family. And I'm sure they can still go back to being... Better, you know? But... Right now? I... I don't even fucking know...'.  
'Do they know you came here?', Tubbo looked around for a moment, as if expecting someone to spot them any second. 'I mean... I know you need to get away but if you're spotted around here the consequences could be a lot worse than just-'.

'Dream came to me.'.

Why had he changed topics so suddenly? It was almost as if... Oh. Right. Tubbo understood.

No matter what, Tommy did not want to go back to Pogtopia.

'What?', Tubbo asked, once more feeling complete and utter confusion fill him. How much had happened in those few weeks that they were separated following the duel? Surely things couldn't have had changed that much in such a short time? Unless... Schlatt's story had more of an impact on their world than they had realized at the time of hearing it.  
'Dream came by and... And gave me this.', Tommy quickly slipped down his backpack, unzipping it in a rush. Inside, one of his three discs – This one he recognized to be Blocks – Could be found. 'He gave the other two away. And he kept talking some bullshit about conflict and... Something about these pitting us against each other?'.  
'...Is that why Schlatt has one of them?', Tubbo whispered under his breath, something clicking with him. He knew there was something unusual in his office – And although on the wall where it hung it was turned away and covered up Tommy's name, he knew it looked familiar to him.

'Yeah. Dream gave one to Schlatt and one to Skeppy and Bad. It's supposed to keep the conflict going once everything is done... If not for those discs being spread out like that I'd have ditched this city by now... There's barely a point to sticking around any more...'.  
'We could get them back, you know.', Tubbo spoke up, turning his head. 'I know where Schlatt keeps the disc. I know when he goes to bed. I know where he leaves the key to his office. It'd just need one evening and I'd have it – And... Bad is a nice guy. If we catch him around when Skeppy isn't with him and give him a long talk about how much they mean to you...'.

Tommy's eyes widened, for just a moment. He looked at his friend.

'And then what?', he whispered, looking down. 'We get the discs... And then what?'.  
'...We could run.', Tubbo muttered, grabbing onto his arm. 'We could leave this city.'.  
'You want to run away?', Tommy asked with a slight laugh. Clearly, he was considering it.  
'We could take Fungi. Ride into the woods and never look back. Find some sort of new home?'.

For a split second they considered. They thought about it, for a long while. It seemed the perfect solution – Just the two of them, a horse, and their three discs. It seemed like the best solution to everything. When the whole city was falling apart them, the best thing to do was to run away and let everyone else handle it, right? They were just kids. They didn't deserve to sit here and clean up the messes of adults who couldn't get their shit together. But it also didn't seem fair – To just abandon something they cared about as much as they did.

Maybe, in another life, they did something else.

Maybe, in another life, they took a leap of faith.

Maybe, in another life, they decided they were done and had to find something better.

But this was not the life where that would take place.

'No. No, we can't turn away from this.', Tommy spoke up. 'This is for L'Manberg.'.  
'You're right, but... What do we do, then?', Tubbo asked, pushing the thought away.

'You have to come with me.', Tommy practically begged, grabbing his friend's shoulder. 'I can't handle those two by myself. If I have you with me in Pogtopia we could-'.  
'I'm sorry Tommy.', Tubbo responded in a whisper, shaking his head. 'I can't leave. I need to stay here, I have... I have things to work on.'. He avoided talking about the festival – Schlatt was very pressing about keeping any information about it away from the general public. And even though he was technically a spy... He felt at peace knowing he kept at least one of the man's secrets safe.  
'What? What the fuck does that mean?', Tommy looked at his friend – At his clean suit, his horns, and everything about him that reminded him of that man who took their whole country away from them. 'Don't tell me-'.

'Tommy, you shouldn't be here anyway. You need to leave.', Tubbo quickly changed topics, knowing his friend was about to give him an earful about the same things Niki wouldn't stop talking on and on about these days. Just because he was obedient did not mean he supported the President – He just did whatever kept him safe. '  
'But I have no one else left, Tubbo! They've all turned on me!', Tommy shouted back, making the older boy's heart practically snap in two. He barely heard his friend this desperate – Clearly, he was at his limit as far as Pogtopia went. But during the festival – That's when they could meet without dangers, that's when they could figure something out, maybe even convince Schlatt to let him come back, maybe fix everything, maybe-

'What's happened to you? Are you on Schlatt's side now?', he heard, and although he knew the question would come, it still stung. Why did no one understand that there was a middle ground? A way to hear from both sides and create your own opinion? Did everything have to be so black and white, was there truly no way for everyone to get what they wanted-  
'Of course not! He's a monster!', Tubbo snapped, knowing if he didn't keep up appearances his friend would question him and only get more worried – Tommy didn't need that on top of everything else he was already dealing with. And... Schlatt wasn't perfect, of course. He was more than flawed. But he didn't need constant scrutiny – He just needed help.

'You've cut contact with us! What's been happening to you?'.  
'I can't be a spy for you guys forever!'.  
'But... At least... You can't make me go back to them!'.  
'If Schlatt catches us talking he's gonna figure out I'm with you guys. You have to go.'.

There was a long pause between the two. A pause filled with frustration – Anger that had been building up in them for weeks now, the want to just scream and tear everything around them apart. What did they do to deserve something like this? Having to pick enemies over friends for their own safety? It wasn't fair. Not on them, not on everyone around them, and certainly not on this country. But there wasn't much they could do – So, despite their fears, worries, and anger, Tubbo was forced to sigh, shake his head and speak up;

'Listen, Tommy. There's something you need to understand about him. He's good, he's just...', the boy paused, searching for the right word. '...Conflicted, you know? He's... He's got so much to deal with. You don't understand how much he's been through. It doesn't excuse anything he did, I know, but it just... Explains it. He doesn't deserve abuse from all of us to add on top of what he's already dealing with – He just needs to be understood and helped.'.  
'Now that you say that...', Tommy whispered. 'I guess it's the same for Wilbur, isn't it? And Techno... Whatever those two have been through... It.... Changed them. If only they'd fucking tell me...'.

'I could tell you.', Tubbo suddenly perked up, noticing his friend's confusion with everything. He deserved to know what was going on – It was unfair to keep him in the dark. 'Schlatt told me everything. I could tell you. But you have to promise you won't tell anyone – I gained his trust... I don't want to lose it all now. Not when there's a chance at fixing everything.'.  
'Well, you're already offering me a lot more than my lovely brothers... Let's hear it.', Tommy moved closer, some of his usual optimism clearly returning to him. Tubbo was happy to see him like this again – Regaining his strength and usual attitude. Maybe this story would finally bring him back to himself for good – Or at least, give him some more information to work with.

'Alright. But bear with me. This story is rather long...'.

\---

Schlatt was not a man that trusted people easily.

Who would blame him? Between Wilbur and his family, Ted and the rest of his group, and everyone else in SMPLive who stood aside as he was thrown off a cliff he didn't feel like placing his trust in anyone was ever fully worth it. So he stayed away – He stayed away from “friends”, “allies”, “family”, and kept to himself. But then he met Quackity, Tubbo, and Fundy – And although mere pawns at first, slowly but surely, he found himself falling into those same feelings of trust. Between Quackity's worries for him, Tubbo's endless kindness and Fundy's optimism, he started believing that maybe there was still a chance for having someone that cared.

He thought about that a lot as he walked down the Prime Path in search of Tubbo. He knew that the boy wandered off here, or at least, Fundy told him so. He wasn't sure what he could be doing, but he definitely deserved a break, so Schlatt didn't mind. He still needed to talk to him – There were a lot of things to figure out before the festival could even as much as be announced to the public. That didn't matter, though. He knew he could rely on his right hand man to handle everything.

'Tommy, you shouldn't be here anyway. You need to leave.'.

The man stopped dead in his tracks. Was he hearing right? Schlatt tried to not let it get to him. He slowly turned the corner, finding Tubbo standing by that bench he was obsessed with. Together with him he saw that kid – That blonde angry kid with an irritating accent who had become Phil's, Techno's and Wilbur's replacement for him in this world. He watched them from afar – Keeping a distance where he could hear them, but stayed unseen. And he listened in.

He listened in very, very carefully.

'But I have no one else left, Tubbo! They've all turned on me!'.

And he heard every word.

'What's happened to you? Are you on Schlatt's side now?'.  
'Of course not! He's a monster!'.

And every word was like a knife through the back.

'You've cut contact with us! What's been happening to you?'.  
'I can't be a spy for you guys forever!'.

And every word only made the truth more clear.

'But... At least... You can't make me go back to them!'.  
'If Schlatt catches us talking he's gonna figure out I'm with you guys. You have to go.'.

And hearing a few more of those agonizing words, he backed away.

'Listen, Tommy. There's something you need to understand about him. He's good, he's just...'.

But Schlatt didn't hear another word. He wasn't listening any more. He put his priority on something else – Something he knew he had to do. He told Fundy himself that you had to live your life in a way where there was no place for regrets – He intended to stick to that creed. Quackity, Tubbo, Fundy... He knew he was just falling for the same traps Wilbur set for him all over again. He shouldn't have had trusted them for a single second – But that was fine. A momentary lapse in his judgement, something he could still easily fix. Trust was a thing that had to come from both people – It wasn't something that Tubbo had given him.

So why was he obliged to do anything for Tubbo?

He had to show them. He had to show everyone in this country that he hadn't fallen under their spell. He wasn't an idiot – He knew from day one trusting any of these people was a mistake, and he would show them all just how serious he was about running this country the way he intended to. Wilbur Soot would learn the worse of him – Get a taste of it before it came for him when the time was right. For now, it was the person that broke his trust that had to suffer.

'Quackity? I need you to change the invite list.'.

The other was clearly startled by his use of his title, rather than his name.

'Schlatt? Why? What's wrong?', the Vice-President looked up from his work, clearly noticing his friend's unusual, erratic state. For a moment, the man didn't speak.  
'I don't want Wilbur and Tommy in my country. Ever.', Schlatt finally said after a short pause. Minx was standing aside – Silent, as she rarely was, wondering what the man's plan was.

'W-what? What's with the sudden change? What about Tubbo-'.  
'That doesn't matter any more. Get them off the list.'.  
'...And... What about Techoblade?'.  
'Oh, we're inviting him. I want him to come.'.

Schlatt smirked to himself, remembering some rather bloody memories from SMPLive.

'...Technoblade is very welcome at the Manberg Festival.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im happy to announce the next chapter will FINALLY have villbur!  
> from here the story will strictly follow the actual storyline and ill try not to side-track too much with my own (apart from minx, since her whole existence is one big side-track considering she's not there in canon)
> 
> very excited for the upcoming chapters!!!


	126. The Announcement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt announces the Manberg Festival, and things quickly change for the worse.

'Where were you?'.

Not the best thing to hear from your older brother as you sneaked back into Pogtopia.

'I was just-'.

And his angry glare? Definitely not something you wanted to welcome you home.

'Where the fuck were you?'.

But that was what Tommy was faced with – So he had to talk.

'...I was... In... L'Manberg.', the boy admitted, seeing an instant reaction from the other. His eyes narrowed, filled with pure age, and he moved forward. Seeing this alone Tommy flinched and backed up, as if expecting the worst. All he got was an aggressive exclamation;  
'What?!', Wilbur shouted out. 'What the hell do you mean you were in L'Manberg? What were you even doing there? Do you want us to end up in that fucking prison again?'.  
'N-no, I promise, I stayed safe! There's barely anything happening in there anyway, I mean-', Tommy tried to justify himself, the risk he took making itself clear to him. But what else was he to do with how things were in Pogtopia? He needed to get away. He needed to talk to his friend.

'Barely happening?', Wilbut repeated, the spite in his voice so unlike him Tommy didn't even think he was listening to his brother any more. 'You sneak into the one place where we are constantly in danger and you don't even know what's happening?'.  
'Something's happening?', the boy asked, backing up once more. No matter what, he did not want to get close to Wilbur – Not in the state that he was in in that very moment.

'Schlatt is having a decree in a couple minutes.', Wilbur explained, making Tommy's eyes grow wide. It had only been about ten, maybe twenty minutes since he saw Tubbo – And his friend didn't say a word about any speeches planned. Did he hide it? Or was it a surprise to him too?  
'What does that... Mean?', the boy whispered, standing back. He hadn't seen any preparations taking place in L'Manberg when he went there – So what was going on?  
'I don't know what it means, Tommy. But I don't want you there.', the man spoke with a cold tone of voice, sending a chill down his younger brother's spine. 'You're proving yourself to be too much of a loose canon. I can't have you risking our safety any more.'.

'But you need me! I'm part of Pogtopia-'.  
'Look-'.  
'-I'm one of you guys! I'm you're brother-'.  
'There's a reason-'.  
'Wilbur-!'.

'There is a reason why you are not the President and never will be!'.

Tommy stepped back – Not out of fear this time, but rather, out of shock. He didn't say a single word, but it was clear how Wilbur's statement had affected him. His eyes slowly filled with something similar to what Wilbur himself had – Rage. Pure rage and spite, combined with betrayal, fear and melancholy. He stammered for some time, hoping that some words would come out, something that showed just how much he hated whoever his brother had become – But nothing came. He turned, growled in frustration and ran into Pogtopia, startling Techno, who had awoken and was now silently working on something in his supply room. The warrior himself peeked out of the cave, walked outside, and upon seeing the state both of his brothers were in, realized he had to step in in some way. So, although still dizzy from his potions, he spoke;

'Do you want him to hate you?', Techno asked, looking Wilbur in the eyes. He knew that look – That same look of uncertainty and hatred for himself that he wore as he confessed to what he had done to Schlatt in their walk from SMPLive to SMPEarth.  
'I'm just saying what has to be said.', the man claimed, looking into cave. 'He's careless. He does things on impulse – I know he's still young and it's not his fault but in the situation we're in he's gonna have to grow up and he's gonna have to grow up fast.'.  
'...We were forced to grow up fast. Me, you and Schlatt.', Techno suddenly cut in, making the younger flinch. 'And how did we turn out? Smart, hardened? No, Wilbur. We turned out broken. You want the same for him? You want him to be the next you?'.

Wilbur looked down, feeling his breathing calm. All of the things he said suddenly made themselves clear into him – And he already felt light-headed. What was happening to him? Why was he saying all these things? Where did all this aggression come from?

And was it about to make him do something he'd regret?

'Let Tommy come with you and listen to whatever Schlatt has to say.'.  
'And will you come, too?'.  
'I can't. Not in the state I'm in. I need to work on a new potion.'.  
'...Right... Right. I'll bring him. But we better go.'.

Wilbur turned towards Manberg, feeling the wind pick up around him.

'...I have a bad feeling about this speech.'.

\---

'Alright. Uh... So! Our Festival! That's what I'm here to announce!'.

Over the course of Pogtopia's slow development, Wilbur and Tommy had found many spots from which they could safely listen in on Schlatt's many speeches. With how loud the microphone he used was, it was more a case of getting close enough to see everything rather than hearing it clearly – That was rarely a problem. On top of one of the Two Towers – Once used for scouting the woods, but now only abandoned reminders of the past, it was up here that no one would check and the two could freely sit on the ledge and watch everything happening below without having to worry about hiding themselves. Things were already getting loud as they arrived – They barely made it on time.

'Because, uh... We're gonna throw a party! We're gonna have a good time!'.

Schlatt was standing on the Podium alongside Tubbo and Quackity, as was the case during most of his addresses, meanwhile a mix of all Manbergians and a large group of citizens from the DreamSMP watched from below. Wilbur could see a lot of people – His son, Niki, King Eret and even Dream – All waiting to see what the President could possibly be announcing this time around. And while usually a very collected man, during this specific speech, he seemed... Unusually Erratic.

'It's gonna be a celebration... of... democracy – The very democracy that put me in power.'.

Wilbur could see Tommy was angry at him – He had not said a word to him as they walked, but he did notice the short exchange of words he had with Techno before they departed. What could the two have possibly discussed? Did the warrior give him some of his usual lessons about forgiveness and virtue and god knows what else? Or did he tell him to do something more like himself – Something unpredictable, dangerous and causing more problems than necessary?

The bow Tommy decided to bring along definitely made him believe in the latter.

'That evicted the- And I don't say this lightly- The dictator! The dictator that was here before me!', Schlatt shouted on, clearly quite passionate about his speech. Wilbur couldn't overlook the bottle of whiskey he was grasping in his hand... When had he gotten so open about his destructive habits? Wilbur knew this man liked to put on a show for people – The show of a calm and collected President who'd let nothing break him.

And yet, here he was – Broken, and doing nothing to hide it. What had changed?

'The democracy that let Manberg live up to its fullest potential.', the President continued speaking, his eyes travelling around the audience. And for a split second, Wilbur could swear Schlatt looked right at him – Saying something rather worrying as he did.  
'And I reckon we get everybody down – Except for those two that will not be named...', Wilbur's former friend, his so called “partner in crime”, made his words extremely clear – No matter what, he did not want the former rulers back in this nation.

'...And we enjoy Manberg's independence.'.

Tommy shifted suddenly. He moved his hand, slowly grasping onto that bow he brought along with him – What was he expecting to do with it? He wasn't sure. Techno had told him to forgive Wilbur and try to understand the things he was going through... The boy could barely take his words seriously, now knowing the things his two brothers tried to hide from him. SMPLive, everything that happened there, everything that his two brothers did and yet refused to admit it to him. Those were the types of things rushing through his mind as he removed a single arrow from his bag.

'And you know what? I want to drive home the idea that this celebration will be about Manberg.'.

Tommy loaded the arrow, moved back the string of the bow, and aimed. He knew how to shoot accurately – It was one of the first things Technoblade had taught him – If he fired now, the arrow would pierce President's Schlatt skull and leave him bleeding out on the ground. Dead in seconds. Every single thing that man ever did falling down, shrivelling and dying with him. It was as simple as that – One shot. And yet, Wilbur wouldn't have it. He'd never let Tommy do what had to be done.

'A celebration of democracy. Of law. And of the new era of peace.'.

Wilbur grabbed onto his brother's weapon, moved it down, and shook his head.

'That has been brought forth by my administration.'.

And Tommy, although blinded by rage and a need for revenge, didn't lift it again.

'One last round of applause for Manberg! This party's is gonna be great!'.

And Schlatt stepped down from his Podium, accompanied by applause and still as alive as ever.

\---

Their walk back was silent, at first. Tommy only spoke half way to Pogtopia.

'Wilbur, I could have taken my shot.', Tommy whispered, his grasp on his bow still so tight his knuckles begun turning white from the pressure. His older brother looked back at him.  
'Killing Schlatt wouldn't do anything. Killing Schlatt would not fix a single thing. Then Quackity would just become President, and who knows if that would be worse. It means nothing.'.

'Tommy I've got a question for you.', Wilbur started, something slowly beginning to click in his mind. 'Because this Festival, this is a good idea. This doesn't seem like a bad like- This doesn't seem evil, you know? It seems like a nice friendly thing Schlatt's doing.'. The man stopped for a moment, looked back at the younger, and lowered his voice as he asked;

'Tommy, are we the bad guys?'.

Tommy did not respond. So naturally, he had to ask again.'.

'Tommy am I a villain in this story?', he whispered, feeling the wind around him grow stronger.  
'No.', Tommy instantly responded, shaking his head. As much of a pain in the ass as the older could be from time to time, he knew he wasn't nearly as evil as Schlatt had become in power.  
'Why not?', his brother turned to him, as if daring him to give him a reason.  
'Cause we started L'Manberg. And we should have won that vote.', the boy claimed, having to walk faster to keep up with Wilbur's sudden faster pace. The man glanced back;  
'But the people decided we shouldn't have.', he stated, leaving Tommy silent, just for a moment.

They entered Pogtopia, Techno nowhere to be found. He was most likely in his potato field.

'Okay, me and you, we both agree we're right. We're in the right here.', Wilbur asked the younger, but it was more of a statement rather than a question. He felt something building up in him – Something he had been keeping at bay for a long while, but was now ready to embrace fully.  
'Well yeah I'm always in the right, so...', Tommy responded in a rather relaxed tone of voice, trying to, as always, bring something more light-hearted to the situation. Upon seeing his brother's face be covered by a twisted, almost maniacal grin, he regretted his attitude instantly.

Wilbur knew it was there – Deep inside of him, building up for years. He was a Source – From the day he was born, from the day he entered the Nether, he was marked as a create of chaos, pain, suffering and nothing else. He was meant to destroy – Anything he created, anything he made, anything he thought he deserved to have would fall apart and escape him eventually. But why weep and worry over something he couldn't control it – Why not embrace it? Why not embrace the pain, why not embrace the chaos, why not allow that twisted energy to overtake him and turn him into the harbinger of destruction he had been chosen to be?

Wilbur Soot would embrace everything he was meant to be from day one.

'Then let's be the bad guys.'.

'Let's blow that mother fucker to smithereens. Let's blow the whole thing up!', Wilbur exclaimed with so much relief it felt impossible – As if he was finally saying what he always wanted to say.  
'Wilbur are you thinking-', Tommy tried to cut in, his voice quivering.  
'Tommy I say if we can't have Manberg- Then no one! No one can have Manberg!', the man stopped, for just a moment. '...L'Manberg.', he quickly corrected himself, but it was more of an afterthought than anything. Tommy could see it – He didn't care about his nation any more.

'I think this is a new era! We burn the place to the fucking ground!'.  
'No!'.  
'I want it all gone!'.  
'Wilbur-'.

'We blow the entire fucking place to kingdom come! I want no survivors! God help whoever's caught in the fucking crossfire!', the madman carried on under his breath, interrupted by giggles of excitement in-between his words. Tommy felt weak – Where was Techno? Where was Tubbo? He couldn't do this alone. Not again. He didn't want to be alone.  
'Wilbur it's not too far gone, alright? There's a reason that I gave up my discs, okay? We can restore it! We can build it back! You're being reckless Wilbur!', the younger tried to convince his brother, feeling tears build up in his eyes. He lost him. He lost the Wilbur he admired, the Wilbur that made L'Manberg... All that was left was a pathetic shell of a good man filled with rage and agony.

'I know why you're doing this Tommy', the man snapped, getting closer. The boy grew still and silent. 'I know. I see it in your eyes. I can hear it in your voice. TommyInnit, you're scared. TommyInnit, you're scared people are gonna think differently of you. Tommy when I said you're never gonna be President you gotta understand that wasn't- That wasn't a challenge.'.

Wilbur pulled his little brother into a forceful hug – Tight, cold, and uncomfortable, filled with more aggression than anything. And still, Tommy couldn't force himself away. He pressed his face into his brother's clothes and felt tears rolling down his cheeks once more as he listened, feeling the former President run his hand through his hair as he spoke;

'That's true. You're never gonna be President Tommy. And I can hear it in your voice. You're trying to sound like you know what you're doing so you can prove me wrong – Tommy, none of us know what we're doing. We're fucked. We were fucked the moment we were thrown out.'.  
'Cause Schlatt knows. He's a smart man. He knows that if we fight him, even if we beat him, we've lost. Tommy, there's no in-between. He knows we've lost. But you know what? When a man has nothing to lose, do you know what that means?'.  
'We can do what we want. We can do what Dream did to us. We can rig this festival with TNT. We can kill them all. Tommy- Tommy, have you not noticed? Everyone's who's claiming to be on our side? Tubbo? He's lying to you, man! He would drop us at the second he realizes we're not-'.

No. He wouldn't let him talk about Tubbo like that. Tubbo was the only one that cared about him – The only one who bothered telling him what happened in SMPLive, the only one who truly wanted what was best for him. Enraged by his brother's words, Tommy pushed himself away, felt his hand clench up into a fist, and swung it at Wilbur. The man stumbled back, startled by the attack.

Tommy didn't feel a single bit of regret as he punched his brother in the face. Because the Wilbur Soot in front of him was no longer his brother - His brother was gone. And the man in front of him, despite now sitting on the ground with blood at the corner of his mouth, begun laughing. Laughing maniacally, practically choking as he tried to gather himself, looking up at Tommy with madness in his eyes.

And Tommy looked back, knowing he was alone. Completely alone.

There was no one left in Pogtopia who cared about him or their nation any more.

He was alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THERE HE IS!!! THERES MY FAVOURITE VILLAIN BOY!!!
> 
> hes here and hes here to stay!!!  
> now we're getting to some good plot!!!  
> lets fuckin goooooo
> 
> most of this chapter is transcripts of the "am i the villain?" video from wilbur, but i skimmed it down for the sake of it sounding nicer on paper  
> hope you enjoyed!
> 
> ALSO 45K HITS!!!! WEEE!!!!


	127. The Explosives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur continues spiraling and gets help from Dream. Tommy and Techno talk about their brother. Antfrost sees something unusual.

_Drip, drip, drip._

Wilbur watched as the blood dripping down from the corner of his mouth made a small puddle on the stone-cold floor below him, unbothered. If anything, he was impressed with how strong Tommy had gotten – Able to pack such a punch fuelled purely by nothing but his rage and hatred for him. It was the sort of strength that should have been harnessed, used for something. But there was still time – The Festival, as far as Wilbur had managed to gather from some information Dream had been passing on, was only a few days away... Enough to prepare everything. He slowly got to his feet, finding Tommy and Techno whispering between each other in the corner of the ravine.

They didn't matter right now. He had someone else to speak with. With no regard for what they may have thought of him, or had been discussing, the man pushed past his brothers and rushed up the half-assed staircase the three put together in the first days of Pogtopia. He could hear Tommy calling for him – Was he not too angry to speak to him? He had underestimated that kid – So messy and disorganized all the time, and yet able to put aside his personal feelings to prioritize talking him down and saving L'Manberg and its people.

But that was what Tommy couldn't see. There was no L'Manberg. Not any more.

'Wilbur, you're being reckless!', he heard his brother call out as he stopped him at the surface, grabbing his sleeve. He was forcefully turned around, looking the younger in his eyes. He could see that fear – That very fear that kept him barred from the Presidency, that very fear that kept him from making L'Manberg what it was meant to be, and that very fear that got them here, with their country long gone and having had faded away together with whatever last remnants of hope they had with them before the Festival was announced. The man, although he knew it wouldn't change his mind, was forced to listen to the younger;

'You're not being the man who came in as President. This isn't the right thing to do. This isn't the moral thing to do. What's the point in doing anything if you've lost all hope? You've gotta stay with it man. You've gotta pull yourself together.'.  
'I...', Wilbur started, being interrupted by a sudden chuckle. He couldn't help it – This newfound purpose had filled him with euphoria he had not felt in years. Finally, he felt like he knew what to do. He finally felt like he could see something at the end of this tunnel. 'I-'.

'If you think that rigging it with TNT – Not lighting it, but rigging it, with TNT will give us the upper hand- Look at me.', Tommy suddenly cut himself off, forcing the man to focus his eyes on him fully - That madness in his eyes sent a chill down his spine. Still, he gulped, and carried on. 'If you believe this... Then I will follow you.'.  
'Look, rigging L'Manberg is not gonna help us get it back. I'm aware of that.', Wilbur explained to the other. Why couldn't he see it? Why couldn't he see it the absolute genius of this idea? Was it not simply brilliant? 'But sometimes in order to feel comfortable and safe you have to be ready to give up the things you're worried you might lose.'.

'Wilbur... No. I'm not gonna stop you but I'm not gonna go through with this. You're being insane!'.

He'd never see it. He was blinded by something that died with that accursed Election.

Wilbur walked on. Tommy called on him about a thousand more times, but he didn't care. He knew there was only one man who would support him in something like this – One man who shared his very ideas. One man who knew chaos, destruction, panic, suffering and an absolute catastrophe was the only way to end this war. As long as that “country” stood, as long as it existed, they would never be at peace. L'Manberg died the moment Schlatt stood on the Podium on Election Night – What remained now was nothing more than remnants of the past. A burned flag, rubble that once made up the great walls, poppies growing over the battlefields that kept its people tied to the memory with false hope. But their country would never be what it once was.

As he walked through the woods, Wilbur heard the bushes around him shift and felt the cold edge of a diamond blade press against his throat. He shut his eyes, feeling a smile coming to him. A smile of relief, a smile of finally feeling at peace, and a smile of finally believing in what he was going to do. His voice, for the first time ever, felt relaxed as he spoke;

'Hello, Dream.'.

The masked man lowered his weapon.

'Hello.', he responded, clearly hesitant. He could see something in Wilbur's eyes had changed – And it wasn't the type of change that came overnight. It was the type of change that came from a man that had been letting his true feelings bottle up in him and finally let them crash down on him.  
'Have you heard that Schlatt is having a Festival?', Wilbur asked, his casual tone of voice quite unlike him around this time. He had been so stressed and panicked for most of his exile – And now, suddenly, he was completely fine once more. Did something happen?  
'...I have. Quite the show it's going to be.', Dream responded, humouring the man to try and get a feel for what had changed in him to bring about this newfound confidence and relaxation. He backed up slightly – Something about the way Wilbur was looking at him made him shudder.

'And that Festival, you know... It got me thinking. It got me thinking, Dream. How much do you think that me and Tommy are... Kind of the bad guys?', the man asked, tilting his head slightly.  
'I don't think you guys are the bad guys...', Dream quickly responded, although his tone of voice made it quite clear he was lying. Why was it so cold here? Was it just him?  
'We fought against people. We were ready to kill to get leadership of this country. We didn't really do much of our leadership. And now we were voted out and are trying to fight our way back in.'.

'I think that sometimes a ruler is unfit.', the man claimed. He had never been fully supportive of Schlatt – But Wilbur wasn't a perfect President, either. The truth of the matter was, to Dream at least, as long as L'Manberg existed, Dream would not be comfortable.  
'No I get you. I understand.', the man came closer with a wide smile. 'Dream you have vested interests though. I think you would enjoy there to be conflict between Manberg and Pogtopia and you know what? I'm here to facilitate that. I'm here to facilitate that!'.  
'I don't-', Dream spoke, startled. Wilbur read him like an open book – Dream's intentions had always been to get rid of L'Manberg for good. But was it that obvious? And if Wilbur knew... Then why didn't he say anything? 'I think that Jschlatt's a little more ambitious than you, I'd say.'.

By the time Tommy caught up with his brother, he was out of breath, stumbling into the clearing in the woods with nothing but that bow he had aimed at Schlatt no less than hour at most ago with him. It was all he could grab as he tried to chase after Wilbur to make sure he didn't do anything he'd regret – And it was all he had to defend himself from monsters as night drew nearer and nearer.

'Dream, let me be your vassal!', Wilbur shouted out, stepping forward. His fellow leader could see the desperation in his eyes – This was a broken man who would let nothing get in his way any more. And even though, in a way, it was worrying... It was also tempting. 'Dream, I understand you have a lot of TNT. A lot of the old Trinitrotoluene in your possession, don't you?'.

'I do-'.  
'You do!'.  
'-I have a bit.'.

'I want to set this up. I want to rig the whole country.', Wilbur carried on, so lost in his thoughts he didn't even notice that Tommy had joined the two as they talked.  
'...Where do you want it delivered?', Dream whispered quietly, slowly getting convinced to the idea. The perfect way to get rid of L'Manberg once and for all...  
'No! No, Dream. Dream don't give it to him!', Tommy stepped in, finally snapping. He emerged from the woods for good, stepping in-between the two men trying to talk.  
'I have to.', Dream responded, turning back. Tommy couldn't see a thing under his mask – No way to know how he truly felt about this whole situation.

'Dream I appreciate that. Cause the thing is Tommy, what you're not understanding is... Dream doesn't want us to win. Dream wants both Pogtopia and Manberg to be weak. That's it! And Dream! Dream, I'm not scolding you on this, you're smart. You're a smart guy. Nothing can get past you, right? So I'm here to help you! I'm here to weaken both of us so much!'.

Wilbur grabbed onto Dream's arms, his tight grip making him flinch.

'Manberg and Pogtopia... Will be... Nothing'.

'Wilbur, you can't do this-', Tommy was practically giving up, his voice cracking as he begged.  
'Tommy, you were never in charge. You were never in charge of the situation.'.  
'Wilbur, this isn't right.', he tried once more, although he knew it was practically futile.  
'I don't care what's right or not any more.'.

Wilbur turned back to Tommy, getting closer. He grabbed onto his shoulders, the younger feeling that usual cold grip of his wrap around him. He wasn't sure what to do – This man was broken, twisted, nothing more than the shattered remainer of what he once was. A great leader, a good father and a caring brother... It had all turned to a madman lusting for blood and destruction and nothing else. The man stared right through his little brother, dawning a twisted grin.

'It's okay Tommy. Everything is going to be okay.'.

He pulled him closer, into a tight hug that hurt more than comforting him.

'Once L'Manberg is gone no one will ever hurt us again.'.

And unsure what else to do, all Tommy could do was sob into his shirt.

\---

Tommy didn't sleep that night. Not for a second – Everything that had happened left him so shaken he could barely sit still, not to mention lay down and sleep. Wilbur had no such problem – He was practically out cold the moment he made it back to his sleeping spot, dreaming of god knows what with a pleased smile on his face all night long. The following morning he disappeared somewhere, and with what his plans were, the boy didn't even want to know what he was up to. To try and distract himself – And convince himself last night's events were only a moment of desperation from his brother, a slip in sanity that he would recover from eventually – the boy instead decided to track down the oldest of his brothers, searching for him out in the fields by which they lived. And at a large distance away, Techno was preparing something unusual.

'...Hey. What are you up to?', he asked as he approached, yawning and rubbing his eyes. The warrior was standing over a large table with gunpowder and stacks of paper all over it. In front of him was a small, tube-like object with red and white stripes on the side of it. Techno had his crown laid out by his side, together with his cape, meanwhile his hair was lazily sitting on his shoulders.  
'Morning. Did you sleep at all? You look exhausted.', Techno turned back, instantly getting worried. He could also hear something build up in the back of his head – He had taken two potions that morning, and even those didn't feel like enough any more. Tommy grabbed onto his arm, avoided the other's gaze for a moment and then sighed.

'...I couldn't. Not with how Wil was acting last night.'. Techno tensed up for a moment. Even to him Wilbur's behaviour felt... Extreme. He had never seen him act that erratic before.  
'I'm sure he won't do anything, Tommy.', the older reassured him, although he was hesitant with his words. 'Last night was stressful. He just... Snapped. But he'll be fine.'.  
'...It was terrifying.', the boy spoke on, feeling memories of the day previous rush back to him. 'The way he... Laughed, and smiled, and... It's like he's not there any more. Like it's someone else.'.  
'That's still our brother, Tommy.', Techno reminded the younger, although he himself had noticed the same things. 'He's just... Lost. But he'll be fine. He just need some time to cool off.'.

'Right... I hope you're right. What are you working on, anyway?'.

Tommy knew there wasn't much he could do in that very moment – Between Dream's support of Wilbur, their plans, and his sudden absence, it felt more dangerous than helpful to follow those two right now. So instead, he brought his focus back to what Techno was working on. On a wooden table in front of him he had laid out many different ingredients and parts, most notably gunpowder and... Paper? It was an unusual combination, sure, but that was what he was working with. He slowly weighed out some more gunpowder, put it in a small pile of some other things and lit a nearby match with his free hand. He let the flame touch the mixture, and then-

_Bang._

With a small flash, the powder exploded, leaving behind dark dust. The smell of gunpowder rose around them, forcing the warrior to put the bowl down with a cough. He quickly waved his hand over it to try and get rid of the smell, turning to his brother.

'Fireworks.', Techno finally responded, looking back. 'I'm making fireworks.'.

'What for?', Tommy asked, watching carefully as his brother grabbed onto the larger creation at the centre of the table, putting some more of the ingredients that he'd been gathering inside. The whole time he was far too focused to speak – He only responded once he was done;  
'...Defence, mainly. Loaded on a crossbow they're quick, bright and damaging. Perfect for distracting an enemy. But I wouldn't use them directly, ever. A blast like this could scar someone forever. Leave them with burns. Maybe blind them, or make them go deaf.'.

'It's a cruel fate to bestow upon someone.'.

'Damn. I'll stay away then.', Tommy backed up, as if already feeling the pain that the firework could cause, even when it was unlit. It was strange for Techno to be putting something like this together considering his recent state – But maybe it wasn't even him moving his own hands as he combined all the material together into the deadly weapon.  
'Step back. This one is gonna be a bit more messy.', Techno warned his brother, placing one of the bowls of materials on the floor. He moved a few steps back, with Tommy joining him, and threw forward another match. This time, the mixture made a lot more noise and sound, creating small flashes everywhere around them.

For a moment, they just watched. The flashes and bangs fizzled out slowly, quietening down as the two brothers observed it. Then there was silence – But they soon panicked as they realized that one of the loose sparks had managed to get to the firework on the table. With a quick whistle and before either of the two could stop it, the firework shot up into the sky soon being followed by a booming explosion and a flash of colours in the sky. Tommy and Techno did not speak – They simply listened to the sound echo through the forest, into the distant land, and right into Manberg and the DreamSMP... Alerting virtually everyone nearby to their location.

More importantly, alerting President Schlatt to their location.

'Tommy?'.  
'Yeah?'.  
'I think... We have to prepare. For a fight.'.  
'Yeah. Yeah I think you're right.'.

\---

It was a peaceful morning – Until he heard that bang, and spotted the flash of colour in the distance.

'...Guys?', he called back into the house, hearing one of two of his housemates respond;  
'Yeah, Ant? What's up?', came a rather cheery, relaxed voice.  
'...Remember that bounty President Schlatt put out for the rebels?'.  
'Yeah? What about it?', came the other voice, a more energetic one.

Antfrost felt his ears perk up for a moment – A smile briefly came to him as he grabbed his axe;

'I think it's about time we get in the President's good graces.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YES IM PUTTING THE BATTLE OF THE LAKE INTO THIS  
> GET READY
> 
> techno: *accidentally lights the fake firework*  
> tommy: NOW ALL OF MANBERG KNOWS WE'RE HERE!!!


	128. The Blade (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A firework in the woods combined with a bounty brings out the most desperate of warriors. BadBoyHalo, Skeppy and Antfrost all look for the rebels, Sapnap employs Punz for help, and Niki heads out, hoping to protect her friend.

Antfrost, BadBoyHalo and Skeppy never considered themselves ones for conflict.

Ant of course only arrived at the city after the election – Most of what he heard about the local politics were stories from his two friends, which gave him a pretty biased view of things. Biased in the sense that Bad would insist there was no bad on either side – Meanwhile Skeppy would villainize both with an outlook for opportunity rather than an outlook for... People. And Antfrost, because of all of this, was left in the middle. Believing that there was no bad or good in Manberg, just two sides of a war, and it was a war that the three were not involved in, and therefore it did not matter. Unless... There was opportunity. And in came the bounty.

Sometime after the Technoblade vs Dream duel, President Schlatt snapped completely, putting out a bounty for the rebels to encourage the average citizens of Manberg and the DreamSMP alike to help him in tracking them down. And Skeppy, of course, being a man who looked for opportunity for him and his friends to get ahead in life in everything he did, was interested instantly. Before Ant and Bad even knew what was happening, they were scouting the woods practically every day, in search for where the rebel base could possibly be. So naturally, when a firework went off in the woods out of nowhere, Antfrost found himself interested.

'So you're saying the firework was from the rebels?', Skeppy tried to ensure he was hearing right, grabbing onto a weapon he had hanging on a wall in the entrance hall of their home. While he readied it and prepared for a fight, Ant emerged from another room, already dressed in armour.  
'There's no one else that could be hiding out in those woods.', the Cat Hybrid quickly responded, a crossbow in-hand. 'And now that they've made themselves known like that, people are gonna be after that bounty in no time. We need to secure if for ourselves.'.  
'We were all at the duel!', Bad suddenly cut in, the only one yet to get ready. He was the most hesitant about the idea. 'Do you guys think we can take on Technoblade? Even three on one he would be difficult, not to mention he has Tommy and Wilbur with him!'.

'Well we're gonna have to.', Skeppy cut in, an axe already sitting on his shoulder and diamond armour on most of his body. 'I'm not letting anyone else get this reward.'.  
'Exactly!', Antfrost himself spoke up, checking his crossbow and ensuring it worked correctly. 'If it gets too heated we can always retreat. And it's not like they have good gear out in the woods!'.  
'Yeah! So don't worry, Bad! Now let's go get us some bacon!'.  
'We're gonna be rich once we do this!'.

'Oh jeez... Why am I even friends with you guys?'.

And the reluctant man, although resisting at first, was pulled along.

\---

'Punz!'.  
'Jesus Christ! Can you be any more obnoxious?'.  
'Rebels. I know where they are. Come on!'.  
'What? Right now? What about-'.  
'You get half the bounty! Come on, let's go!'.

Punz, following the election, had finally found himself a career he was comfortable with – Mercenary work. Between all the spying, fighting, arguing, and everything else that had to happen there was a market for a swordsman that wouldn't go to a side he believed in and instead take the side that was oh so kind as to pay him enough money. It was a little selfish, sure – But that was life, wasn't it? Selfishness, at its core, was just another way of saying “looking out for yourself”. And was just wanting to take care of yourself such a bad thing? Punz did not think so, which was why he ended up in the profession that he did.

Sapnap, on the other hand, just followed orders. With how Dream had been acting he eventually found himself gravitating more towards Karl, and Karl was set on getting an independent section of Manberg he could rule over. This meant he had to get close to the President – And eventually, it lead to him becoming somewhat of a personal swordsman. Unpaid, underappreciated, but as long as he was doing Karl a service, he carried on. And it was hard to hide the fact he enjoyed the rush of being sent out with an order that said nothing else but “search, find and destroy”. But he couldn't do these sorts of things alone – Which was why he often employed Punz for help with things.

And here they were – Gearing up for their most ambitious task yet.

'Potions, armour, weapons. Do you think this is enough?', Punz turned back, overlooking a small pile of items he had gathered in the short time he had. Sapnap was standing in the doorway of his home, leaning on the door frame, clearly unimpressed.  
'Can you hurry up? I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who saw that firework.', the man practically growled from where he stood, an axe resting on his shoulder and a dagger strapped to his calf. He was almost always armed for combat – ready for and seemingly expecting a fight wherever he went.  
'I'm a professional. A professional needs time to prepare for their craft.', Punz explained rather arrogantly, but his tone of voice made it clear he was hardly being serious.  
'You picked this up a month ago at best and before then you only swung your sword at half-dead things out in the woods – So stop bullshitting and come along.'.

And although rather insulted, Punz still got his gear and followed along with a laugh. It was no secret he was rather excited about this – It had been far too long since he had a proper fight. Things had gotten so political since the new President took charge... It was dull, repetitive, tiring... Something like this only came around once in a while.

Punz and Sapnap disappeared into the woods, nothing but a bounty to split on their mind.

\---

Everyone in Manberg and the DreamSMP would be heading to the firework to get themselves an easy claim on that bounty put out for the rebels – But not Niki. Because Niki knew that her friends, above all, would need support. So she grabbed whatever weapons and armour Eret had around the castle, threw a bag of medical supplies over her shoulder, and ran in pursuit of the mysterious sound in the woods. After all, it was Techno's, Tommy's and Wilbur's lives at stake – No matter how dangerous it was, she knew she couldn't just sit aside and watch this happen.

She knew where Pogtopia was, naturally – Which also meant she knew the firework was set off in the fields a large distance away from it. This didn't mean her friends were safe by any means – Someone had to lead the hunters looking for the rebels away, and if it had to be her, so be it. By the time she got to the clearing where she knew the sound originated... She was alone.

Everyone was getting ready for a fight – She knew as much. Or rather, she hoped so. She got ready in a rush for a reason. She had to make sure she was the first one here, and ensure that if anyone were to show up, she could lead them away. In the field there was nothing more than an abandoned table with gunpowder and paper scattered over it – The whole area smelled of a disgusting mix of smoke and dust. Whatever happened here must have happened quite recently. Niki made her way to the centre of the field, sat down on her knees and laid her sword out in front of her, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, relaxing her shoulders and listening into the sounds of the forest.

The moment someone dared to show their face here trying to hurt her friend, she'd be ready. She may have been out of contact with him for a while – But that didn't matter. He was still her friend, and she would do anything she could to protect him. It was only fair, was it not? One day, things would finally return to normal, and when the two of them were reunited, this single deed would ensure that their friendship remained true.

Or so, she hoped. But she didn't have much time to think. She could hear someone approaching.

It was time.

\---

'And if he has a bow?'.  
'Then I'll use the shield.'.  
'And if he has a crossbow?'.  
'Then I'll... Dodge.'.  
'And if he-'.  
'Bad, you're seriously getting on my nerves here.'.

Their walk was by no means silent – Which was probably a bad thing, seeing who they were approaching, but they weren't the type to do things carefully and with consideration. Antfrost was up front, leading the other two to where he had seen the firework go off. Bad and Skeppy, on the other hand, were left in the back bickering about pretty much every aspect of this whole mission. How it was all most likely a trap, how Technoblade was smarter than this, how this and that... If he were to be honest, he was getting a headache just listening to it.

Their peaceful talk wouldn't carry on for long, of course – They had reached the clearing, and right in the middle of it, they could see a figure with long, flowing hair sitting alone. Skeppy instantly raised his bow but Ant grabbed onto it and forced it back down – The bounty stated that the rebels were wanted alive, and the last thing they wanted to do was go against President Schlatt's direct orders. Instead, they watched the figure carefully...

Until the figure themselves was attacked.

\---

The arrow fired, the long-haired stranger dodging last second.

'Wow! Good shot there! Now we're definitely not completely screwed!', Sapnap shouted out, Punz standing next to him with his bow raised and aimed. He turned back with a grimace.  
'Not much we can do now. Come on, we can't let those rebels get away!', the mercenary shouted out and pulled his fire-loving friend along, forcing him into the clearing.

In the rush of everything Punz wasn't really paying attention as to who he was attacking – He simply swung his sword at the person sitting alone in the grass, being instantly stopped by an equally quick block from their own weapon. A quick exchange of strikes later and the two were facing each other on equal ground, finally meeting eyes and- Hold on a minute.

'Niki?'.  
'Punz?'.

And in her moment of confusion, the woman was tackled from the side and fell to the ground. Punz expected to find Sapanp now in a vicious fist-fight with her, but was shocked to see that the man was still backing him up with a crossbow from a distance. The man fighting the woman personally now was someone else – More specifically, Skeppy, who was trying his best to overpower her and knock her weapon out of her hands. The moment he realized who she was, however, he momentarily let go off her, giving her the few seconds she needed to kick his stomach and force him away. He was helped up by Bad and Ant, who caught up with him just in time to help him to his feet.

Punz and Sapnap backed away, the trio of bounty hunters gathered themselves, and Niki jumped to her feet, readying her sword and rearranging her grip on it.

'Skeppy? Bad?', the woman exclaimed, looking at the two.  
'Niki? What are you doing out here?', Bad asked after ensuring his friend was unharmed.  
'What am _I_ doing out here? What are _you_ doing out here?', she asked in defence.  
'What are _they_ doing out here?', Ant suddenly spoke up, pointing to Sapnap and Punz.  
'What is _she_ doing out here?', the pyromaniac quickly asked, pointing to Niki.

'Alright, alright! Everyone, stop! We're just gonna keep going in circles!', Punz finally stepped in, putting his sword back into its sheath on his back. He crossed his arms. 'I'm guessing we're all here for that bounty, right? No other reason to be wandering out in the fields.'.  
'Obviously.', Skeppy cut in, already prepared to remove his weapon and move forward with it. 'And we don't wanna lose it, so with all due respect, we'll be going and-'.  
'Hold on a second! I don't want you five getting this bounty, either!', Niki shouted out, lifting her hands. She knew she had to keep up appearances – If Sapnap found out she was out here to protect Pogtopia, he would bring it to Schlatt instantly... And that'd be the end of her. For now, she had to play along, hoping to send them on a wild goose chase in a direction she knew the ravine was not even close to. She just needed time... And their trust.

'You came out here expecting to beat Technoblade yourself?', Punz asked with a laugh.  
'Why yes.', the woman responded, keeping her voice steady and confident. 'And what, you wouldn't be able to do it?', she added with a smug smirk, forcing the man into stunned silence.  
'He fought six people off at the prison with no problems!', Antfrost suddenly cut in.  
'And if you knew as much about The Blade as I do, you'd know why he managed such a feat.', Niki quickly claimed, trying her best to add an undertone of arrogance to her voice. She had to convince them she knew better. She had to convince them to follow her. It was her only chance at helping whatever friends she had left in Pogtopia – Although she was doubtful of how many there were.

'...I don't know about you guys.', Bad spoke up, clearly having had waited for the more aggressive arguing to die down. 'But teaming together is our best bet at handling Technoblade, Tommy _and_ Wilbur if they are to defend themselves. He's been training them for months, right?'.  
'I guess... That sounds a lot smarter, doesn't it?', Sapnap agreed with a nod. Instantly, he was grabbed by the shoulder by the mercenary he had brought along.  
'And split the bounty? Are you kidding? How much is that for each of us, then?', Punz snapped, fiddling with the golden necklace hanging from his neck.  
'You either agree to split the bounty and take what you can get, or you go solo and die. Which sounds more appealing?', Antfrost concluded rather harshly, forcing the swordsman into silence. He rolled his eyes with something that seemed the combination of a sigh and a groan and nodded.

'Fine. We will split the bounty. Now... Where the hell did those rebels go, exactly?'.

Niki let out a sigh of relief the moment all her newly found companions turned away and begun inspecting the area. Someone found remains of the firework that had been set off, someone else started going through the table of items at the centre of the field, and another person begun surveying the nearby woods. She relaxed, slightly. If they continued at this pace, they'd never find them. Pogtopia was a long walk away from here, and if her friends remained hidden, she had nothing to be worried about-

Unless, of course, Tommy just so happened to walk right into the field.

The boy stumbled out of the woods, seemingly unaware of what was happening right at the centre of it, carrying a large stack of supplies with him. Upon spotting the strangers, all now turning their attention to him like starved wolves noticing their prey, he quickly dropped everything he had and reached for his sword in a panicked movement. The six were soon standing in front of him, a total of two crossbows, three swords and an axe pointed right at Tommy, who gave up and surrendered almost instantly as soon as he realized how outnumbered he was. He was forcefully pulled by the collar of his shirt into the centre of the field by Sapnap, leaving him sitting on his knees with no way to get free. As Niki watched from a small distance, she could feel her stomach turn.

Now how was she going to get him out of this one?

\---

'You ready?'.  
'...There's six of them.'.  
'Five. Niki won't fight you.'.  
'That's still a lot.'.

'Aw, you chicken?'.  
'I'm being rational.'.  
'It's either this or they beat the shit out of your little brother.'.  
'...Right... Let's go, then.'.

'Never thought I'd be fighting side by side with you, Technoblade.'.  
'War forces us into funny situation, Dream. It was inevitable.'.

And the two warriors attacked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS BDAM NOW HAS AN OFFICIAL TUMBLR PAGE THIS IS NOT A DRILL  
> IM GONNA BE ANNOUNCING UPDATES HERE, POSTING PREVIEWS, MEMES AND JOKES AND ALSO HAVE AN ASK BOX AND LOTS OF COOL SHIT  
> PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE IF YOU ENJOY THIS FIC GIVE IT A FOLLOW AND DROP ME SOME ASKS OR FANART OR WHATEVER!!! IT'D BE REALLY COOL!!!! :DDDD  
> I LOVE INTERACTING WITH MY READERS AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND JUST AAAAA ID BE SO HAPPY IF I GOT SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS FIC!!!
> 
> https://mcytbdamofficial.tumblr.com/  
> https://mcytbdamofficial.tumblr.com/  
> https://mcytbdamofficial.tumblr.com/
> 
> notes on this chapter;
> 
> 1\. hey look! something more light-hearted! i thought it was about time you guys get a break from the angst... hope this suffices!  
> 2\. i'm merging everything that lead up to the battle of the lake together - which is why niki is there with everyone. im also changing around a few things to make it more exciting. i hope you guys like that!  
> 3\. why tommy walked into the field like that and how techno and dream ended up teaming will be explained in the next chapter so dont worry about that too much rn!!!


	129. The Blade (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Techno and Tommy prepare for a fight. Wilbur gets what he needs. Dream shows off some new weapons.

Tommy had a very one-track mind – Which was sometimes a problem. Such as, in that moment.

In that single moment he rushed into Pogtopia and saw his brother talking with Dream.

Suddenly, the stray firework that had given away their exact location was no longer an issue – But the deal happening right in front of him was. Because Dream was shaking hands with Wilbur, meanwhile a large cart filled with piles upon piles of TNT sat behind them. Tommy couldn't even imagine how much there must have been in such a large container, and how much more Dream was willing to spare. Techno could see the sheer rage and panic that overtook his little brother, his eyes widening and his whole body practically trembling as he got ready to snap.

'Dream? What are you doing here?', he shouted out, watching as the two men turned to face him. The one being addressed had his mask on and couldn't be read – The other, of course, had a twisted grin painted across his face. Dream turned with a shrug.  
'Delivering what I promised. Enough TNT to blow up an entire nation – Impressive arsenal, is it not? I was gonna use it on you, but letting you use it on yourself is good enough-', the man talked on, each word he said only filling Tommy with more anger.  
'Why are you giving him all that? Why are you helping him do this? Are you insane?', he begun shouting, completely ignoring Techno as he tried to bring his attention back to the fight the two were about to endure. He was far too focused on what was happening in front of him.

'Wilbur asked for help. I swore to help you guys, did I not?', Dream shifted his mask up, revealing his rather... Neutral, almost, expression. He was neither enjoying this nor was he disheartened with it – To him, it appeared to simply be the necessary thing to do.  
'Can't you see he's not stable? You're enabling him! You're feeding into his delusion, are you-'.  
'Shh. Tommy. It's okay.', Wilbur suddenly spoke up, his voice soft and gentle, as he grew closer to the boy. He could feel himself flinch as his brother grabbed his arm. 'Dream is going to help us do what is necessary. We're going to destroy the shackles keeping us chained to the past. Isn't that the perfect way to end it all? The perfect way to complete it?'.

'Isn't it nice when everything just ends... With a bow on top?'.

Wilbur slowly wandered over to the pile of TNT, picking up one of the explosives. He had no care when handling it – As if he didn't have a reason to worry about setting it off accidentally. He turned it in his hand a few times, tracing the edges of the cables surrounding the small sticks of dynamite wrapped up together like some sort of twisted Christmas present. It was ironic, was it not? Something that brought so much destruction looking so innocent, so organized, so beautiful, even. Maybe he was the only one seeing it. But he could show Tommy. He could make him understand-

Wilbur turned back, finding his little brother aiming his bow at him.

'...Hand me that TNT.'.

For a moment, he just giggled. It was adorable, wasn't it? His baby brother trying to get in the way of progress like some naïve hero. But that was okay – Everyone was blind. And everyone would see one day. Everyone would see the sheer genius of his plan, they just needed time. Or, something flashy. Something as flashy as what this event would be once the bombs went off. Wilbur held onto the explosive and watched his brother look back at him unmoved – He knew he wouldn't dare hurt him. And of course, he still had another advantage over him, did he not? Another ally who could see – Who wasn't blinded by the lies of a land that only existed in the dreams of fools.

'Tommy, I'm afraid I'll have to step in.'.

Dream now stood in front of Wilbur, his shield keeping him free of any harm.

'...W-what?', the boy whispered, looking up at the warrior. He backed up slightly, soon feeling Techno's tight grip grasp onto his shoulder. He knew what he was trying to tell him – They had other things to be worrying about than his psychopath of a brother.  
'Thank you, Dream. You truly know what's best for everyone in the DreamSMP.', Wilbur quickly patted the man on the back, grabbed onto one of the carts filled with TNT, and begun pushing it. He looked back at his two brothers with a forced smile.

'I better be going. I've got all of these explosives to rig up.'.

The man turned towards his country, seemingly with a lack of worry for the gravity of his words;

'Manberg won't destroy itself, after all.'.

Tommy and Techno watched their brother stroll away in stunned silence. Completely relaxed, without a worry in the world – His own words, intentions, and mental state seemingly not a problem in his eyes. Dream turned away soon after, but was stopped by the oldest of the brothers grabbing his arm and pulling him back. The masked man turned, crossed his arms, and waited, clearly curious as to what possibly the two were planning to say to him. Tommy himself appeared shocked – But in the back of his mind he knew they needed this man's help more than anything.

'...Dream.', Techno started, his voice grave. 'Through an accident we have alerted Manberg to our location – People are going to come to the fields in the North-East and if we don't fight them off they'll eventually figure out where Pogtopia is. We need help with pushing them back.'.  
'Techno, wait!', Tommy cut in, grabbing his brother's cape and pulling him back forcefully. 'Why should we get help from him? He's hardly on our side!'.  
'I don't have a side, Tommy.', Dream mused. 'I go to whichever sides benefits me most. I support Wilbur because... And I don't know if you remember this...', he came closer, pressing his finger into the boy's chest. 'It's your little country that caused my city to spiral out of control. So if supporting that complete nutcase and his dreams of destruction is the way to get rid of it... So be it.'.

'...If Pogtopia gets found out Wilbur will never be able to even light the explosives.', Techno reminded the other from the side. 'So if you truly want Manberg to go up in flames... Then you have to help us fend off the attackers. Me and Tommy can't handle this alone. You're our last hope.'.  
'...Your last hope?', Dream repeated with a smirk, clearly enjoying the feeling of being in charge of this situation. 'It's ironic, isn't it? With everything happening, I end up being the last thing between you and being found out. I could easily end you right here and right now by just saying no...'.  
'But you won't.', Tommy cut in. 'Because you know you need us, as twisted as your intentions are. So stop being a dramatic bitch and give us the help we need. It's not like we have time to stand around – We need to think of some sort of plan.'.

Dream, for just a few seconds, was silent. Then, he nodded.

'...Right. Let's get to work, then. I actually have an idea... If you're willing to hear me out.'.

Before Tommy and Techno could even as much as ask questions, the masked man removed his backpack and opened it. He then rummaged through it, eventually pulling out a small, leather bag soaked with some sort of black liquid, dripping from the bottom of it. He opened it and looked inside, recoiling as he noticed whatever it was on the inside. He closed the bag once more by pulling at the small, brown piece of string wrapped around the top of it and looked up at his two companions, both watching him with puzzled curiosity.

'Technoblade, you've been out in these woods for years.', he stated, playing around with the bag in his hand. Tommy had no clue as to what it could be, but from the liquid at the bottom of the bag alone Techno seemed to have gotten some sort of clue. He didn't say anything – But it was clear he wanted to ask questions. 'I'm sure you've seen your fair share of monsters. Now tell me this...'.

'...Have you ever faced an Enderman?'.

'Can't say I was dumb enough to fight one, but I've seen them.', Techno spoke, meanwhile Tommy listened in as if he were a kid again, hearing some fairytale and waiting to hear every detail. 'Tall, almost human but too disfigured to be considered that. Pitch black. They have those purple eyes...'.  
'And god have mercy on a man who looks into an Enderman's eyes.', Dream spoke, opening the small bag once more. 'And do you know why an Enderman is so overprotective of its eyes?'.  
'Is this really what we should be-', Tommy tried to speak, but Techno swiftly lifted up his hand, signalling him to stay silent. He went completely quiet, listening in.

'Their power is stored in those very eyes. Their energy, which they harvest from both the End and the Nether as they mature from birth and eventually have enough power to travel into the Overworld. They feel discomfort when someone looks into their eyes because they feel as though their very life essence is being looked into – That's why to kill an Enderman, you have to strike from other angles. By the legs, stab in the back... Something like that.'.  
'What's in that bag, Dream?', Techno finally asked, clearly getting fed up with the man dancing around the topic as he did. He titled his head with a smile, reaching into the small bag.  
'...Endermen teleport using their eyes. They look somewhere, focus their energy, and zip.', Dream slowly removed his hand from the bag, a strange, blue orb covered in thick, black liquid in his hand. 'They disappear. A puff of purple smoke is all that stays behind... They're some of the most magical creatures we have in the Overworld. So only natural I'd try to harvest such an energy.'.

'Dream, is that bag filled with...?', Tommy started, feeling slightly sick.  
'Gouged them out myself.', the man proudly responded, lifting the small orb. 'Ender Pearls.'.  
'Jesus, that's-', Tommy tried to say, covering his mouth and looking away.  
'-Fascinating...', Techno suddenly stepped forward, grabbing the bag from the other.

'Wanna know the best part?', Dream suddenly spoke up, turning.

He threw the Ender Pearl up in his hand, aimed it, and chucked it at a nearby patch of grass. The moment he did, he suddenly seemingly disappeared from existence, a cloud of purple smoke left behind. Tommy and Techno turned to where he had thrown the Ender Pearl – And now found him standing where it had hit the ground, leaning on a tree.

'There's enough energy left in each Ender Pearl for a single teleport. Pretty cool, right?'.

The two brothers stared at Dream in complete shock.

'So. You guys wanna give these a try?', he asked, taking his bag back from Techno and removing another Ender Pearl from it. 'These get a bit getting used to. You might be dizzy after your first few tries, but... Should be good once you get used to it.'.  
'We could surprise them! They won't even see what's coming for them!', Tommy suggested, shouting out. Although enthusiastic, he was clearly still quite disgusted by the Pearls themselves – The pitch black blood they were drenched in and their origin made him keep his distance.  
'Right... But for a surprise like that to be effective you'd need to have your enemies distracted.', Techno started, looking towards the direction of the field. 'Have everyone looking at one thing all at the same time. And we don't even know how many will come.'.

'The best distraction would be someone... They'd go into full alert, thinking they're the only one...'.  
'Someone who'd they'd expect to be dumb enough to show up in that field...'.  
'Without any defence with them so they'd get overly confident and drop their guard...'.  
'Someone who'd also be irritating enough to provoke them completely and get their full attention...'.

Techno's and Dream's eyes wandered to the side, where Tommy was aimlessly kicking the grass.

'Why... Why are you two looking at me like that?

Dream and Techno looked between each other and nodded. Instantly, the boy reacted;

'Oh fuck-'.

\---

Tommy felt himself being dragged forward, forced to his knees at the centre of the valley.

He tried to look up, but before he even could, was kicked from the side and forced to the floor. He felt the soles of someone's shoe pressing into his arm, the sheer strength of it making it quite clear he was not getting out of this without a nasty bruise. He knew it was Sapnap holding him down like this – Everyone else present was standing in front of him, looking down at him. He tried to move, but the diamond blade now hovering right over the edge of his eye made him go completely still. He glanced around – Antfrost, Skeppy, BadBoyHalo, Punz and Niki. The last one he expected the least – Had she finally decided to abandon Pogtopia for good? He wouldn't blame her, with how things had been going those past few days.

'Get the fuck off me, you crazy bitch!', Tommy shouted out, making one last attempt at shaking his attacker off. All he got in response was another rather violent kick – The only ones there who appeared sorry for him were Bad and Niki... Not very surprising.  
'The President might want you alive but I can do things far worse than kill you. So stay still and cooperate!', Sapnap shouted at him from above.  
'Yeah? Yeah, what are you gonna do, bitch boy? What are you gonna-'. Tommy cut himself off with a horrified gasp as the sword was moved even closer to his eye, slowly getting ready to cut into it.  
'Don't you dare!', Niki screamed out, clearly unable to hold back any longer. She readied her own weapon, aiming it at the man. 'I don't care how desperate you are for information. You have no right to hurt him. He's unarmed for god's sake!'.

And Sapnap, although hesitant, backed down. He clearly didn't wish to cross the woman.

The man stepped aside, leaving the teenager holding onto his arm in pain on the floor. Niki helped Tommy up once more, checking him for any injuries. She then walked behind his back and grabbed both of his hands, clearly being as gentle as possible. She wrapped a rope around his wrists and left it slightly loose. As she worked, she whispered quietly into his ear;

'Don't worry. I'm on your side.'.

Finally, she stood up and joined the group facing the teenager once more.

'There. He can't do anything and you don't have to hurt him for no reason. Win-win.', the woman concluded, looking down at the boy. There was a look of pity in her eyes – Leave it to Niki to always sympathize with everyone around her the most.  
'Well he's not gonna stay without a scratch for long. Unless he talks.', Sapnap turned to the boy again, his sword touching the tip of his chin. 'Where's Pogtopia? Point us in the right direction and we might not hurt you.'. The man leaned in closer for a moment. 'Might.'.

Tommy, of course, only responded by spitting in the other's face.

'Fuck you, you maniac.', he hissed under his breath as he watched Sapnap roll down his sleeve and wipe the spit away from his face. He nodded slightly, letting out a rather irritated laugh.  
'You've got balls. You're practically asking for me to cut you open.', the man spoke through gritted teeth, clearly barely holding back from hurting the boy.  
'Come on, Sapnap. We don't have to get violent. Just... Let's take him back and turn him in for the bounty. Isn't that enough?', Bad cut in, clearly unable to watch the whole thing happen.  
'Don't worry, Bad.', Tommy reassured him, tilting his head with a smile. 'He won't hurt me.'.

'...And what makes you so sure?'.  
'Because I have something. I have something that you'll never, ever have.'.  
'Oh do you now? And what's that?'.

Tommy looked up at Sapnap with a confident smirk.

'I have The Blade.'.

And Sapnap turned back, finding two warriors standing behind him in a cloud of purple smoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my dumbass introducing endermen into this MINECRAFT fic like.... 130 chapters in lmao  
> another mostly light-hearted chapter, although it won't last for long now he he  
> it's fight time :)
> 
> MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW THE TUMBLR ACCOUNT ITS VERY EPIC I PROMISE


	130. The Blade (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle begins. Dream and Sapnap are forced to face each other and their broken friendship. Techno is overwhelmed by something he doesn't understand. Tommy has a plan, but Punz and Antfrost seem to soon catch on.

If Dream's calculations were correct, he had to do about three things in three seconds.

One, Techno. He was dazed. This was the first time he'd used an Ender Pearl, and for three seconds, he'd find himself completely unable to move. He had to keep him protected. Two, every opponent in his direct reach. From where they stood, Punz and Antfrost were the closest. Three, the remaining three. Bad, Skeppy and Sapnap would move forward the moment he took care of the back row of attackers, and he'd be forced to face them. Niki would protect Tommy and stand on his side – That was one thing he didn't have to worry about.

One thing less to do in three seconds.

One second. With one hand, using the diamond guard on his forearm, he knocked away Punz's sword, and kicked Antfrost to the floor, leaving them both stunned. Niki rushed forward. Two seconds. Bad and Skeppy tried to strike, so he pushed Techno aside and ducked, leaving the two to charge at each other by accident. Tommy quickly got out of the binds around his wrists, Niki clearly having had left them loose on purpose. Three seconds. Techno had managed to gather himself sooner than Dream expected – Readying himself for the oncoming battle. And with the three seconds gone, the only person Dream was left to face was Sapnap.

They readied their weapons. Dream could clearly see everything happening around him – Niki handed Tommy the sword that had been taken from him, the two now facing Bad and Skeppy together. Antfrost and Punz both found themselves facing Technoblade at once – He didn't seem to have a problem fighting both at the same time. This left him alone to face his friend? His enemy? Lines kept getting blurred with each day that passed with L'Manberg still intact.

That's why he needed it gone. He couldn't afford it all to fall apart.

'It always ends up being you and me, huh Dream?'.  
'Always has been from the start, Sapnap.'.

And the two once-friends' swords met.

\---

To Tommy, everything was a blur the moment his brother and his companion made themselves known. He quickly moved both of his arms apart, the loosely tied ropes letting go instantly. By the time he was back to his feet, Niki was already standing by him, handing him back his sword. She gave him a brief smirk and a nod before the two turned their attention to Bad and Skeppy. They knew they had to be careful – With how much time those two spent together, they trusted each other more than anyone, and shared a lot of their fighting methods with each other. This made them fighting as a pair a great threat to anyone they were opposing.

Still, the boy was confident. The woman by his side used to train with him back when L'Manberg was still intact – What seemed to be an eternity ago. He was sure they could figure the fight out if they just focused. One of Skeppy's and Bad's infamous strategies was splitting up and combining ranged and up-close attacks with a use of a mix of weapons – Skeppy would retreat with a crossbow, meanwhile his friend used a shield and sword to make quick and careful strikes.

Tommy signalled Niki to take care of Skeppy meanwhile he took Bad on himself. Bad had armour and a shield with him – All Tommy had was a sword, an Ender Pearl Dream spared him in case of an emergency and a small dagger concealed in a sheath on his trousers. If he wanted to get out of this alive he had to prioritize dodging over attacking – Striking at his opponent here would hardly do anything. He dodged down as the man swung at him with his sword, rolling to the side and attempting to knock his shield away from him. Upon failing he backed up, getting ready for another strike. To his surprise, Bad stood still, simply staying in a defensive stance.

'I don't want to hurt you, Tommy.', Bad said, backing up slightly. 'If you just come willingly nothing will happen to you. If you just cooperate President Schlatt will-'.  
'Sorry, dude.', the boy responded, rearranging his grip on his weapon. 'There's no way I'm coming along with you without a fight. Either back down or let's stop stalling and do this.'.  
'Right... If that's how it has to be...', Bad's stance suddenly changed, somewhat reminding him of Dream. Perhaps this wasn't the best moment to remember that Bad was one of the people the warrior often invited on for his infamous Manhunts – As seemingly harmless as this man was... He was one of the most dangerous fighters there.

'Then let's fight!'.

Bad was a lot faster than Tommy expected him to be – Between his shield, his rather heavy-looking sword and armour he expected him to take his time with his movements, but got quite the opposite. He was in front of him in no time, making quick slashes at him with his weapon. It was still quite clear he didn't want to hurt him too much, but he wasn't holding back completely, either. Tommy spent most of their exchange dodging and getting away last second, avoiding strikes by sheer coincidence. He knew he needed to make some bold moves to take control of the situation again – And he got a single, quite risky idea.

For a moment, he turned his attention to Niki. She had managed to knock Skeppy's weapon away, now overwhelming him with incredibly swift and precise sword strikes. He knew what he had to do if he wanted to completely leave Bad unable to do anything – As cruel as the move would be. Completely changing his direction, Tommy shifted his body weight from one foot onto another, taking off running towards the woman. Bad barely had the time to warn Skeppy as he ran up behind him and kicked him in the back of the leg, forcing him to the ground. With his arm he knocked his weapon away, moved his sword to the man's chin and left him completely unable to move.

'Back off! Bad, back off right now!', Tommy shouted out, moving his sword even closer to Skeppy's throat. The man practically froze, not fighting any more but still muttering something under his breath. He lifted his hands up slowly to signify he was surrendering.  
'Okay, okay! I'm not doing anything! Don't hurt him!', Bad quickly backed away, lowering his weapon far faster than anyone would expect him to. 'Please, don't hurt him!'.  
'Calm down Bad, this kid won't do any-', before Skeppy could even as much as speak, he felt Tommy roughly tugging at his hoodie, making him grow silent.

'Make one move and he's dead, understood?', Tommy spoke on, his eyes focused on Bad. He had to stay calm. He knew two things for sure – He didn't have it in him to take a life, but if Bad realized that, he would make a move and try to save Skeppy above all. That left him at an impasse – He had to convince himself, and everyone around him, that he'd do something so desperate. This left him focused completely on everything directly in front of him.

And far too focused to notice what was happening around him.

He wasn't sure what happened. Firstly, there was Dream. After a long fight him and Sapnap seemed to stumble back, the former falling down on the grass next to him, wiping blood away from his nose, meanwhile the latter was left gathering himself a large distance away. Next, there was NIki – One second, she was standing by his side, and the next, she was pulled to the side with an axe pressed to her throat and a bow aimed at her head. They put her in a situation quite similar to the one Skeppy was in – Completely at the mercy of her attackers. Tommy soon found that it was Punz and Antfrost holding the woman hostage, and that meant...

Techno was defeated. He staggered to Tommy's side wounded and exhausted.

Tommy had no clue what happened around him as he faced Bad and eventually got a hold on Skeppy – But whatever it was, it left the whole group in a strange situation. On one side, Punz and Antfrost were now holding Niki hostage, with Bad and Sapnap standing by their side after gathering themselves from their losses. Tommy still had his sword pressed to Skeppy's throat, keeping him immobile. Dream and Techno soon joined him, still and silent.

For a moment, there was nothing. No words, no fighting.

Tommy couldn't help but wonder how they had found themselves in this situation.

\---

Dream against Sapnap, Tommy and Niki against Skeppy and Bad... And of course it was Technoblade that was forced into fighting two people at once.

Normally, he would not have found a fight like that challenging. Antfrost and Punz were formidable enemies, sure – With Antfrost being one of Dream's infamous Manhunt hunters, and Punz being a sell-sword by profession, they knew what they were doing as far as fighting went. But that did not mean they could face him, considering his training. He had both of them coming at him from two different directions, which forced him into a difficult position. He quickly dodged aside, focusing on Punz first and foremost – Kicking him in the back, he pushed him to the ground, just in time to block an oncoming strike from Antfrost.

And it was here that things got confusing.

He took three potions that morning. He didn't expect to be getting in such an intense fight, which left his mind unclear and messy. And yet... Even with all of that liquid coursing through his veins... He could hear them. He could hear those familiar words in the back of his head, those repetitive chants giving him one single order – _Kill, kill, kill._

It was wrong. It was twisted. But in a situation like this, he could hardly resist.

It was familiar at first. The movements, the attacks. The small whispers telling him where to go and what to do. But something was wrong with them – They were unusual. Sometimes it were as if each order was two – Maybe three, maybe four, all at once. He felt a headache coming on by the time he managed to push his attackers away for about the third time now, and could barely keep up by his fourth or fifth strike. Something was wrong with them. They weren't just louder – They weren't just messy and disorganized. They weren't distracting, overwhelming, or lusting for blood.

They were disagreeing. The voices were disagreeing.

_Left left no right no left no duck no dodge_

Antfrost struck at his arm, ripping his clothes and cutting open his arm.

_Kill them harm them disarm them kill them spill their blood blood blood for the_

Punz kicked his leg, forcing him to the ground.

_Protect Tommy KILL them protect Niki PROTECT STOP fighting KEEP FIGHTING stop KILL_

He grabbed onto his head, his attackers using the opportunity to disarm him.

_KILL STOP FIGHT BLOOD STOP PROTECT FIGHT BLOOD_

They knocked him to the ground, pushing him down as he tried to stand.

_BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD BRING THEM PAIN_

They kicked him, over and over again.

_BLOOD ? WHY ? WHY HURT THEM ?_

And again.

_PROTECT THEM PROTECT THEM YOU HAVE TO_

And again.

_KILL THEM ALL SPILL THEIR BLOOD_

And again.

_Get up. Keep fighting. We're getting bored._

By the time Techno found his sword and used it support himself and stand again, he could see the fighting ground had changed. Sapnap and Dream finished their fight with a draw, Punz and Antfrost had moved away from him and got a hold on Niki, meanwhile Tommy had his sword pressed up to Skeppy's throat leaving him completely immobile. He staggered his way over to his brother, hoping to god he wouldn't ask as to what made it so he was so easily defeated. Because the single most terrifying part of that disastrous fight was this;

Something had shifted. Something had changed. Something was wrong.

And for once in his life, Techno was at a complete loss as to what it was.

\---

'I'm surprised you're still as good as you used to be. We haven't trained in weeks.'.  
'Months, even. However long that hellhole of a cabinet has been in charge.'.  
'That doesn't matter, though. I can still kick your ass.'.  
'We'll see about that. Stop stalling and give me your best.'.

Sapnap dodged again, moved back, had his attack blocked, and dodged once more.

'So this is it, then?', the man spoke, watching as his masked friend lifted his blade up, preparing for another attack. 'This is how this group falls apart. The politics of a Nation that isn't even our own.'.  
'It doesn't have to.', Dream reminded Sapnap as he swung his sword, instantly being blocked. It almost felt like these two couldn't lay a single blow on one another, no matter what – Perfect equals, perfect enemies. But why did it have to be so? 'The Dream Team is beyond all of this.'.  
'If that were true you wouldn't have turned on me.', Sapnap shouted out, more emotion in his voice than he probably meant to allow to slip in. 'You wouldn't have left us. You wouldn't have started mingling with the rebels, with Manberg-'.

'L'Manberg! It's L'Manberg! They fought for that name, at least... God, who am I kidding?', Dream scoffed, chuckling to himself. 'It's not like someone like you could ever understand!'.  
'Right. I never mattered in this trio, I know.', Sapnap nodded along. 'Because I like conflict, right? I'm the problematic one, aren't I? I like wars, I like fighting, I like wrecking everything...'.

'But what about George, Dream? Do you wanna keep doing this to him?'.

For a moment, Dream was stunned – And this moment of shock was enough for Sapnap to be able to make a move forward, swinging his fist and managing to punch his former friend right in the nose. The man retaliated by kicking his attacker in the stomach with the last of his strength, finally stumbling back and grabbing onto his wound. He tried to get up and return to the fight – But stopped himself as he realized what was happening around him. Niki and Skeppy were both being held at sword point on opposite sides of the conflict.

And now, it all came down to whoever could argue their case best.

It always seemed to come down to that in this city, didn't it?

\---

_'And this house we're gonna call... The Community House.'._   
_'Oh, shut up. I'm gonna barf. That is so cliché.'._   
_'Oh come on! We all built it together! It's a good name!'._

_Three men stand together, looking at a small house at the heart of their city._

_'We haven't come up with a name for this place, you know?'._   
_'Or us, for that matter. All cool leaders need a name.'._   
_'The Dream Team. That's a cool one, right?'._   
_'Leave it to you to name everything after yourself!'._

_One of the men interrupts with a smile;_

_'No... The Dream Team. I like that.'._   
_'And leave it to George to be the agreeable one-'._   
_'Shush! Just enjoy the moment!'._

_And the three laugh – Wishing they can laugh so blissfully forever._

_But the world shifts far sooner than they expect it to._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DREAM TEAM ANGST  
> BETCHA DIDNT EXPECT THAT ONE
> 
> also the person who asked for skephalo angst;  
> next chapter :) get ready :)


	131. The Blade (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Niki's and Skeppy's lives on the line, a confrontation follows. Techno allows himself to lose control - And regrets it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: the end of this chapter got... a little bloodier than usual? just a heads up. it's not too bad, but it's more than i normally do, so watch out for that.

Everyone was still. Everyone was silent. And even though they wouldn't show it, they were scared.

Niki could barely stand up straight, her legs growing weak as she finally let go of her weapon. An axe to her throat, a bow aimed at her head... She had no way to get away as long as her two attackers were as focused on her as they were. Skeppy, on the other hand, seemed a bit more relaxed. It were almost as if he was the only one in the entire group who knew for sure Tommy wouldn't do something as erratic as killing him – Or perhaps that was just him trying to convince himself he was safe. If he were to be honest, he had no idea what that kid was capable of under pressure.

No one wanted to be the first one to speak. That much was clear. The silence seemed to stretch into forever – The wind blowing around the group as everyone stood perfectly still, ready to charge at each other at a moment's notice. One single move could bring disaster. One single move could cost someone their life. One single move could end weeks of conflict right here and now.

But no one moved. Instead, Tommy spoke;

'You don't want this, do you, Bad?', he spoke, surprised at how much control he had over his voice. He had to stay convinced – Believe in his own lies. He moved the sword even closer to his captive, now practically grazing Skeppy's neck with the sharp edge. 'Tell them to let Niki go and leave. Don't come back here again and your friend won't get hurt.'.  
'Don't listen to them, Bad! You can't let them get away!', the man in front of Tommy, although unable to move, was still able to speak and put his own arguments down on the table. 'I'll be fine, okay? You can't let them get away again. This is the closest we've ever gotten to-'.  
'Be quiet!', Dream snapped, clearly noticing that the boy wasn't sure how to silence Skeppy without directly hurting him. Just by taking a step forward he made him flinch and freeze completely – Not another word escaped him.

'Please, don't hurt him! He's- He's done nothing to you!', Bad exclaimed. Despite the hood obscuring most of his face his distress was still clear – His hand trembling as he held onto his weapon, his hesitant stance and shaky voice. He was thrown into panic, unable to think straight. 'We supported you during your war, why are you doing this?'.  
'Because you're threatening our home!', Tommy shouted back. He wished his brother would back him up here – But clearly, Techno was lost in his own world. His eyes were completely focused on Niki, whispering something under his breath. It wasn't a good sign – The youngest of the group had to take care of this quickly. 'You're trying to hurt us! Kill us-'.

'You're the ones wanted! You're the ones who were tyrants! You're the ones trying to tear down everything Manberg stands for! If you just come along willingly-'.  
'We're not going anywhere until Niki is let go of and safe. And if you keep stalling...', Tommy moved his blade once more, making Bad flinch. '...Something horrible might happen.'.  
'Don't... Don't hurt my friend... Please, I'm begging you...', Bad was practically whispering, clearly losing any sort of confidence he had in the exchange. Tommy hesitated – Seeing him that desperate, that panicked left him with nothing to say. He wanted to stop all of this, but he also knew if he did Niki was as good as dead once she was taken back to Manberg.

Why was it him that had to deal with these types of situations? He was just a kid, wasn't he?

He was just a kid. So why did he have to decide if someone lived or died?

How was that fair?

'I've had enough waiting!', Dream suddenly snapped from the side. He readied his sword and got closer. 'Cut his arm open! Anything! They need to know we're serious about this!'.  
'No! No, no, no, please!', Bad was instantly screaming, making Tommy freeze. What was he supposed to do? Why was it him that had to decide?  
'Then- T-Then hand Niki over, and- And promise you won't tell Schlatt anything, and I'll...', the boy tried to speak, but his voice became weak and shaky. 'I'll let him go.'.  
'Bad.', Skeppy suddenly whispered, knowing he couldn't get too aggressive for his own good. 'Just go. Take Niki and go back to Schlatt. That's the best-'.

Suddenly, the hooded man was struck with realization.

'No... No, you won't hurt Skeppy. You won't lay a finger on him. And I know that!', he exclaimed, getting closer. Tommy felt his heart drop. Had he seen right through him? Could he see that he was too afraid to even hurt this man, not to mention kill him? Or was it-  
'Oh yeah?', he spoke up, trying to regain some of his confidence. 'And what makes you so sure?'.  
'If you even as much as lay a finger on my friend...', Bad lowered his voice for a moment, his grasp on his weapon once more growing tight. He was sure of himself again – He wasn't afraid. But what had brought this newfound strength? 'And if Skeppy leaves here with even as much as a scratch...'.

'You can bid your disc goodbye!'.

And in that single moment, Tommy swore his heart freeze, just for a second.

'Yeah, that's right!', Bad carried on, his threats unfitting for his usually gentle tone of voice. 'If Skeppy gets hurt the first thing I'll do when I get home is rip that disc off our wall and throw it in the fireplace! Okay?'. As the man practically screamed, Tommy backed away.  
'Tommy. Think this through.', Techno spoke for the first time since the whole exchange started, clearly noticing the boy's internal turmoil. He put his hand on his shoulder and leaned in closer as he carried on in a whisper; '...Is a disc worth more than Niki's life?'.  
'...No, no, but...', Tommy mumbled, looking up at the man. He was serious – He could see it from his expression. He had to do something. He had to say something. He couldn't lose them, no matter what. Those discs – They were the last thing he had left of the old Wilbur he had lost weeks ago.

His brother. His friend. His companion. And all he had left of him were those discs.

Tommy didn't speak as he moved his sword down, roughly pushing Skeppy forward. He was caught by Bad before he fell to the ground, the former helping him up and checking him for injuries – Dream muttered something about him being idiotic, Techno promptly let go of him and backed away... But still, Tommy didn't say anything. He could barely bring himself to focus on everything happening around him – All he knew for that single moment were those discs, and as long as he held Skeppy hostage, they were at risk. That was the only thing going through his mind as he watched the man be handed over, leaving his side nothing and their opponents with Niki.

'Tommy, why would you do that? Are you insane?', Techno instantly snapped, clearly now getting more concerned with Niki's safety than anything else. The woman herself appeared quite calm – Neither scared nor relaxed, more... Prepared for whatever would come now.  
'You wouldn't get it.', Tommy muttered under his breath, watching as Niki shifted slightly, trying her best to get in a position where she could defend herself if push came to shove. He could hear Dream chuckling silently under his breath – Despite the seriousness of the situation, he was still pleased his plan had brought conflict as intended... Wasn't that cruel?

'And so we come to the conclusion.', Punz raised his voice, moving forward.  
'Now you either come willingly...', Antfrost carried on, moving his axe closer to Niki's neck. 'Or we're gonna drag Niki back to President Schlatt and ensure he finds out exactly what she's been doing. And trust me...', the man paused, looking up. 'He doesn't take too kindly to traitors.'.  
'You don't want to do this.', Techno suddenly spoke up, Tommy noticing how tight his grip on his weapon was. He was about to strike – But what was his plan here? There was no way he could get Niki away, not with the position she was in. They had to at least distract these people, or-

Then he spotted it. That look in his brother's eyes, that same look he witnessed moments before his arm was torn open by a Netherite blade. He felt the wound begin hurting once more simply because of the memory resurfacing in his mind, grabbing onto his bandages to try and ease it slightly. While the five men in front of them readied their weapons and Niki was once more forced to rearrange her position, still struggling to somehow get an advantage over her attackers. Tommy backed up slightly – He felt his breath grow shaky.

What Techno had done to him was an accident. So what was he capable of when driven by spite?

'Make your choice, rebels.', Sapnap spoke up. 'Do you back down and let Niki take the fall, or fight and all die the type of useless deaths lowlifes like you deserve?'.

_You have to protect her. You can't let them hurt her._

'...I'm going to give you one last chance to back down.', Techno spoke, although his voice was too unlike himself for Tommy to accept it was his brother speaking.

_You have to hurt them. Leave them begging for your mercy._

'You're the one giving us our last chance? That's cute.', Punz mused. Dream himself slightly backed up, too. Had he seen Tommy's reaction, or was it his own common sense motivating him?

_Spill their blood. Sate the hunger._

'...Right...', Techno closed his eyes, allowing himself to fully listen into those quiet whispers in the back of his head. '...Then I have only one thing to say.'.

_Blood for the Blood God._

'I'm sorry.'.

Anyone there expected Techno to do one of two things – Try to take care of Antfrost with his axe, at which point Punz would fire and kill Niki. Stupid move. If he went for Punz, Ant on the other hand would easily be able to kill the woman himself. So where was the middle ground? What could Techno possibly do to get his friend out of this situation, and force these bounty hunters into a position of so much fear of him, his strength, and the rebellion that they wouldn't even consider telling the President of Manberg what had gone down?

Simple. Techno attacked Niki.

Perhaps he struck her a bit more strongly than he intended to, but a kick to the stomach was far less painful in the long run than a cut across her throat or an arrow in her head. The moment the woman was knocked to the ground he dodged down to avoid an oncoming arrow from Punz, one he fired in a panic the moment Technobalde even as much as made a move. The arrow soon lodged itself into Antfrost's arm, leaving him recoiling in pain and falling to the ground. Techno turned to his right, with one swift move of his leg causing Punz to fall and kicking him in the stomach with another, leaving him yelling out in pain.

But he wanted- No. No it wasn't him, it was them. They wanted more. So he delivered.

He punched Punz one or two more times, each one feeling more and more like it wasn't him attacking, but something else. Something far stronger, something far more twisted, something _Blood for the Blood God_ He found Skeppy and Bad soon trying to shake him off his victim, and it wasn't long before _Blood for the Blood God_ with his sword narrowly avoiding Bad's face, cutting open the side of his hood and leaving a large gash across his cheek, meanwhile Skeppy's _Blood for the Blood God_ Techno ignored him completely as he let out a pained yell, dropping to the floor and grabbing onto his arm in agony.

But that still wasn't enough. They kept chanting. They weren't split any more – They knew what they wanted. They all knew that they wanted and he had no choice but to deliver.

Antfrost got back up, pulling the arrow out of his arm and _Blood for the Blood God_ Techno barely gave him the time to escape, moving forward his sword _Blood for the Blood God_ He watched as the _Blood for the Blood God_ blood pouring down from his head and onto his face _Blood for the Blood God_ Where one of his ears had once been there was nothing more than _Blood for the Blood GodS_ apnap, who tried to somehow interrupt, was _Blood for the Blood God_ Techno lifting his sword above his head _Blood for the Blood God_ his throat, stopped last second by someone.

They wanted to stop him but he couldn't let them. He had to keep going.

Dream _Blood for the Blood God_ but _Blood for the Blood God Blood for the Blood God_ He pushed _Blood for the Blood God_ his brother, who looked _Blood for the Blood God Blood for the Blood God_ control himself _Blood for the Blood God_ He moved forward _Blood for the Blood God Blood for the Blood God Blood for the Blood God Blood for the Blood God Blood for the Blood God Blood for the Blood God_ his sword raised above Tommy-

Tommy?

Tommy!

Techno hesitated, and in the single second he did, his little brother punched him in the face and crawled away from him, getting to his feet in a panicked rush. He quickly raised his sword, trembling as he did, his legs shaking and his face pale. The man did not move. He shut his eyes for a moment – Silence. Silence drilling into his head and leaving him with a headache. Those voices were bothersome, but sometimes, it felt worse for there to be nothing. Techno looked at Tommy as the other kept practically gasping, trying to relax his breathing but being far too scared to. He seemed about ready to break down crying – The man shuddered. He turned around, wondering what had happened and praying to god he didn't do what he thought he did.

It was a massacre.

Sapnap was holding onto his stomach and grasping onto a nearby boulder, barely able to stand. Punz was trying to stand up, his head spinning and blood pouring out of his mouth as he tried to move. Niki was standing alongside Dream who was... Shielding her? But... Had he tried to hurt her? From Tommy's expression it seemed he did far more than just kick her to get her away from her attackers – And he had done far more to him, too. Skeppy and Bad were both gathered around Antfrost, who was holding onto his head, blood pouring out from around his right ear, pouring down over his head and onto his face. Had he... Oh god, what had he done?

He looked down at his blade, covered in blood and... Fur. Cat fur.

He felt sick.

He turned to the group. He knew he had to say something. He knew he had to do something, anything, if he didn't want all of this to be for nothing. He slowly walked past Tommy, the boy flinching as he did, and then up to Niki. He looked at her for a moment – No cuts, no bruises. He didn't hurt her. But he could have. If Dream hadn't been there...

He didn't want to think about that.

'If you don't want something like this to happen again...', Techno spoke quietly, but with the silence hanging over everyone, he was heard rather clearly. '…You will go back to Manberg and never come back here. You'll take Niki with you. And Schlatt won't hear a word about this. We don't say anything to Wilbur, either. We're going to keep this battle between ourselves. And the disc, Bad...', Techno looked at the man, who was far too busy helping his wounded friend to look back. '...I'm sure you won't destroy it. You know what will happen if you do.'.

Technoblade stopped for a moment, spotting a nearby body of water – A small lake that now had the blood of his enemies swimming around in it, swirling into various shapes. It was twisted.

'...Don't ever harm the people I care about again. This is your last warning.'.

The Emperor finally turned away, heading into the woods.

And so ended The Battle of the Lake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY SKEPHALO ANGST PERSON  
> HOPE YOU WANTED THIS  
> ENJOY YOUR "BAD WILLING TO DO ANYTHING TO SAVE SKEPPY"  
> HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
> 
> anyway uh  
> damn this was a  
> a bloody chapter huh  
> they wont get like this a lot, just uh  
> this was a very monumental moment for techno's character so i decided to go all out


	132. The Blade (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the battle, Techno and Tommy talk and figure something out. Wilbur returns to Pogtopia with an invitation.

'Techno, can we talk?'.

They were silent. His head was spinning, and a headache begun making itself known. He was always conflicted – Hearing those voices was an endless struggle, trying his best to silence them and keep his focus on what was right in front of him – But the moment he let go and gave in... Nothing. Silence. As if they were giving him a break, giving him a moment to wallow in what he had done, leave him alone to think through all the horrific acts he had committed. Whenever they were around he would wish for them to be gone – And now that they were, he could not want them back more. He rubbed his eyes and tried to not lose focus... He felt sick. He needed to sit down.

'I'm not... I'm not mad, if that's what you're wondering.'.

Dream left quickly. The moment the fight ended and they returned to Pogtopia, the man disappeared somewhere into the woods, completely split about the event. On one hand he seemed pleased with the amount of conflict his disc scheme had caused, but even he couldn't hide the fact that he was horrified by what Techno had done. Was he afraid of his skill? Was he intimidated? Was he impressed? It was hard to read him, especially with that mask that usually covered most of his face. The two brothers entered the cave leading into Pogtopia in silence – Tommy watched from the entrance as Techno prepared a potion for himself, not a word said.

'You saved us. You saved me, and Niki. And Pogtopia. And my disc... As stupid as it is.'.

Techno mixed the materials with one another without any issues, rubbing his eye rapidly to try and force out a tear. Tommy had watched him repeat this process about a million times before – Usually, he'd make a large amount of the drink ahead of time and stash it away somewhere. Recently, however, with how much he had been taking, potions would disappear more quickly than he could make them, so preparing them on the spot whenever they were required was his best bet. He looked around a few times, reaching for various boxes and bottles, and eventually slammed his hand down on the table he was working on.

'Goddammit, where is it? We're not out yet, are we?', Techno snapped, the first thing he had said since everything that happened by the lake. Tommy flinched at the sound, backing away as he watched his brother continue his frantic search for... Something.  
'Can you please just talk to me?'.  
'Where's the obsidian? Are we out of obsidian already?', Techno turned to the side, glaring at his brother. 'Did you not ask Dream for more? He was supposed to bring some every week, right? Did you make sure it was the right amount?'.  
'Yes, I did. You've already used it all up.'.

The man stepped back for a moment, picked up his pickaxe and turned.

'I need to go get more-'.  
'Techno!'.  
'When Wil gets back tell him I-'.  
'Stop! Just stop!'.

Tommy grabbed onto his brother's arm, causing him to stop.

'...Techno. Let me be honest with you right now, okay?', Tommy said and stepped back, watching as the other turned back slowly. 'I'm so fucking scared of you right now. Okay? That's the truth. I don't know what the fuck happened back there. I don't know what triggered it, if it's going to happen again, and if I'm in danger. I don't know what I'm supposed to do.'.  
'And if you keep turning away from me, ignoring me, walking away from me and leaving me to be afraid- And alone and-...', Tommy paused, trying to stop the tears already coming to his eyes. '...You'll be like Wilbur. I'll be scared of you. I'll be scared of this place. And I won't have anyone then. Not a single person I can rely on.'.

'Do you want that for your own brother, Techno? Or are you going to talk to me?'.

Techno, for just a moment, considered. He knew that his little brother had no one left in Pogtopia after Wilbur's breakdown. If he were to leave him in the dark like this he would truly be alone. And who knew what could happen then? Would he too, snap? Give up like Wilbur did? Lose all hope and spiral into despair and nothing more than a lust for destruction? No. He couldn't let that happen. So as much as it hurt to speak, he knew he was doing it for someone else – Someone he owed an explanation to. He took a deep, shuddering breath and spoke;

'…I listened.'.

'...What does that mean?'.  
'The voices. Back when I was a kid, in SMPLive, it was just one. One, continuous whisper, a string of thoughts that got harder and harder to ignore with each day. The Captain helped a bit – He made a stew that silenced it. Sometimes they split into a few when I was stressed. But I managed to keep them in order... Only listen in when I needed to fight.'.  
'...And what happened in SMPEarth?'.  
'They're an Anomaly. So the walk through the Nether made them stronger – By the time we were in SMPEarth, there was more of them. And they weren't quietly asking for things – Now they were downright demanding them. And I gave in – That was why the Antarctic Empire happened. I lost control. And I swore to never let it get that bad ever again.'.

'So what did you do?'.  
'The potions. They help.', Techno turned back to his table for a moment, looking at the unfinished mixture. 'And staying away from people. Those voices seem to be louder when other people are influencing them – Encouraging them, provoking them, angering them. And the louder they are the harder they are to ignore. They go from suggestions, to thoughts, to wants, to needs-'.  
'So that's what happened back there?', Tommy interrupted, watching as his brother nodded.  
'...Yes. For some reason...', Techno paused, feeling something tug at the back of his mind. They were coming back – As if something was clawing at the back of his brain, trying to rip its way back in. 'Seeing Niki in danger was the breaking point. I could barely resist them, like I usually do. Or listen to but keep them at a distance – Like I did at the prison, or during the fight with Dream. This made them stronger – They took full charge before I could even focus.'.

'So there's moments when you're not in control? At all?'.  
'Yes, and that's why I need obsidian. I need another potion so I don't-'.  
'Are you're definitely sure about that, Techno?'.  
'Yes. There's no way for me to know when they'll come-'.

'You're lying.'.

Techno looked back at his brother, meeting his gaze for the first time since they returned from the battle. There was something there – Rage, betrayal... He had no idea where emotions this intense could come from. He could still tell Tommy was afraid – The way he trembled, the way he grasped onto the small bandage around his arm, the way he backed away the moment the older even as much as made a move. It was a strange mix of emotions on his face, and it was hard to tell exactly what he was trying to get across. Was he trying to show he was angry? Was he trying to show he wasn't afraid? Why was this kid always so difficult to read?

'What do you mean?', Techno stepped back, trying to relax himself. An familiar echo begun floating around his mind – He needed to get away soon. 'Why would I lie about-'.  
'Techno, those potions don't do shit. Have you not realized it yet?', Tommy whispered, feeling his knees grow weak. If he had to watch his brother struggle like this, drinking those potions, getting worse and worse with each day, he'd rather tell him the truth. He deserved to know.  
'No- That's... What does that even mean?', the warrior asked, clearly hesitant to believe the younger. The boy took a deep breath, stepped back, and clenched up his fists. He had to know the truth. And if he had to reveal it now, so be it. He had already lost Wilbur – He couldn't afford losing him too.

'Back at your duel with Dream...', the boy started, playing around with his bandage. It had become a habit, of sorts – Whenever he was near Techno and felt that unusual fear rise in him, only able to get rid of it but reminding himself of that single moment the man lost control completely. '...The potions you told me to take care of... Niki caught me and Tubbo off-guard and I got scared. I dropped the bag. I picked it up, and... All the bottles were shattered. I didn't even have a chance at recovering a single one. There wasn't a single potion at that party.'.

Tommy shuddered as he noticed the change in Techno's expression. Still, he carried on;

'I sneaked away during the party and made fakes. They were nothing more than water from some river mixed with whatever food I could find to make it look and taste like your potions.', Tommy came closer, although he was hesitant to, and grabbed onto his brother's arms. He could feel him trembling – His muscles were tensed up. 'They were fakes. You drank one – And you didn't have a single problem that day. Because you thought you took a potion.'.

The man didn't even flinch. The boy could feel his heart beating faster with each word he said.

'You can control it, Techno. You managed to do it. You believed you were alright and you didn't have a single problem. You don't have to listen to them. You don't have to give them what they want. Techno, you can control this, and I know you can. You're stronger than them. You're your own person. And... You're my brother. And I believe in you.'.

'No...'.  
'Yes! Yes, you can, you just need to-'.  
'No, Tommy, this is- Do you not understand-'.  
'What I understand is you're stronger than-'.

'Tommy, if the potions do nothing, then that means everyone I've ever hurt I did by choice!', Techno suddenly snapped, pushing his brother away. 'It means that everyone – Every single person I've ever hurt I did because I chose to! Because I wanted to, because-'.  
'No, no, no, you just weren't in control! But you can be, you just-'.  
'Every one of Pete's enemies that ended up with slit throats or broken bones in SMPLive. Every Villager and Leader that got in my way in SMPEarth. And everyone I've hurt in this world! At the prison, at the lake, and who knows who else I've hurt? Do you not understand this means it was always me? With my own hands, with my own sword, with my own will-'.  
'Techno stop it!'.

Tommy yelped in main as his brother grabbed his bandaged arm, pulling it closer.

'I chose to do this!', he shouted out, pointing to the old wound. As he noticed the younger wincing in pain, he finally managed to snap out of his trance, letting go. 'If what you're saying is true then... I don't... I don't know what I'm supposed to do to stop this...'.  
'What you always do.', Tommy stepped closer, and although fearing for whatever could happen next, tried to keep his voice calm. 'Focus on who you're trying to protect, not who you're trying to hurt. Don't look for revenge or justice – Look for a cause to fight for.'.

'You think it's that simple?'.  
'With how you had no trouble at the fight with Dream? Yes. Yes it is. Especially now...', Tommy turned to the potion-brewing room. '...You keep drinking five or six of these potions a day – You've seen the way they affect you. You're tired, distracted, you can barely hold your own in a fight. And then, even with them, you still... Lose yourself. They're not the way around this.'.  
'...You don't... You don't understand-'.  
'I don't. You're right. I can't imagine the position you and Wilbur are in. You've both... Got all those parts to you. You have to deal with... Them.... And Wilbur has to deal with the Source. But that doesn't mean you can't fight through it. That doesn't mean you can't control it. That doesn't mean you can't just... Be my brother...'.

Techno looked down at his little brother, seeing the desperation in his eyes. Something in it... It was almost like looking in a reflection of a familiar face that was long gone, a familiar face that needed someone with him more than anyone else. He slowly turned to the side, giving the brewing room one last glance. Then, he took a few hesitant steps forward, entering Pogtopia. Right before he did, though, he looked back, took a deep, shuddering breath, and whispered;

'I need some rest. Can we talk again in the evening?'.

And even though Tommy wanted them to carry on, he nodded.

'Yeah. Okay. We'll talk in the evening.'.

\---

The sky was turning a bruised purple by the time Techno walked out of the cave once more. Tommy was sitting alone by the outside campfire, having had just finished eating some food he made for himself. The older spent most of the day sitting alone – At one point, the boy swore he heard him whispering to himself. Wilbur didn't get back yet... Normally, he'd be worried and go looking for him.... But he already had one brother to take care of. And it wasn't like he was as caring for Wilbur as he used to be – Why care for someone who wouldn't care back? Techno joined Tommy by the campfire in silence, stretching out his legs and warming his hands by the fire. He had changed out of his clothes and fixed up most of his wounds – He looked... Okay. And for Tommy, that was enough to relax slightly. He took a deep breath, enjoying the silence for the few seconds it lasted.

'...You know what's the strangest thing about all of this?', Techno finally spoke, his voice that usual, monotone calm tone. Clearly, he had returned to himself. 'You're the first person to ever tell me anything. Between all the people who gave me cures, distractions, and fixes, you're the first person to look me in the eyes and make me realize that maybe... Maybe there's a way to fight it. Not run from it. Face it.', the man paused, looking at the other. 'That's... Weird, right?'.  
'...I'm sure Phil meant no harm when he made whatever it was he gave you in SMPEarth.', Tommy muttered, hugging his legs. He felt strangely compelled to stand in defence of his... Father? It was still hard to accept that complete stranger as such. 'And then you tricked yourself with the first potion that sounded believable enough in this world... This whole time everyone was looking for a way to repress it all... When maybe there's a way to fight it.'.

'We still don't know.', Techno muttered, looking into the fire. 'Now everything is just gonna be... Messy. It's gonna be those first few days after I went to the Nether when I was a kid all over again. Unsure what to do, how to stop it...'.  
'But now you know. You know this isn't uncontrollable. So surely... You can figure it out, right?', Tommy asked with a shrug, looking into the nearby woods. He put his hand on his brother's shoulder, trying to reassure him. 'Take it one day at a time. There's no rush-'.

From the woods, emerged Wilbur Soot, interrupting the conversation.

'Whoa, you two look like you've been through hell!', Wilbur exclaimed the moment he showed himself, getting closer to his brothers with that irritating smile and light-hearted tone of voice. 'I guess I missed something big. A shame, huh?'.  
'...Where have you been all day?', Tommy spoke up, knowing Techno had his own problems to deal with as is. The man passed the other two, humming something under his breath.  
'I told you earlier. I rigged up the Festival.', he looked back with a grin. 'Did you know there is a huge cave right under the Presidential podium? How convenient... Oh, and I ran into Schlatt, too.'.

Wilbur giggled as he watched the other two flinch.

'Don't worry! I was at the border. We just had a chat.', Wilbur suddenly reached into his coat, pulling out an envelope. 'Techno! He told me to give you this! I suggest you take a good look at it. It's a pretty interesting offer. I'm sure you don't mind I read it on the way here, right?'.

Techno grasped onto the envelope, looking down at it as his brother walked away. Tommy stayed by his side as he slowly opened it, removing the single page inside. On it, the following words were written out, instantly making Techno realize his “slow and steady” progress with his issues would be rushed far more than he could ever expect it to be;

_TECHNOBLADE, YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED_   
_TO THE MANBERG FESTIVAL OF DEMOCRACY_

_Our great President Schlatt has allowed us the honour of hosting a wonderful event to celebrate the removal of Tommy and Wilbur from our great nation._

_You have been invited due to your continued support of our nation and your wonderful personality._

**_16th of October_**   
**_at 1PM_ **

_We hope you can make it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!!! sorry about no chapter yesterday, i went for a run and was really tired after :(  
> i have exams this week and then a week off from school, so expect lots of updates now!!!  
> only one more chapter and then the festival!!! im so hyped :DDD
> 
> a bit more of an explanation for the potions and shit since it might be a bit confusing:  
> techno, indeed, was not in control of himself because he had tricked himself into thinking he couldn't control himself without using something else to repress the voices, something he was so used to he didn't question  
> fake potions making the voices go away, however, kind of provided proof the voices WERE somewhat tied to how techno himself handled them - whether he chose to listen to them, let them take control, etc  
> now the question is - will he be able to take back that control in such a short time? because recovery like this doesn't happen overnight...


	133. The Invitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While rigging up Manberg, Wilbur thinks about everything that happened to him. Schlatt meets with an old friend and asks important questions.

_'...Well I heard there was a special place...'._

Wilbur Soot always liked to sing. When he was a kid in the outskirts of SMPLive, he'd use songs as a way of passing the time while working in Phil's garden. Then, he begun writing music in his free time during short and quiet days at Schlatt & Co. He used his songs as an escape from reality at times in SMPEarth, distracting himself from the war and destruction happening around him. And finally, here – The song he created becoming the sound of a nation, the cry of freedom and independence... And now it was nothing. An empty promise of a place that never really was. Still, he quietly sung it under his breath as he worked. Music had always been an escape – That did not change no matter what tune was echoing around the walls.

_'...Where men could go and emancipate...'._

He knew there were parts of Manberg no one ever cared to look at – Such as, behind the podium. No buildings, no roads. Manbergian territory no one cared to use. And right there, right under that little hill the Podium stood in front of... A cave. A small cave no one ever cared to explore. It almost seemed too ideal, right? Perhaps it was. He didn't remember that cave being there before he needed it. As busy as he was as President, wandering the border of the nation and learning how much space he had to work with was the basics. And that cave? He had no memory of it.

But then again, it wasn't like Wilbur Soot's world was very normal any more. So yes, perhaps the cave hadn't been there before. But now he needed it, and now there it was. And he wouldn't ask questions – Why would he? It wasn't like anything about him, what he was, and what he was capable of made any sense. So he just let it happen.

And he sang on.

_'...The brutality and the tyranny of their rulers...'_

He lined the furthest parts of the cave, the ones he estimated to be right under the podium, with the most of the explosives. Sometimes, in the corner of his eye he could see tunnels that weren't there before – He'd wander in, rig up more TNT, and by the time he left, all that was left behind was a long cable covered by stone. It was almost as if this whole operation breathed with him, the cave shifting with the very rhythm of his heartbeat. He wasn't sure how it worked – But once more, why would he question it? He walked on, he worked, and he sang. Because the song was the only thing that remained as something familiar in his life – Even if it was ridden with lies.

_'...Well, this place is real, we needn't fret...'_

By the time he was done, there seemed to be more explosives rigged up to Manberg than he had been given in the first place – But with how it all blended together, it was hard to tell. He turned back to look upon all his work – And all he found was a button. A smooth, stone wall with a single wooden button right in the centre of it. For a moment Wilbur came closer, tracing the very edge of the button with his finger. One press and all of Manberg would be gone – Together with him. There'd be no way for him to survive this close to the explosion.

Perhaps that would be better, for everyone.

If this whole nation were to go up in flames, if it was all to turn to rubble as he watched and laughed, why would he want to live on? He was the one who settled it. He was the one who lied. He was the one who made everyone believe in something that didn't exist. Him remaining behind while it all fell was pointless – He had to disappear with it.

What else did he have to stay behind for?

_'...With Wilbur, Tommy, Tubbo, fuck Eret...'_

Fundy? He had failed him already. He was never a good father to that kid, and now he was grown up and too bitter to ever recover. Yes, Wilbur was willing to admit his mistake. But he was also willing to admit he had no way of fixing it. So what was the point of fighting on?

Tommy, Techno and Phil? If Fundy was any proof, Wilbur wasn't a “family” person. Between those three, he had some very simple opinions – Tommy was a pawn. A stupid kid who would blindly follow anyone who provided him with guidance. It was pathetic. Techno? His values were in a completely different place to theirs. The moment a government came into power he would turn on everyone to fight for his own ideas. And Phil? Phil made the number one mistake of any parent – He chose a favourite son.

And that son definitely wasn't Wilbur or Tommy.

Niki? Eret? Jack? Tubbo? Quackity? Whoever else was left of whatever the fuck L'Manberg was supposed to be? The little perfect independent land? They all jumped on the first opportunity for power Schlatt put in front of them. The entire DreamSMP? Not a single fucking person there ever cared about anything. This whole city was an endless fucking fight for trying to make yourself out to be that week's poster boy for “poor little broken anti-hero”. Who cared? Who cared any more?

And Schlatt?

…

Schlatt and Will died with SMPLive.

The man that was meant to endorse Wilbur Soot and stole the election was a stranger.

_'...It's a very big and not blown-up L'Manberg...'_

Perhaps he was wrong about all of them. Perhaps there was hope for Fundy, perhaps his family really cared about him, perhaps there was still a hope for L'Manberg, and perhaps Schlatt and Will still existed under the masks they put on and the roles they played. But as far as Wilbur Soot could see, there was no hope for it – And that was enough. That was enough for him to look at that button in silence, considering what to do.

No. He could wait for the Festival. If there was one thing Wilbur was good at above all it was putting on a show – And as satisfying as destroying all of it right now would be, too many would get away. Too many would miss it. Too many would survive. If this country was going down, if he was going down – This whole fucking city was going down.

_'...It's L'Manberg...'_

He prepared a pickaxe he was meaning to use for setting up the explosives – Something he didn't need in the end, but something he could make use of. He begun getting closer to the stone walls, carving familiar words of the anthem into them. Like the ramblings of a mad man, they lined the walls of the small button room, reminding him of a nation that never was, and existed only in the dreams of fools who had nothing else to hold onto.

In was depressing.

_'...My L'Manberg...'_

Wilbur stepped back, continuing to hum the familiar song as he sat in the corner of the room and looked up at the wooden button in front of him. The button that could bring the end to everything. Finally, end all the pain, all the lies, all the suffering, all the tears... No. No, he had to wait.

_'...It's L'Manberg...'_

Hour had passed by the time Wilbur finally stood up and made his way out of the small room – Finishing up about the thousandth repeat of his rendition of the national anthem that day with the single most deceitful line;

_'...My L'Manberg...'_

And so he left.

\---

He stood at the border, almost about to leave... Then he heard it.

'You're playing with fire here, loverboy.'.

An all too familiar voice.

'...I'm outside your border.', Wilbur whispered as he looked back, finding the man who he handed the broken nation to months ago now. The wind was calm – There was no thunder, no rain. Just the sky above slowly growing darker and darker, stars showing themselves, the sun having long had disappeared somewhere... It was calming, in a way.  
'Yeah, if I wanted you dead here and now I'd have sent Punz or Purpled after you... You would not believe the things those two are willing to do for money.', Schlatt said to himself, looking aside. He removed a single cigarette from his pocket and lit it. Wilbur watched in silence as he took a single puff from it. It was clearly painful for him – And yet he carried on.

'...What are you doing here, anyway?', the man carried on after a long pause.  
'Just looking.', the Source responded with a shrug.  
'Right. I'm sure you were.', Schlatt hissed, as if aware of his very actions that day.  
'I was.', Wilbur responded, knowing he knew nothing of what he did.

They were always good at avoiding the topic at hand, were they not?

That was the one thing that stayed consistent between the characters they played.

'...So Techno told you everything?', Schlatt asked after another long pause. It was almost like he needed a break between every sentence – He needed to rest before he started on another topic.  
'...He did. Every single thing.', Wilbur responded with a slight nod. 'I know what I am. I know what I did. And I know everything that happened in SMPLive – From the very first day we met.'.  
'Shit. Never thought I'd see the day.', the man coughed a few times, putting his cigarette down for just a single second. '...Got anything to say for yourself?'.  
'Not anything you wouldn't expect. I could apologize. I could excuse myself. I could lie. But would you care? Would I care? Would it really matter?'.

The two men looked at each other for a moment in complete silence.

'...So when is this one getting drowned in your tears? Or are you not fucked up enough yet to pull something like that of?', Schlatt suddenly spoke up. He probably expected a reaction – For Wilbur to snap, to flinch, maybe for his eyes to widen a little. The man, instead, simply shrugged.  
'Not until I let it. Sources are in control once they realize what they are.', Wilbur paused for a moment, thinking back to the cave and how much it had warped simply due to the things his subconscious was trying to do. '...Mostly, in control.'.  
'Huh. That's funny.', Schlatt turned to the side, tilting his head. 'It's almost like in SMPLive you could have told the Lunch Club the truth. It's almost like Ted was willing to protect you. It's almost like none of this would have happened if you hadn't been so selfish-'.  
'It's almost as if the past is in the past and we can't change it.', Wilbur's voice turned grave, and he narrowed his eyes. He could see Schlatt's reaction – As if he was shocked at his newfound confidence. '...It's horrible. But it happened. Not much I can do.'.

Schlatt was taken back – He muttered something under his breath, something Wilbur barely heard.

'Do you think I don't regret it?', he eventually asked. His former friend glared at him.  
'Of course you do. Those ears on Fundy's head show it all.', Schlatt looked aside for a moment, chuckling. ' _Ancestors passing down a fox trait feel regret for an action they could have prevented and knowingly knew the results of, however decided to step aside to make life easier for themselves._ I've memorized that fucking line of the Captain's journal, you know.'.  
'And doesn't that show I regret it? Isn't that enough proof I feel bad?'.  
'Oh sure. I don't doubt you on that.', Schlatt once more returned to his cigarette, shrugging. 'But feeling bad and saying sorry doesn't make the eighty years of isolation go away. It doesn't make every thought about just giving up go away. It doesn't make all the birthdays I spent alone wondering when my friend would come back for me go away.'.

Schlatt pointed to his head, the horns on his head barely visible under his messy hair.

'It sure as hell doesn't make these go away, either. Do you know what a ram represents? Jealousy. Jealousy for something someone else has that you never ever had a chance at having. Wishing for something that was denied to you simply because of who you were born as.'.  
'And you blame me for feeling jealous?'.  
'I blame you for giving me something to be jealous for. And while it could have been fame, or money, or anything at all, it was a life. I was jealous that you got to go and live a normal life while I was left alone to wallow in loneliness and drink my pain away every night.'.  
'...I don't know what you want me to say.'.

Once more, silence. This conversation was far calmer and slower than he expected it to be.

'Was it worth it?'.  
'Was what worth it?'.  
'Leaving me. Did you at least live a good life?'.  
'I... I don't know.'.

'In SMPEarth everything was a haze. War, interrupted by moments of peace, followed by war. Endless fighting with other nations, trying to fight the Antarctic Empire off. At least I met Tommy there – That made things... A little easier. And then I destroyed that world just as I destroyed SMPLive. And here... Things were good. They were good, until...'.  
'Until your past caught up with you.', Schlatt finished the sentence, laughing to himself under his breath. 'Bet you thought you got away two lifetimes in, loverboy.'.  
'Sorry to break it to you.', Wilbur looked back, trying his best to hide the pain building up in his heart. He didn't care any more. He had no reason to. Everything would be gone after the Festival – He'd be gone with it. He didn't have to care. 'I didn't remember you in these two worlds.'.

'I never even thought about you once until you showed up here.'.

For once, the President seemed silent. He had nothing else to say. With how much had been shouted out in rage, done in moments of impulsive anger, and was practically paid back in in gallons worth of blood now came down to nothing more but a silence shared by two enemies. They both wanted to say something – But there was nothing left to say. So they simply looked at one another, until Schlatt removed an envelope from his pocket and stepped forward.

'Mind passing on a message for me?'.  
'It's the least I can do, I guess.'.  
'Give this to our dear old brother. If he even still considers me that, that is.'.  
'Right. Techno always was the favourite in our family, wasn't he?'.

The two stopped for a single second as they both held onto the envelope, refusing to pass it to one another. Schlatt eventually let go, but did not step back. He looked right into Wilbur's eyes and seemed to consider saying something – The Source could clearly smell the cigarette smoke when standing so close to him, making his head spin.

'Just tell me one thing, Wilbur.'.  
'What is it?'.  
'Before the storm, did you mean a thing you said?'.  
'I said a lot of things. You have to be more specific.'.  
'That we were partners. That you cared. Even Phil taking me in, was it genuine?'.  
'...I don't know, Schlatt.'.

Wilbur took a step back, turning to the woods and repeating once more;

'I don't know.'.

And he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not me writing this while watching a 1 hour video of the beauty community dramagedon from like a year ago  
> drama is just too fun JDHDHWHDHW 
> 
> ALSO TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY BABY  
> IM BACK ON MY BULLSHIT


	134. The Festival (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of the Manberg Festival arrives. Tubbo prepares for his speech, Niki meets with Eret and three brothers arrive from the woods. Schlatt has a plan - And Minx seems to be the only one who sees it.

The morning of the Festival somewhat reminded him of the morning of Election Night.

Tubbo crawled out of his bed with his stomach turning, feeling more sick than anything. While he got ready he went over everything in his head – The speech he was meant to give at the Festival, all the things he had to manage with Fundy, and of course, why Tommy and Wilbur weren't invited, meanwhile Techno was. Schlatt had promised he would invite Pogtopia in its entirety, and yet changed his mind last minute. Had something happened? If the boy were to be honest, he had not spoken to the President since his meeting with Tommy, and it almost seemed as if the man himself was avoiding him... Tubbo didn't mind, though.

He was sure Schlatt was just as stressed about this whole Festival as he was – That was what he concluded as he looked at himself in the mirror. He fixed up his hair, not even trying to hide those horns any more... They suited him. In a strange way, they made him stand out. Gave him an identity. It was comforting to have something that showed him who he was – It begun getting easier and easier to forget that in this country these days. He fixed up his suit one last time before heading out. It wasn't anything special, just his usual suit together with some extra additions, like colourful patches on his shoulders or a newer, fixed-up buttons. He couldn't remember the last time he looked this professional... He just wished Tommy could show up and see him like this.

That morning, Tubbo agreed to meet with Niki before everything started. They had a lot to catch up on, obviously, and with how busy President Schlatt would be setting everything up, it would be the best time for them to have some time alone. He found her standing by a small fountain that had been constructed inside of the lake the caravan had been by once, now only a small reminder of the past standing next to Wilbur's old home. She turned to him instantly with a smile.

'Well, aren't you looking good!', the woman exclaimed, turning back. Her hair was tied up into a pair of space buns, and for once she wasn't wearing her usual, dirty working clothes. She dressed up in something nicer, with a light-coloured skirt and loose jacket. It was probably the first time in a while he had seen her appear this collected and sure of herself.  
'Thanks. I had to dress nice, you know.', Tubbo responded with a wide smile. 'I've got a speech to give. I'm really excited! I... I put lots of work into this. I'm sure Schlatt will love it.'.

Tubbo could see Niki's expression shift – Suddenly, she appeared... Concerned.

'...You know I... I don't approve of Schlatt, that's for sure.', the woman started, looking aside. She grabbed onto the boy's arm for a moment. 'But you're my friend, so I'll support you no matter what. And I'm proud of you for standing before everyone and giving a speech like this.'.  
'I'm glad at least you can see that.', Tubbo spoke, followed by a relaxed sigh. 'Between all the people calling me a traitor and a liar it's good to have someone who's willing to see things as, you know... Just friends. Outside the jobs, the politics...'.  
'Yeah.', Niki reassured the other with a laugh, knowing being mad at this kid wasn't fair. He was entitled to his own opinion on things and to make his own choices – And those choices didn't have to get in the way of the strong bond they had formed when she first joined L'Manberg. Nothing could break that, no one could get in the way of that. 'You can always count on me. If anything gets too messy today I'm gonna be there, alright?'.

'...Schlatt was supposed to invite Tommy, you know?', Tubbo suddenly muttered, looking aside. 'He told me he would. Tommy and Wilbur. But... He changed his mind last second. I don't know why...'.  
'That guy isn't exactly... Consistent.', Niki reminded the younger. She could see he seemed... Angry, almost? He had this strange expression that he'd slip on any time the woman openly critiqued Schlatt around him. But the two also knew they had to keep their personal opinions of that man outside of their conversations – They only had each other. Arguing would get them nowhere.  
'I guess... But it's not like they won't show up. They always sneak in here for big events. I just have to figure out where they are.', Tubbo looked around a few times, taking note of all the decorations. God, had L'Manberg changed a lot since its first days.

Most of the rubble from the old walls had been cleaned away, nothing left behind from them. The new flag was displayed not only on the country's central flag pole, but was hung practically everywhere, together with posters with that irritating “S” symbol that signified the current cabinet. Along with the Festival came some more bright decorations, like colourful lights, stalls with various games already being handled by various citizens from L'Manberg and the DreamSMP alike, and newly paved pathways that ensured there was enough walking space for everyone there. A fountain was built in the lake at the centre of the nation, an artificial island was made nearby... The place looked beautiful under this new rule – As much as Niki hated to admit it.

'...You know, even with everything that's happened... I think we deserve this break.', the woman finally spoke up, watching the various people trickle into L'Manberg, looking around and enjoying the sights. 'A day of normalcy. A day to rest. No war, no violence.'.  
'Yeah.', Tubbo agreed with a quick nod. 'It's nice, isn't it?'.  
'But you can't get too comfortable, alright?', Niki quickly turned, once more returning to her usual resentment of the President. Tubbo wanted to speak up, but was swiftly cut off. 'Just... Keep and eye on things. Stay safe. This is great, but it feels... A bit too normal, you know?'.  
'Or maybe that's just our past making us paranoid.', the boy suggested, giving Niki a relaxed smile. 'Maybe things are actually... Calmer now? I know it's hard to relax, especially with how Schlatt treated you at first, but... He's really trying to be better now. And I trust him.'.

Niki wanted to say so much – But all that came out was a single sentence;

'Maybe you're right.'.

And as she saw the boy smile, she knew it was better she kept her true opinions private.

A short time after their conversation ended, Tubbo was called over somewhere by Quackity, quickly saying goodbye to her. For a few minutes, all Niki could really do was walk around without anything to do. She talked to some people arriving in the country – Overheard Sam discussing his newest creation in his reclusive mountain home, met with Jack and talked about nothing at all. She could see the whole place was starting to fill with people, and the festivities would begin any moment. And yet, she still noticed two vital guests to be missing – Two guests she actually wished to speak to before things got started. Luckily, one of them was present at the party for some time, but found himself surrounded by a large group of people and therefore didn't have much of a chance to approach her initially. After the chatter around him died down, he finally spoke up;

'Ms. Nihachu. Fancy seeing you here.', none other than King Eret started with a cheery tone of voice. Clearly he wasn't the only one feeling relaxed from the light-hearted atmosphere of the Festival. The woman turned to him with a wide smile.  
'Why hello, Your Majesty.', she addressed him properly, clearly playing up her voice to sound like all of those DreamSMP citizens who always tried to suck up to the local royalty for some extra points with him and Dream. The man laughed aloud in response, moving his hair back. She could still see the crown on his head – But it was the only royal element of his outfit. Instead of his usual royal garments, the King opted out for a light pink dress covered in a strawberry pattern – She thought it to be a rather unique, but still, incredibly good choice of attire.

'I can't believe I'm being outdone in looks by King Eret of all people...'.  
'Hey! What's that supposed to mean?'.  
'Oh, fate, the cruel mistress, has dubbed you the pretty best friend. How am I to cope?'.  
'Aw, don't worry Niki. You look almost as good as me. Almost.'.

It was good to laugh, for once – Tell jokes, relax, and spend time together. There wasn't a lot of time for that around Eret's castle between the work and the constant stress over how L'Manberg was slowly but surely spiralling into an uncertain fate, so getting a break like this was more than welcome. This relaxed atmosphere did not stick around for long, however, as the crowd suddenly seemed the quiet down. People's loud chatter turned to worried whispers, and everyone's eyes set on the docks right beyond the audience – From the forest next to them, emerged a figure.

Niki had no doubt about it. Technoblade had arrived.

\---

_'They're so loud, Phil...'._   
_'I know. Just relax.'._

Slowly and gently, he brushed his hair. He begun carefully tying it into something of a bun, leaving behind only two strands of hair to compliment the font of his face and enough space on his head for the Fallen King's Crown to sit comfortably. That was just the beginning.

_'My head hurts...'._   
_'Just focus on my voice.'._

He remembered all the different piercings he'd have in SMPLive – He was sure he could bring that back. Golden nose ring, some silver piercings in his ears. He had to look his best, after all. The city, for once, had to see he wasn't just some maniac with a sword that lived out in the woods. He was a respectable fighter – That was what Phil raised him to be.

_'I can't... I can't hear...'._   
_'How about I try to sing a song?'._

Dream brought him some fresh clothes, too. A new, white shirt, a nicer cape, trousers that weren't covered in stitches and patches. For the first time since he settled in these woods, he actually felt like a part of his humanity was fully restored. Well dressed, in control of himself and with some trust in himself. He looked in his own reflection in the mirror – And he didn't hear a single thing.

But that wasn't always a good thing. The silence was new – It was concerning. And there was no way to know when the usual noise in his head would return. It was only natural that he was hopeful – But getting too confident wasn't a good idea, either. The Festival itself was worrying on its own, too. With only him invited, he couldn't help but think he was barging straight into a trap. That was why he brought his sword, a firework launcher, and about thirty small fireworks – Just in case.

'I could not be more excited about this, really.', Techno heard from outside, signalling him it was time to go. His brothers, of course, did not spend nearly as much time getting ready – But they were still intending on showing up. Techno and Tommy had made an agreement the night before that the younger would keep their brother away from the explosives at all costs, meanwhile the warrior himself ensured everything was safe in the heart of the Festival.  
'You need to seriously rethink this. Are you really willing to risk the lives of so many people?', Tommy's rather hurried response made the man finally stand up and leave Pogtopia, finding the other two pacing around the outside. He stuck out like a sore thumb now that he actually had clean clothes and appeared somewhat organized – The other two were still in those same, old and tattered clothes covered in blood and dirt stains from god knows where.

'I know you won't do this Wil.', Techno spoke up as he passed the two, picking up one last bag of items he prepared for the way. He knew weapons and armour weren't permitted in Manberg – Which was why he was reduced to his “emergency weapon”, something everyone was allowed to bring in in case things got messy, aka his sword, and would resort to excusing all the fireworks as party favours. It was the best weaponry he could manage to sneak in with such rules present.  
'What makes you so sure?', the madman mused, playing around with a lighter in his hand. Flicking it open, closed, open again, staring into the flame as it appeared and faded away once more... He seemed completely mesmerized.  
'You're not an evil man. You're just lost.', Techno insisted, sounding rather relaxed. His confidence in the idea alone made Tommy's worries slightly go away. 'And once you see everyone gathered there, you'll see. I'm sure of it. Now let's get going... I wouldn't want to be late.'.

Wilbur didn't speak, but his expression didn't change, either. He had this relaxed smile on him – Almost relieved, in a way. He was exhausted, that much was clear, but it appeared as though his struggles were all about to come to an end. Tommy knew he had to keep him away from wherever it was he rigged up those explosives, and that meant distracting him. It wouldn't be easy, but he was willing to try rather than stepping back and watching everything fall apart because of something Wilbur most definitely did not mean.

His brother was still in there. He just had to hold on.

'Techno, are you sure you can handle this?', the man heard his youngest brother whisper to him as they walked, everything being rather silent until that very moment. 'I mean... It's only been a few days since you stopped with the potions. Are you feeling up to it?'.  
'I think... I'm gonna be okay.', he responded, unable to hide the small bit of worry he felt for the lack of... Anything, in his head, for that matter. No demands, no whispers, no suggestions. Just silence, and a silence that was so incredibly deafening it hurt to have around. 'If things start feeling wrong I can always get out of there. Don't worry about me and focus on Wilbur.'.  
'Right... Sure.', Tommy responded with a hesitant nod. 'Whatever you say.'.

'Look at me, Tommy.', Techno suddenly stopped his brother, clearly noting his hesitance. He grabbed onto his arms and looked him in the eyes. 'I'm going to be fine, alright? I made a promise to you and myself I don't intend to break – Right now, what we should focus on is Wilbur.'.  
'Yeah...', the boy looked at the man walking ahead of the two – Lost in his own world, humming something under his breath, giggling to himself at memories that kept coming back to him. That man seemed like a complete stranger, not the caring brother they used to know. 'We need to focus on Wilbur. And keeping everyone in L'Manberg safe.'.  
'Exactly. Now, you guys have to go that way – It's best if you watch the whole thing from the cliff by that old scouting tower. I'll enter the party from the docks.', Techno quickly explained, pointing in a direction. Wilbur headed that way instantly – Tommy was more hesitant. He looked back with a mixed expression, quickly saying his goodbyes;

'See you on the other side. And... Good luck.'.  
'Good luck to you too. And stay strong.'.

And so, TommyInnit and Technoblade looked back at each other fondly for the last time that day.

Because a Festival with so many things at stake was bound to go wrong in some way.

\---

'You ready for your big party?'.  
'Why do you sound like that when you say it?'.  
'Because I know you have something planned.'.  
'Is it that obvious?'.

Schlatt didn't have some big ritual preparing for the Festival – He'd just wear a suit and some golden rings on his horns at most and call it a day. He didn't want to make some sort of show of himself like everyone else was. After all, he had very different plans for this Festival than just laughs and games. So far, Minx seemed to have been the only one to pick up on his behaviour – Herself putting on some dress he had never seen before despite her not being seen by anyone there but two people at most. He took one last swig of whatever drink he had prepared for himself earlier and cleared his throat, looking into a nearby mirror.

_'You know what's the funniest thing about the people in this city, Schlatt?'._   
_'No clue, but from your tone of voice I'm guessing you're about to tell me?'._

_'...You can't trust anyone. Not a single person. Because that's the truth. Everyone is just fighting for themselves – Everyone is trying to get ahead in life. And when a better opportunity comes around, those people won't hesitate to drop you if that's what it takes to grasp on.'._   
_'Pretty grim outlook on life there, Ted.'._   
_'I'm just speaking from experience.'._

_'I wouldn't want you to get hurt, Schlatt. You're smart. You'll see it coming from a mile away. Your instincts will tell you to ignore it – Look past the red flags and focus on the positives. That's how they get you. You can't let things like that slip past. You have to grasp on and eliminate your enemies before they even have a chance to get to you.'._   
_'...Why are you telling me all this?'._   
_'I just think you might find use of it one day. Keep it in mind. Never trust anyone.'._

'Never trust anyone.', Schlatt repeated under his breath.

He fixed up his tie one last time and left the room.

It was time for a show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys i had an english exam today and i did really well :)  
> i have two exams tmrw so there might not be a chapter :(
> 
> hope you enjoyed!!!  
> its festival time!!!
> 
> ALSO ERET STRAWBERRY DRESS!!!


	135. The Festival (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Festival begins - Techno, Niki and Eret talk, Wilbur and Tommy try to convince each other of their opposing ideas, and Schlatt prepares for his show.

_'Sing... A song?'._  
_'Yeah. So you can focus on my voice.'._

'Techno!', Niki exclaimed almost instantly as she saw her friend approaching, disregarding completely the looks he was getting from most of the people around him and wrapping her arms around him the moment he got close. The man gave her a moment to let out all of her excitement and then finally stepped away, meeting her eyes. 'Hey! Wow, you look great!'.  
'...I guess I had to make myself look good for the Festival. It's not every day something like this happens in a place like this.', the man eventually responded. He shut his eyes for a moment.... Silence. It would have been a blessing, if it wasn't so unusual and concerning.  
'Damn, Niki.', Eret started with a laugh as he grew closer. 'You just never seem to win “pretty best friend”. What shame-'. The man stopped as he was punched in the arm, causing him to laugh. Techno, for a moment, laughed too. It was good to relax for once.

_'I... I don't know... I...'._  
_'Just breathe. I'm right here.'._

'It feels like everyone is staring at me...', Techno looked around for a moment, trying his best to keep his focus on the definitives. Where Wilbur and Tommy were, where the podium was, where the opening speech would take place. He couldn't get distracted by something as small as attention.  
'That's not just you.', Eret got closer, himself taking a quick glance at the crowds around them. 'When people heard you were invited that became the talk of the city for the whole week.'.  
'We're lucky The Battle of the Lake didn't get talked about as much as the prison fight.', Niki concluded, her eyes settling on Antfrost. He was standing with Skeppy and Bad, the three clearly glaring at the warrior more than anyone else there. The cat hybrid had a rather large scar on his right ear – With about half of it missing entirely. Techno looked away the moment he spotted it.

_'Ow... Ow, ow, they're loud again...'._  
_'Try to focus and sing along, alright?'._

'We should... Find a spot, right?', Techno turned to the other two, trying his best to change the topic of conversation. He looked towards the audience, filled with enough seats for everyone and more. Some people were already taking their seats up front. Niki came closer with a laugh;  
'With King Eret with us? Don't worry about that! We get front-row seats!', she exclaimed, clearly trying to lift the mood of the conversation once more. The King himself stepped forward, trying his best to find a middle-ground between being pessimistic and overly excited.  
'It's better to sit down than stand around. And you won't have to deal with everyone staring at you up front. As long as you don't turn around, that is.', Eret advised Techno, grabbing his arm and urging him to come along. The man was clearly hesitant, but he definitely preferred it to being glared at by Antfrost and his two friends like he had been up until that point.

_'You know this song. It goes something like this...'._

Even sitting down, Techno was still nervous. There were many questions about this Festival that were left unanswered – Dressing nicely, talking with people, joking around and playing games didn't change the things going on behind the scenes. The obvious problem was Wilbur – Where had he rigged the explosives? Did he rig them at all? And would Tommy keep an eye on him? That was only one of his worries... Another one, of course, was him getting invited at all. Why did Schlatt want him here in the first place? Why was he, out of all of Pogtopia, the only one that was allowed to enter Manberg? Schlatt knew more than anyone he was dangerous – So surely he had some ulterior motive, did he not?

He couldn't let himself get distracted. He knew what could happen if he did.

So despite a familiar memory calling from the back of his mind, he stayed focused.

He was sure everything would make itself clear eventually.

\---

Wilbur knew Tommy didn't understand him. But that wasn't his fault – He was still blinded by that lie he had so foolishly crafted. But that could be fixed. That could be repaired. Right before it all went down in a pile of nothing more than rubble and suffering, he could still make sure Tommy knew exactly why he did what he did before he was gone. So despite not wanting to waste any time, Wilbur turned back to his brother the moment they reached the spot Techno had instructed them to hide by – A position where they were unseen, but could still see the stage clearly. He grabbed the younger by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes – They were full of doubt, of fear. He had to get rid of it – Either here and now or never.

'I'm gonna do one last plea to you, Tommy.', he started, narrowing his eyes. 'And I want you to listen carefully. Please, _please_ , respect this. You don't have to agree, you just have to respect this. Manberg is being detonated tonight, whether you're on my side or not, Tommy.'.

Still, not a word from the boy. He had to keep talking. Now or never. No second chances.

'We've been through so much together, man. Don't drop this all over your weird ideas of patriotism and heroism. This isn't a thing of heroism, Tommy. This is a thing of victory.', he insisted, seeing Tommy's expression slowly begin to shift. The boy looked around for a moment.  
'You've already laid the TNT?', he asked, his tone of voice something Wilbur couldn't quite read. It almost seemed like he was starting to get convinced – With the way he looked around, the way he hesitated to instantly argue his case against the older like he would on any other day....

'At the end of the day it doesn't matter. Whatever you-'.  
'Wilbur, Wilbur-'.  
'Whatever you do-'.

'I'm with you.', Tommy suddenly said in a quiet whisper, feeling his brother finally let go of him. The man stepped back, almost stunned by the response. He giggled, managing to only say a single word before he spiralled into full on laughter once more;  
'Really?', he choked out as madness flooded his eyes, making the man he once was hidden deep inside them practically unseen. Tommy had to keep it together – Perhaps playing along was the only way to find out where the button was and how he could get to it?

Wilbur clapped his hands together, finally speaking;

'Here's the plan, TommyInnit! When Tubbo is up on that stage and he's giving that speech, the moment he starts talking, I'm gonna jump down and I'm gonna slam that button.'.  
'What about Tubbo?', the boy spoke up, lifting his head. He wasn't planning actually going along with this – But he still wanted to hear what the other had to say regardless.  
'We'll talk to him. Once the Festival starts, we'll tell him everything.', Wilbur claimed, although the twitch in the edge of his right eye showed he was far from honest.  
'I don't wanna do anything that Tubbo wouldn't want.', Tommy continued, testing the water with just how lost his brother was. He still thought he was on the right side, claiming;

'Tubbo will be on our side once we explain, I'm sure. Everyone will understand, eventually.'.

The two brothers were eventually interrupted by a strange sound – Something representing the feedback from a microphone, President Schlatt alongside his Vice-President and Tubbo showing themselves on stage. Most people had gathered by then, the last remaining guests taking their seats upon being alerted to the man's presence on the stage. Schlatt tapped the microphone a few more times and cleared his throat as Tubbo fixed up the cables on it, taking a quick swig of some sort of drink he brought along before he got started. Wilbur knew there was no more time to waste – And Tommy knew he had to be quick if he wanted to talk his brother down without having to resort to getting physical to get him away from here.

'Wilbur, look at me.', Tommy snapped, grasping onto the man far more strongly than he intended to. He was so cold.... He had been practically freezing to the touch since Techno told him everything about SMPLive. 'You don't have to do this. You don't have to blow it all up.'.  
'I've invested so much into this now, Tommy.', the Source insisted, shaking his head.  
'We're not the villains-', the boy tried to claim, already getting desperate.  
'We are the villains! We didn't win the election and now we're trying to take power back!', the man shouted out, making Tommy recoil. He had never gotten used to hearing Wilbur this genuinely angry. 'Look how nice this place looks! Look how lovely Schlatt has made this place-'.

'So many people will die!'.  
'They mean nothing to me. We can kill them all.'  
'What about Niki?'.

Wilbur, for just a moment, froze. He glanced towards the audience gathering in front of the Podium – He could see Niki, Techno and Eret sitting together in the very front row, talking between each other and clearly trying to ignore all the attention that the warrior was getting from the citizens around him. Even though he had lost hope in Fundy, even though he didn't trust his family, even though he had turned away from practically everyone the kind smile that woman had somehow made him... Hesitate. It was in that kind smile he saw the day they first raised their flag, the first document they all signed, the Final Control Room, the duel, the discs the....

No. There was no time for that any more. It was now or never.

'The Festival's starting now. We better pay attention. Come on.'.

\---

'Hello everybody, welcome, to the Festival of Manberg!'.

A mix of cheering and clapping went through the large crowd, making Tubbo tense up. Was he nervous? Of course he was. Why wouldn't he be? Here was the entirety of Manberg and the DreamSMP, right in front of him, bringing him right back to all his speeches during the Election. Around that time he got used to talking to crowds as big as this one, but since then he barely ever had a chance to fully talk in front of people. He didn't want to mess it up – Schlatt trusted him now, and he believed that he could deliver a good speech. He couldn't let him down. Tubbo had noticed most of the cheering had come from Quackity and Fundy – If there was anyone in this country that adored the President the most, it was those two. People like Niki or Techno, on the other hand, sat silent, clearly only here out of necessity.

He gave the woman a small wave, just to remind her he was still there. She waved back.

'I've invited all the citizens of Manberg, the DreamSMP, and some very close friends to enjoy the festivities that this nation... Uh... Something... I dunno.', Schlatt cut himself off, looking aside. Tubbo knew this tone of voice – Absent, relaxed, without a care in the world. The slight slurring of his words definitely made it clear, too. Tubbo knew this was a day of celebration, but he would have expected the man to wait until after his opening speech before he started drinking so much. Was something on his mind? On a day like this? He would lie if he said he wasn't worried – But it wasn't something he felt the need to hide any more. He felt no hatred for him, and saw no reason to despise him as a person. He just had to be out of power – His position gave him some dangerous ways of coping with everything he was dealing with. It was as Tubbo often said;

Schlatt was not a bad man. Just a very, very broken one.

And everything broken could be fixed with time and care.

'Basically I just wanna throw a party. You know me! I'm a party-er! So I decided to put one together for you all! So we could all partake in the fruits of this beautiful country!', the President carried on with his rather lacklustre speech. Tommy's eyes were focused on Tubbo the whole time he talked – He took note of how he looked at the President, how he appeared standing by his side, how he was acting... Something about those two was off that day. They both seemed far too relaxed – Which for both sides was a problem. For Tubbo, it meant he was comfortable by this tyrant's side. For Schlatt it meant... Something was wrong. Something was up. He had something planned, and when it came to this President, it could never, ever bode well.

Wilbur, on the other hand, was having very different thoughts.

Niki was the first person he spotted it in. Remnants of their old nation – Memories of L'Manberg as it had been before everything fell apart. As he looked at her face he remembered all those quiet days... Those days he spent walking around the nation and admiring all the progress, those days he spent training with Tommy and Tubbo, those days he spent hunting with his son out in the woods. He remembered all the quiet evenings with the group suppers, the loud mornings as everyone shouted about whatever it was they planned to do that day... He looked at Fundy, Tubbo, hell, for a moment, he even remembered all the good moments with Eret of all people. And eventually, his eyes set on Tommy as he silently watched the stage in front of him, breathing heavily and trembling from fear – Fear for his friend, his family, his nation...

The man clenched his fists. This was the right thing to do. It was now or never.

Was it not?

'Basically, uh- Thank you all for being here! We're gonna just- We could just- We're just gonna party for a while! Cause that's what parties are all about!', Schlatt shouted out even more loudly than he would usually with his over-dramatic announcements, nearly falling over as he lifted his arms up. That man did not seem in the state to lead an event like this – Not to mention lead an entire country. Minx had learned to mute out his voice most of the time, instead standing next to him on the stage and trying to send Niki some sort of message with just nervous glances and hand-gestures. They both understood this could be their first chance to talk since a long while – They had to make the most of it. The Dreamon was already getting nervous just thinking about speaking to her friend again... Who knew if she'd ever get another chance with how Schlatt was these days?

'Alright, let's get this Festival started!'.

And as a final, thunderous cheer travelled through the crowd, the President finally stepped down.

For a moment, Schlatt could swear he saw something... A movement in the edge of his eye, right near that old scouting tower the rebels adored so much and thought he didn't know about. He didn't care. He was quite pleased about it, if he were to be honest. He hoped that Wilbur would show up. It would make all of this a lot more interesting, would it not? Getting to see his panic as his plan was revealed, awaiting his reaction as everything fell apart. And of course, getting his revenge on Tubbo. That kid who thought he was so smart, that kid who thought he could cross him and get away with it... Ted had been right, from day one. Trusting people just wasn't worth it. The only person you could see inside the mind of was you yourself – And that made you the only trustworthy person, too. The man walked along, smiling and answering questions from two-faced people who only wanted to get on his good side to gain something from it.

Yes, indeed. Schlatt knew Wilbur and Tommy were around, and he did not mind at all.

He looked towards the scouting tower with a smile.

'Hope you enjoy the show, loverboy.'.

\---

_'...Have you tried what I asked?'._  
_'It only works from time to time.'._  
_'And what about-'._  
_'Nothing works, Jordan! He's... He's just getting worse.'._

_The Captain thinks. He hesitates._

_'There's one method left. But it's... It's risky. It all relies on a facade. A trick.'._  
_'If it helps my son I don't care what it is. Just tell me.'._  
_'You have to make him believe he's not in control of them. Trick him into taking medicines, things like that. He'll continue acting out on impulse... Killing animals, hurting people... But it won't damage him as much if he thinks it's all an accident. He'll... Live in a lie. A blissful one.'._  
_'...Then so be it. It's better than him being in pain like this.'._

_Phil places his hand on Techno's forehead, taking a deep breath._

_'As long as he never learns the truth. Who knows what will happen if he does?'._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOISSSS WE IN THE THICK OF IT NOW  
> only about one more chapter of filler talk and what not before tubbo's speech  
> and we all know how tubbo's speech went :)
> 
> i had my Chinese and French exams today and i actually did pretty well!!  
> i have a day off tomorrow so expect a chapter or two :)


	136. The Festival (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Festival gets started. Wilbur is hesitant, and Tommy tries to make the most of it. Tubbo talks to his allies and feels betrayed.

Ever since he was a child, Techno heard those voices.

They first showed themselves after he left the Nether after getting accidentally stuck there when he was no older than six back in SMPLive. It was how Phil got his wings and Wilbur got the first inklings of an Anomaly in him – At the time, there was no way to fully understand what they were. They were a constant struggle, leaving him with headaches and sickness every day. On some days he could barely even get out of bed – And he only got worse. Sometimes he wouldn't even fully understand why all those dead birds and rats showed up around their house – But he knew for sure he had killed them and brought them there.

Things changed when they moved to their new city – The Captain, an old friend of Phil's, begun checking in on Techno and coming up with solutions. It was around this time that Kristen had left them, leaving the man all alone with a sick child he could barely manage and a toddler that was slowly getting older and more demanding. The “cure” they had discovered was a blessing – A combination of herbs, vegetables, meats, and what nots. A magical concoction that seemed to have no special elements to it, and yet after a single drink, quietened the voice down for the first time since he had first woken up to them the night after his return from the Nether.

He felt free – But they still had that grasp on him. That voice would still show itself at times, it would still push him to do things, but now there was a sense of control. He could take another one of those stews, go back to the Captain for more help, and suddenly, he'd be okay.

But they were always there. Despite being quiet and distant, they were there.

Now, they were not. And something about that wasn't right.

\---

'Tommy, I'm... I'm getting second thoughts.'.

That was all the blonde had to hear to make his head snap back towards his brother.

'These are my friends I don't- I don't know if I want to-', Wilbur begun stammering, taking a few steps back. He could see everyone below – Excitedly running around between the stands, talking between each other, laughing... He couldn't even imagine himself pressing that button.  
'Don't Wilbur! You shouldn't! We can take it back, man!', Tommy instantly jumped on the opportunity of talking his brother down, turning to him and grabbing his arm. The moment he did he felt that familiar chill move over his hand – God, he was so, so cold.  
'But this is the opportunity! If I don't blow it up now, when am I gonna do it?', the man continued shouting, almost as if arguing with himself more than Tommy.  
'You don't have to- We don't have to now.', the boy insisted. He had to make some final move – Something to make his brother break and realize how stupid all of this was. With one hand he grabbed his brother by the arm, and pointed to the Festival happening below with the other. And knowing it might have been his last chance at stopping Wilbur, he shouted out;

'Look how happy everyone is!'.

Fundy was laughing at some sort of joke the President had told him, trying his best to fix up a machine that just refused to work. He looked relaxed, for once – As if his troubles had all disappeared. Quackity was much the same, relaxed and telling a joke to someone nearby. Tubbo, Niki and Eret were all standing together, discussing something with wide smiles on their faces, relaxed, without a worry in the world... Jack Manifold, the entire Dream Team, Technoblade, hell, even Schlatt, they all looked... Okay. As if there wasn't a war – As if there wasn't a million things at stake. The only ones worried about anything there were Tommy and Wilbur themselves, bringing trouble simply due to their existence.

But in a way, was that not what Wilbur was meant to be as a Source? Bring chaos, destruction, pain where it had not been before? Be the only one anywhere who wanted chaos and more suffering?

And that was the question – Did he truly want more pain for everyone?

'Even Tubbo's having a good time! Look at Niki, at-', Tommy tried to carry on. He could see Wilbur was slowly but surely getting convinced, and he would not let this chance slip away.  
'Fuck, I don't want to even look at them!', the man snapped, turning away and biting his knuckles. Why was he hesitating now of all times? Why did it feel so wrong?  
'Just look, look-', Tommy tried to grab him again, turn his attention back to everyone. He couldn't let him. He couldn't let himself be convinced, he couldn't allow himself to feel doubt.  
'No! No, no-', he snapped, pushing the younger away. He wanted it all gone, he wanted them gone, he knew he did, he knew deep in his heart so why was he so hesitant?

'Do you not want them to be happy?'.

'Tommy I'm...', Wilbur started. Did he? Did he want them to be happy? Was he just being selfish? 'What happens if this is the only chance I get? Schlatt needs a consequence for his actions. He can't just keep sitting up there being strong and powerful – He needs to be taken down.'.  
'We could always try to speak to Tubbo.', Tommy suggested, clearly looking for some sort of distraction. He was so close to pulling his brother back from that ledge he had been walking at the edge of for weeks now – Maybe there was still a chance. Maybe he could still get him back.  
'Look at them all, they're all having so much fun-', Wilbur cut himself off, hesitating for a moment. He took a few steps back, sitting down on the grass and watching the scene below him. For a moment, it were as if the very reason he was there at all escaped his mind 'I'm jealous...'.

'We need to talk to Tubbo.', Tommy eventually spoke up, coming up with one last idea of how to convince his brother to calling this whole thing off. The man nodded.  
'Right. Yeah.', Wilbur once more rose to his feet, looking over the Festival. He nodded to himself, his eyes focusing on one person in particular. 'Let's talk to Tubbo.'.

Wilbur watched as a familiar face in the crowd spotted him.

And as Schlatt stared right back at him, he couldn't help but wonder what he had planned.

\---

The voice was dealt with in many different ways. The stews were one – Distractions were another. Going into quiet places without any other people there usually made it better. Trying to get himself all alone, shutting his eyes and trying to focus completely in on the voice and what it was trying to tell him. He'd deny it, push the thoughts away, try to calm himself. Eventually, he learned to do it in different situations, adjusting to the life around him. With the medication on top of it all, finally, he felt in control – And once more, it all fell apart the moment they entered the Nether again to travel to SMPEarth... The journey multiplied the voice, and now there was more than one – Not one, continuous string of thought – Instead, a never-ending argument between people that couldn't agree on a single idea... Apart from one.

Blood. Every single one of them wanted blood.

It took Phil a while to learn the recipe for the calming potions in SMPEarth – But once they were given to him, finally, he once more gained his usual control. Dealing with the Hunters gave him a distraction strong enough to keep his thoughts clear, pushing him to his travel through to the next world. It was here that he finally felt as though he was losing it completely – No potions, no fixes, nothing at all seemed to work. So Phil came up with one final solution... A distraction that worked as long as his father was there, close-by, helping him.

Singing. Phil singing a familiar song while Techno tried to push all the voices away and sing along.

He grew up. He got stronger. Eventually, the song wasn't needed any more.

\---

'Hey, hey, what's going on guys?'.

Tubbo had been pulled aside while trying to walk through the Festival, someone grasping onto his arm and forcing him into a small alleyway between two buildings. He was dragged to the very end of the alley and pushed towards the wall. He would have started panicking if it weren't for the fact that he quickly recognized the two figures – One being Tommy, and the other being Wilbur. He quickly gave his friend a hug, and tried to give one to the man, but... Something made him back away the moment he turned. This unusual aura around him... As well as the cold wind seemingly blowing through the area with no possible source to it other than Wilbur himself.

'When are you doing your speech?', the man quickly asked, clearly not wishing to waste any time. There was this look in his eye – A look Tubbo had seen Schlatt give him before the Festival, too. A look of uncertainty, hesitance, and worry for whatever was to come.  
'Uh... In about twenty minutes or so?', Tubbo responded as honestly as he could. Schlatt had planned for him to have a speech in the middle of the event, to carry them into some events that the President had privately planned for the end of the day. Tubbo couldn't help but wonder what Schlatt could have prepared that he was so excited to do.

'Tubbo, is he a good leader?', Wilbur suddenly asked.  
'Schlatt?', the boy repeated, unsure if he should be honest.  
'Just say it. Honestly.', the man insisted.  
'I mean-', Tubbo muttered, looking down.

'Don't sugar coat it.', Wilbur snapped, grabbing the boy's arm. He needed honest responses. He needed insight. Being the villain of the story was one thing – But being a villain that wins? If he was aware of how bad the things he was doing were... Why did he keep pushing himself into them? If he had just stopped and thought about everything in SMPLive, would he be where he was today? Would standing still for a single moment, asking a question and actually awaiting a response change a thing? 'You're not a spy here. Just talk to me friend to friend.'.

'Friend to friend...', Tubbo started, biting his lip. Finally, a time to be honest. Finally, a time to say his true thoughts on all of this. Finally a time to open up about how he had been feeling about everything. So why did he still feel so hesitant? Why did he still feel like he would be... Judged? 'He's made a lot of positive improvements but he has some strange ideals-'.  
'Tubbo, are you happier?', came Tommy's question soon after, disregarding his answer completely. Tubbo felt as though he was being stared right through – His friend's icy cold glare cut through him like a knife. He tried to avoid his gaze, looking aside. He didn't want to say anything – He felt as though whatever he told him, he would regret it. The two boys did not say a word to each other, their silence far more meaningful. Wilbur, on the other hand, definitely had something to share;

'You're just a yes man, aren't you?'.

'This isn't the first time Tubbo has done this, man.', Wilbur carried on, turning around for a moment. He could see the boy's eyes widen – Even Tommy, who was still digesting his answer to his own question, appeared shocked by his brother's words. 'Wherever he is he'll just play along with whatever. Schlatt? Me? Who cares who's President? Tubbo is just fine tagging along.'.  
'That's not-', Tubbo tried to interrupt, his voice too quiet to even be considered.  
'He doesn't care who's in power. He has no opinions. He's unable to have any. Isn't that right, Tubbo?', the man suddenly moved forward, making the boy flinch. Where had all this anger come from? It were almost as if giving up on everything finally gave him the confidence to say what he really meant. 'You'll just go along with whatever. Spare yourself the trouble.'.  
'Wilbur!', Tommy snapped, finally making the older go silent.

Tubbo backed away by a few steps, looking back at the festivities.

'I better... Get back now... Schlatt is gonna be looking for me-'.  
'Tubbo, wait-'.  
'Make sure to listen to my speech. I'm sure it'll be great.'.  
'Hold on-'.

And just like that, out he went, back into the crowd.

'L'Manberg is long gone, Tommy.', Wilbur reassured the younger, grabbing onto his shoulder. He could practically feel the low temperature pierce through his arm. 'Let's get back. If anyone is gonna make it out of this alive I'd like it to be you.'.

And with nothing left to do, Tommy was forced to come along.

\---

The silence was an issue.

The silence, unlike the voices, was unpredictable. The silence, unlike the voices, could not be listened to. He could not try to focus on what they want, he could not try to bargain, he could not try to win them over. All he could do was wait – Wait for something familiar to arise, wait for something to strike, and whenever it did, he would be forced to fight it alone. It were almost as if a silence before a storm – Something was getting closer, moving in on him and striking when he least expected it. But how was he to prepare for something he couldn't predict? Something he couldn't control? It wasn't like he could prepare for the unknown – The best he could do was anticipate it.

And of course, if anything went wrong, he still had a back-up plan.

A familiar song from his past that could still bring him back down if push came to shove.

\---

Wilbur and Tommy watched from the nearby hill as Fundy and Techno were pitted against each other in a friendly duel – Nothing more than wooden swords and crappy, leather armour that didn't fit them that well. It was more for fun than anything else, pushing each other over and making the audience around them laugh with the ridiculous stunts they kept trying to pull off against one another. Not even for a second did Techno look as if things weren't under his direct control – Perhaps Tommy was wrong to doubt his brother as much as he did?

'Do you think Techno or Fundy will win?', Wilbur spoke up suddenly, his voice... Strangely familiar. Not crazed, not exhausted, more... Content. It was the voice of the Wilbur Soot that settled L'Manberg once – And not the Wilbur Soot that now intended to blow it all to nothing.  
'Probably Techno. He's known for that.', Tommy played along, jumping on any opportunity to distract his brother from what he intended to do that day. His expression, for once, seemed relaxed... And hesitant. Despite his harsh words aimed at Tubbo, he was still reconsidering things.

'He'd always flaunt it in SMPEarth remember?', Wilbur carried on with his questions, watching as Techno once more knocked Fundy down with a proud grin.  
'Ha, yeah, he'd always mention how much better he is than everyone.', Tommy felt his shoulders relax, a calming feeling washing over him. The memories coming back to him, for once, were pleasant – And that said a lot, considering who they involved.  
'And then he'd go to that farm of his...', the man recalled, stifling a laugh.  
'Sorry guys, can't train, gotta farm potatoes!', Tommy cut in with a crude impression of his brother.

The two laughed on for a moment, taking a minute or two to calm down. Then, finally, Wilbur spoke up, noticing the unusual nature of the encounter. He turned to face the younger with a smile on his face, his voice carrying that unusual calmness;

'Tommy, we haven't hung out like this in a while.'.  
'...Yeah. There hasn't really been time, huh?'.  
'Is there... Is there still a chance? For L'Manberg?'.  
'You tell me, Wilbur. What do you think?'.

Wilbur never got the chance to respond – But he was glad. The truth was, he was still unsure about his answer. Being here, seeing everything, watching everyone mess around, joke, laugh and do nothing else... It filled him with a peace and glee he had not felt since L'Manberg's original days, those first few weeks after gaining their independence – It was so blissful, so simple, so... Familiar. Wilbur watched as everyone gathered under the Podium for the second speech of that day – As he did, only a single thought filled him. He spoke up, more to himself than Tommy, his voice ridden with an emotion he couldn't quite place;

'I miss Phil...', Wilbur whispered, looking down. 'I wonder if he'd be proud of me.'.

And so, Tubbo's speech begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello i had a shit day today :')  
> ive just been in a bad mood all day and ugh  
> anyway this chapter isnt,,, like the best  
> but the next is gonna be HELLA good  
> i promise  
> it is tubbo's speech, after all :)


	137. The Festival (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo's speech goes horribly wrong.

_'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are grey...'._

The speech was off to an uneasy start – Tubbo realized that as he found himself struggling to fix up the microphone for the President while the audience waited in silence and glared at him, Schlatt himself silently giving him small, passive-aggressive insults he tried his best to ignore. After struggling for a good five minutes Tubbo finally gave his superior a thumbs up and quickly backed away, once more retreating to his seat to the man's left. The President took a step forward and chuckled, looking aside at the boy. Something in his expression was... Worrying. He normally didn't look this relaxed. Especially not with how much he had managed to drink.

'Aw man... You know, I do uh... I do like to make fun of Tubbo for all the shit he does wrong. I mean he fucks up a lot, we can all agree that Tubbo fucks up a lot.', Schlatt spoke up, turning to the audience and grinning. A few people looked between each other with mixed expressions.  
'I mean at the end of the day, Tubbo is the guy who made this entire thing happen! I mean this guy's slaving away, I mean- I don't know if we'd be where we are today without him.', the President carried on, this time getting far more positive responses from the audience.  
'I couldn't be happier to have you as you my right hand man, Tubbo.', he lowered his voice, glancing to the boy to his side. His voice was so... Sincere? There was a smile on his face, and Tubbo himself couldn't hide his own embarrassed grin. For a moment, he looked towards the nearby scouting tower – Meeting eyes with Wilbur as he spoke;

'Thank you, Schlatt.', he narrowed his eyes, focusing on the President again.

'You know, people don't know this...', Schlatt begun, clearly enjoying the attention of the entire audience. He was basking in it... It reminded him of all those Lunch Club addresses back in SMPLive. But this time, he did not share the spotlight with six other guys – This time, it was just him. Just him, alone, as it should have been from the very start.  
'...But me and Tubbo got stuck in the Nether a long while back. That's where those horns of his came from. We stepped in to quickly do something and ended up getting stuck... It was a miracle we made it out. The kid came up with a way to re-light the portal all the while being... Practically the only reason I stayed alive. Yeah. That kid is the only reason I'm alive right now.'.  
'I was scared. Out of my mind, actually.', Schlatt paused, once more looking at Tubbo. Strangely enough the boy saw a flash of... Dishonesty? But... His words seemed so genuine... 'But he kept me grounded. Encouraged me that we'd get out. And he kept me focused until the moment we got out – I owe him my life these days. He's brilliant. I'm proud to have him on my cabinet.'.

Schlatt's forced smile faltered for a moment as he returned to the topic at hand;

'And when Tubbo said, you know, “Schlatt I'd like to say my piece about how great this country is, about how awesome you are”, I mean who am I to say no to that, you know? So without further ado I think I'll put my right hand man Tubbo up front to give us a few words!'.

Wilbur listened in as applause arose from all around the audience, everyone watching as Tubbo made his way across the Podium and switched places with Schlatt. He stepped back and felt his fists clench up for a moment – He was ready. At any second he was ready to jump from the rooftop of that building he found himself on top of and run to the button. He just needed something to push him over the edge – Just one small thing.

Tubbo stepped up to the microphone centre-stage, tapping it nervously.

_'You'll never know dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away...'._

'Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen... Uh... This is a big crowd, huh?'.

Tubbo was forced to rearrange the microphone slightly to fit his height, seeing as he was far shorter than Schlatt. As he did Wilbur could see just how much he was trembling – Clearly, he was more than nervous. Once he finally got a grip on himself and his entire speech, he cleared his throat and looked up with a wide smile.

'A wise man once told me... That L'Manberg... Was like a lettuce.', Tubbo started, clearly a rather underwhelming opening to a speech that had been hyped up as much as his one. Still, he carried on. He seemed confident in his metaphor. 'There's so many layers of tasty and healthy goodness, and once you wash of all the caterpillars and worms off the surface... It's a pretty goddamn good meal!'.  
'Schlatt has successfully washed all of the insects off our great nation, and with that, he's allowed the goodness and tastiness to shine through.', Tubbo spoke on. Wilbur stepped back, for just a moment. Had the boy looked right at him as he said that line, or was he only imagining things? Slowly but surely, his knuckles grew white from how tightly he was clenching his fist.

'Ladies and gentlemen I'd like you to look around at what we've built today. Look at each other. All of this, thanks to democracy and the leadership of Jschlatt.', Tubbo pointed to the President, who simply chuckled under his breath as a loud cheer went through the crowd.  
'Our people have been beaten down by rules and dictators for so long now, but we are finally free! Free to elect who we want, free to live how we want, and most importantly, free to go wherever we want without the confine of those huge black walls...', the boy paused, for a moment. Then, he looked up with the widest and most genuine smile Wilbur had ever seen on him;

'So with that in mind, I'd like to thank everyone for coming to this wonderful event!'.

Hearing the end of the speech... Schlatt begun to chuckle.

_'The other night dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamt I held you in my arms...'._

It was an innocent laugh at first, making the boy instantly lower his hand from how he had raised it. The crowd went silent as Schlatt's chuckle devolved into a snicker, and eventually full on hollering laughter he could barely contain. He calmed himself down and turned, slowly getting closer to Tubbo at the centre of the stage. The boy wasn't sure what to say – He found himself completely stunned in the situation, only able to say a single sentence;

'W-what's wrong, Schlatt?', he finally stammered in fear, watching as the President grew closer to him. He suddenly walked behind him, inspecting something on the floor.  
'No, I was just... I was just thinking about it, Tubbo...', the man looked at the wooden floor, relaxing his shoulders. 'You know how we like to have fun?'.  
'Yeah we... What's... What's wrong-'.  
'You got anything else in the speech?'.

Tubbo hesitated, biting his lip.

'I.. I guess... Let the Festival begin?'.

_'But when I awoke dear, I was mistaken, so I hung my head and I cried...'._

It was now or never. Wilbur knew he had to move. He shifted from one foot onto another, running past Tommy before he could even stop him. He was about ready to slide down the side of the hill before he spotted something unusual – Schlatt suddenly kicked one of the boards in the floor, reaching down and quickly flipping some sort of switch. The moment he did, a large latch opened in the ceiling above the Podium, a metal cage slamming down as it fell from above. Tubbo grabbed onto the bars and looked around a few times, focusing on the audience below. People begun talking between each other, muttering and whispering about their theories as to what could be going on. Even Quackity appeared startled – Wilbur could tell this was something the President was doing on his own accord. He took a few steps back, his attention once more coming back to the stage.

'S-Schlatt?', Tubbo whispered under his breath, looking around in a panic. Quackity was still keeping his distance, but it was clear he wanted to say something. Schlatt, as always, was the only one who seemed relaxed and without a care in the world.  
'Tubbo...', the President turned to the side, his laugh faltering. His smile faded away, replaced by nothing but a sour grimace. The man took a long swig from his drink, tossed the empty bottle aside, and fixed up his coat as he spoke on; 'Tubbo I'll cut to the fucking chase, alright?'.  
'W-what?', the boy whispered, backing away slightly – He could barely move with how small that cage was. It was a miracle it hadn't hurt him as it fell down.  
'Tubbo, I-... And I mean, it really sucks for me to say this right here in front of everybody... I mean it's kind of awkward.', Schlatt carried on, completely blind to the mixed reactions of the crowd.  
'Schlatt- I can't- I can't get out-', Tubbo pleaded, panic building up in him as he tried his best to somehow break out of the cage. No matter what he did, he was completely stuck. Schlatt walked right in front of him and leaned forward, their eyes meeting as he spoke in a low tone of voice;

'I know what you've been up to.'.

'What have I been up to?', Tubbo repeated, feeling his heart start beating faster. He knew. How did he find out? But he didn't understand. But he- No, no, no, this wasn't happening, this wasn't-  
'What have I been up to, he says.', Schlatt repeated, cutting himself off with a laugh. Was he enjoying himself, or was he just too broken to keep it together? 'What have I been up to?'.  
'Schlatt I'm actually-', Tubbo continued pleading, pressing at the metal bar with his arms. No matter what he did, he couldn't break out. He couldn't move. He felt sick.  
'He's been conspiring! With the idiots- With the- With the tyrants! That we kicked out of this great country months ago!', the man snapped. He took a deep shaky breath and looked back, speaking into his microphone but looking directly at the boy as he did;

'Tubbo I don't know if you know this but... Treason isn't exactly a respectable thing around here, you know. We don't take too kindly to it. I know what you've been doing. It all adds up, buddy! The fucking missing files, your absence from great events! I mean you walked off in the middle of this one, Tubbo! Don't try and tell me that you've done nothing wrong, because everybody knows it! I see it with my own two fucking eyes, what you've been doing!'.

'Do you know what happens to traitors, Tubbo?'.

Tubbo felt his heart drop as the President glared right through him, his eyes that cold, angry glare he often witnessed in him before. He stepped back for a moment, turning to the audience... Tubbo could see Niki barely being held back by Eret, who knew she could get hurt if she ran forward now. Techno had his hand touching the hilt of his blade, ready to remove it and strike any second. Wilbur had to come closer and held Tommy back to make sure he didn't do anything that could get them hurt... Or anything that could interrupt this. He was curious, of course. Curious as to what Schlatt had planned for the unfortunate rat in his cabinet – And how much he had taken from Ted Nivison's book as far as dealing with his enemies went. Schlatt looked in the distance, his voice growing low and chilling as he carried on;

'Nothing good.'.

_'I'll always love you, and make you happy, if you will only say the same...'._

'Schlatt...', Tubbo whispered, lowering his head for a moment. This was all just a misunderstanding, he knew. The only way he could get out of this was to tell this man the truth – The truth about everything. Stop telling that man what he wanted to hear, and tell him what he needed to know. 'You don't have to do this. You know you don't. I know you, and you're not like this-'.  
'You know jack shit, Tubbo.', the President snapped back almost instantly, turning back. Tubbo, although scared out of his mind, tried to stay strong. He came as close to the edge of the cage as he could, moving his face right to the edge of the metal bars. He tried to hide the cracks in his voice as he spoke;  
'You were hurt, and you were never given the time to heal. And... And I understand you're angry, and so sick and tired of everything, but lashing out and causing more pain is not the way to go about this.', Tubbo watched as Schlatt's expression shifted to something he had never seen in him before... So he carried on; 'Under all that pain and anger there's still a good man – And I know there is. I've seen it.'.

Tubbo moved his palm forward, reaching for the President from inside the cage.

'Let me help you, Schlatt.'.

For a moment, the man hesitated. He watched that stupid, hopeful, naïve smile on Tubbo's face stay strong and not falter a single bit as he kept his arm pointed forward, his hand trembling as he waited for Schlatt to grab onto it. The President kept his eyes focused on him, his expression a mix of worry and anger. Anger at everything that had lead him here – And worry that he wouldn't be strong enough to put an end to it all, here and now. This boy believed in him so much... He believed in something so stupid. He believed that there was hope. Hope to move past everything, hope to recover, hope to trust again... But what Tubbo did not consider was that decades of endless pain didn't go away overnight.

That sort of pain stayed. That sort of pain festered. And that sort of pain changed you. And it was foolish- No, it was fucking stupid for that kid to believe it to be otherwise. Schlatt looked back into the audience, disregarding Tubbo's words completely as he addressed one guest in particular;

'Technoblade, you wanna come up here for a second?'.

_'But if you leave me and love another, you'll regret it all some day...'._

Techno was hesitant as he rose to his feet. He looked around the audience a few times – Niki was already too panicked to even look at him, hiding her face in her hands as she moved closer to Eret in search of some sort of comfort in the whole situation. The man rose to his feet, feeling the eyes of everyone there on him. The audience scared out of their minds, the President expecting something from him, and his two brothers observing from above at a loss on what to do. He didn't say a word – As Schlatt urged him on, he had no choice but to slowly make his way up to the Podium, eventually faced with Tubbo.

'Technoblade, please, please... If you would be so kind.', Schlatt started, as if the man was supposed to understand exactly what he meant. Techno turned his attention to him with a worried expression.  
'What are you asking, Schlatt?', he whispered, knowing more than anyone what this man was capable of. He had learned from an equally impulsive leader – He didn't hesitate in moments like these.  
'Take care of him. Call it a family favour.', Schlatt rearranged his jacket, pointing to the boy with a smile.  
'What... What do you want from me, Mr. President?', Techno continued asking, feeling his grip on the crossbow strapped to his hip grow uneasy. He took a step back, his eyes glaring through the President.

'Techno I need you to... I need you to take him out.'.  
'No matter what you offer me, you can't convince me to hurt someone I care about-'.  
'Oh, But I don't have to convince you, do I?'.  
'What... What is that even supposed to mean?

_'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...'._

'While I was alone in SMPLive I had a lot of time to learn. Read. Search. That sort of bullshit. One of the things I learned about was all of the Captain's research – I still have the journals memorized. I had nothing better to do, after all. And you know what's interesting? That man had a whole hidden journal dedicated purely to his study of you and those lovely blood-thirsty assholes in your head. And... Technoblade, it's funny...'.  
'What do you think those voices are? Some outside force forcing you to do things? Some horrible monster? That's bullshit, Techno. That was what the Captain and Phil fed you so you wouldn't realize the truth – And the truth is as simple as this... Those voices are your own thoughts. They're your own wants. They're your own sick and twisted needs. That's the truth of the matter, Technoblade.'.  
'Phil forced you into masking those needs yourself. He gave you cures that made you think you were sick. All the blood, the dead animals he found in your room, the bruised children being brought to his door with complaining parents... It all made more sense when everyone involved thought they were accidents – Phil was just too afraid to admit he was raising a monster. But Phil isn't here to “protect” you any more, Technoblade.'.

_'You make me happy, when skies are grey...'._

As Schlatt spoke, he walked around Techno, gripping tightly onto his shoulder. The man could hear Niki crying down below, screaming for him to step back. Somewhere in the distance Wilbur grabbed onto Tommy and covered his mouth, forcing him to remain silent. Quackity was frozen with fear, unable to interrupt – Tubbo himself backed away into the most distant side of the cage, pressing his back into the bars and trying to shield himself with his hands. Normally, Techno would have found a way out of this. He could see about a million ways of getting himself and Tubbo out of there.

But instead of doing anything, he loaded a single firework onto his crossbow.

_'You'll never know dear, how much I love you...'._

'You know the truth, Technoblade. You've known it for a long time.', Schlatt kept speaking, whispering right into the man's ear. He could hear the audience shouting for him to stop, he could feel himself trying to force the thoughts away... And yet, he carried on. He slowly lifted the weapon up.  
'...The cures, the singing, the distractions... All of it was hiding the truth.', Techno spoke under his breath as he prepared to pull the trigger – By this point, all he could hear was his own voice and the deafening silence in his head. No voices, no chanting, no orders... Just him. Just him, and a familiar song.

_'Please don't take...'._

'Tubbo, I'm sorry.', Techno whispered as he lifted the weapon, hearing that song echo around his head, sang with the familiar voice of a man who had hidden everything from him to try and keep these needs at bay. No voices. No chanting. Just him. Him, and the truth. The truth of what he was.

_'My sunshine...'._

When Technoblade fired his weapon on the day of the Festival, it was not the voices, not the Emperor, and not any other excuse Phil had ever forced upon him that made him do it.

When Technoblade killed Tubbo it was him and him alone.

_'Away...'._

'I promise I'll make it as painless and as colourful as possible.'.

And Tubbo died in a flash of colour and noise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SOME NOTES ON THIS CHAPTER CUZ IM REALLY HAPPY WITH IT;
> 
> 1\. this chapter is actually about 700 words longer than the usuals, because i felt like treating yall with bonus angst
> 
> 2\. if it's not obvious "you are my sunshine" is the song phil used to sing to techno before the captain found a "cure" for his voices. the truth of the matter is... the voice was an anomaly, yes, but it was just a "personification" of techno's subconscious, his true wants - with time, he could have handled the situation normally and learned to live with it. phil's and the captain's solution, however, only made it stronger, more invasive, and tricked him into thinking he had no control over it (he barely had any while he was a child, but would gain more as he grew older. while he was a child the voice was more a "suggestion" he didn't really say no to since he was, yknow, a kid. but it also caused him lots of physical pain, like headaches and sickness - which was why phil panicked and opted out for the repression strategy)
> 
> 3\. i'm very proud of this chapter, so i hope yall liked it :)


	138. The Festival (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following Tubbo's death, panic ensues. Tommy breaks down, Niki looks for an escape, Techno lusts for more blood and Wilbur is faced with his own weakness.

The flash was quick – Red and blue, followed by a deafening bang. And then... A second of silence.

A second of silence as Tubbo, Schlatt and Quackity fell down – All knocked down by the explosion, unable to move. A second of silence as Techno looked upon what he had done – And slowly begun turning his attention to the audience. A second of silence as Tommy, Niki and everyone else observing looked upon the stage in horror – Unable to speak after everything that had happened. Tommy's reaction came soon after, being nothing more than a scream that let out impossible levels of frustration, agony, anger, betrayal and about a million other feelings that couldn't be put into words. He felt Wilbur trying to pull him back – He wouldn't let him. He quickly reached into his pocket and removed the single Ender Pearl Dream had given him before the Battle of the Lake – Throwing it forward with the last of his strength.

Just seconds later Tommy found himself standing at the edge of the cage, feeling a dizziness overtake him as he coughed from the purple smoke now surrounding him. Even though his stomach started turning and he felt about ready to throw up he moved forward, grasping onto the cold, metal walls of the cage for support. He could barely see anything through all the smoke surrounding him – All he could see were the broken bars of the back of the cage, with Tubbo's body laid out and covered in a cloud of dust. All he could clearly see were his shoes, and as he tried to get closer to check on him, he felt himself being forcefully pushed back.

'Tubbo!', he cried out, already feeling tears streaming from his eyes as his breathing grew more panicked and could barely stand any more with how much his head was spinning. He stumbled back as someone grasped onto his shoulder, turning him around.  
'Don't look-', Techno, who had just gotten his attention, forced him back and shouted into his face. Tommy could see the blood and gunpowder on his clothes and face – He felt sick.  
'You bastard! You killed him! You killed Tubbo!', he screamed out with no regard for the crowd below getting riled up, arguing between each other and shouting at the stage. Some of Schlatt's bodyguards and other mercenaries were already on their way to detain them and Techno knew he had to act fast – He wasn't planning to leave this party without leaving a mark.

'Tommy, you have to-'.  
'Fuck you! You fucking monster!'.  
'Don't touch me! Tommy get back!'.  
'Give me that fucking crossbow, right now!'.

Techno grabbed onto his younger brother's collar and pushed him back, causing him to stumble and slip from the side of the Podium – He tried to grab onto something but eventually felt his body crash into the ground near the audience. He felt sick, feeling his head pounding from pain. He wanted to cry, scream, throw up and run all at the same time, but all he could do was get to his feet as another firework was fired from above, exploding in the audience and forcing people to scream and run. Techno wasn't just planning to kill Tubbo – He wanted to leave this party with even more blood on his hands. But even with all of this there was another feeling arising in him – Fear. Even laying here, feeling as if every bone in his body was broken and he had lost everything he ever had, he still feared for one thing above all...

Tommy couldn't see Wilbur on the hill any more – He had disappeared.

\---

Wilbur didn't waste any time to move. The moment Techno fired that firework he gave him a signal – A signal that L'Manberg wasn't something worth fighting for any more. Between Tubbo trying to help Schlatt and Niki becoming so comfortable around that traitor who brought their country down, the true L'Manberg died long ago. Wilbur raced down from the hill the moment his brother threw that Ender Pearl, running behind the Podium and making his way to the button room. When he entered it he was completely out of breath – He stumbled inside and collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. That was fine. He had time. The button wasn't going anywhere after-

Wilbur looked up, finding the button to be... Gone. Nothing more than a blank, stone wall with the L'Manberg anthem carved into it remained. The man stood up slowly and hesitantly.

'No... No where is it?', Wilbur whispered under his breath as he came closer, his hand touching the completely smooth surface of the wall. No loose wires, no reminder of the pulled-out button, the only thing that remained was an empty, lifeless wall. How was that even possible? How could it have been repaired so perfectly with no mark of what had once been there? 'Where the fuck is it?'.

'It's gone...', Wilbur collapsed to the ground as he choked out the few words, his hand still resting on the spot where the button had once been. With his other hand he begun tracing the engravings in the wall of the cave, singing along with the melody as he did. His words begun being interrupted by choking sobs mixed with crazed laughter as he shouted out once more; 'It's fucking gone!'.

'Where... Who...', Wilbur's voice cracked more and more, too weak to carry on. Slowly bur surely, he collapsed to the floor completely, laying still by the side of the wall. His eyes were blurred, focused on the nearby exit from the cave – At any moment someone could find him here, broken and alone, chuckling and sobbing surrounded by walls covered in repeating words... A pathetic shell of a madman. 'Who took it...? Who... Who... Who took the button?'.

Wilbur felt his own arms wrap around himself as a familiar solitude overtook him. He knew. Deep inside he knew exactly who, or rather, what, had made that weapon of destruction disappear. From the moment he arrived at the Festival he knew he wasn't fully ready to press it – And now, that dark force inside of himself had taken it away.

'It's gone.'.

And perhaps that was for the better.

\---

Niki, from day one, had one priority – Protecting everyone around her. It started with becoming a nurse in her old city, to help the warriors that protected her, but most of all, to help Minx. To have the skill to take care of her wounds, to be able to help her recover after every fight. Next, her life boiled down to protecting Techno – As much as he'd push her away, back in those woods, they only had each other. Then she protected the L'Manbergians – From Tommy after the duel all the way up to Tubbo after the Election – She had been a protector to all of them from day one. And now, above all, she knew there was a single person she had to help.

Without thinking, Niki raced across the panicking crowd and came to Tommy's side.

'Tommy, Tommy, can you hear me?', the woman managed to choke out in-between panicked gasps. Her mind was still racing – She could barely recognize what had gone down. It was all still piecing together in her head... Techno firing that firework, turning to attack the crowd, throwing Tommy off the side of the Podium. She didn't even have the time to panic – All she could focus on was the boy laying down in front of her, covered in blood and bruises.  
'...Niki? Niki! Niki, we have to... Niki...', Tommy started muttering, clearly confused from his fall. The woman slowly helped him to his feet, making sure to not injure him any further. 'Techno, he... He killed... He...', the boy started whispering, already too overwhelmed to speak.  
'Tommy, look at me.', she snapped, looking the other into his red, teary eyes. 'We have to get out of here. Do you understand? We have to get to safety. Nothing else matters right now. We need to get to the stables and get to Fungi. Do you understand?'.

Tommy didn't feel strong enough to respond, but nodded and followed the woman.

For a single moment, Niki looked back at the Podium – She could see Techno had come down, now making his way through the audience and attacking anyone that tried to oppose him. More and more fireworks exploded around her, she could hear people shouting for help and screaming, someone fell at her feet before she even recognized who it was. Still, she looked – And there she found her. Minx. Crouching down at the edge of the stage, clearly trying to ensure her host survived the disaster. The two met eyes for a single moment before Niki rushed away – There was a clear understanding between each other that this would not be the last time they saw each other, but they could not talk any time soon. Right now, the woman's priority was getting Tommy to safety.

After all, there was no one left for her to protect in Manberg.

Niki raced through the battlefield that the audience had turned into, most people attacking whatever moved just to be safe. Between the large flashes of blue and red, the loud banging and the dust and smoke rising all around it was impossible to see anything clearly. Niki only knew two things for sure - Eret had rushed off to help his people get to safety, and the stables were in the general direction she was now dragging Tommy towards. That was all she cared about. The boy was healthy enough to keep up with her quick pace – But his endless pain from his fall was clear from the look on his face and the limp in his leg. Still, she rushed. She knew there was more on the line than just her own life.

By the time the two reached the stables the situation had fully settled in with Niki – She barely managed to open the pen that Fungi was in before she felt her legs give out on her completely, forcing her to use the wooden poles of the stables for support. She covered her mouth as she felt herself getting sick again, gagging as she even as much as thought about all the blood she had seen on her run away from the explosions. Her stomach turned as she thought of Tubbo's pleads right before the firework was fired at him, her eyes tearing up and her head spinning. It was Tommy this time that gave the two the strength to carry on – Grabbing her hand without a word and squeezing it.

His hand was bloodied and bruised, his grip weakened and uncertain. And yet still, feeling that warmth for just a moment gave her the strength she needed to swing open the small door of the pen and grab onto Fungi's reins, leading him out. She took a deep breath before she gathered enough energy in herself to climb onto the horse, giving Tommy the help he needed to join her. She urged the horse to move quickly, directing it towards Pogtopia before she could even give Wilbur or Eret or anyone else a thought – In that single moment, all that mattered to her was getting Tommy to safety – She failed to protect one of those two kids. She would not let anyone hurt this one.

As she felt Tommy wrap his arms around her waist and press his face into her back, sobbing quietly and trying his best to contain his feelings, she knew she had to keep him safe. As she looked down at his bloodied hands, as she felt her own eyes fill with tears and swiftly wiped them away with her sleeve, she knew she had to protect him. As she imagined the pain, the shock, the terror Tubbo must have felt in those last few seconds before the trigger was pulled, she knew she had to get her revenge for this horrible act. And as she rode into the woods and left all the pain and suffering of the fallen nation behind, she knew she would not look back any time soon.

She had someone to watch over now. She already failed once - She would not let it happen again.

\---

Quackity woke up with a ringing in his right ear and something burning at the side of his face. By the time he forced himself up to his knees his limbs were trembling from pain, the ringing was joined by a headache, and the burning only grew stronger. He got to his feet and tried his best to look away from the still body inside of the cage – He covered his mouth and moved forward, coughing and practically choking on nothing as he stumbled in search of the President. He eventually found Schlatt passed out, much like he was, on the other side of the cage. He dropped to his knees by his side and begun shaking him, trying to desperately wake him up.

'Schlatt?', he asked once, inspecting him. He was far closer to the explosion than he was – The right side of his face completely covered in a large burn, blistered and making him sick from just looking at it. A large part of his right horn was missing completely, laying nearby and completely broken off in the explosion. Quackity shook the man a few more times before giving up and looking around.

'Help! Anyone, help!', he screamed out, feeling himself panic. The pain in the side of his face wasn't easing up – And the ringing, together with an accompanying headache, did not disappear, either. There was smoke all around him, clouding his vision for the most part and leaving him without any way to even guess where Technoblade had gone – But the bright flashes and screams from down below gave him a good idea of his general location.

'Please!', Quackity screamed out one last time, this time receiving a response. Ponk, the country's best and only doctor, together with Punz, one of Schlatt's hired swords for the Festival, had arrived to come take care of him as it had been agreed to happen in case of emergencies before the Festival was even close to being planned yet. He followed them as they dragged him into the White House and barricaded the door, beginning to take care of him there.

And it was here Quackity finally felt the situation truly dawn on him.

Schlatt murdered Tubbo – There was no doubt about it. He may not have pulled the trigger, but he ordered and encouraged it. Quackity felt sick just thinking about Tubbo's face as that weapon was aimed at him, that pure terror a child should have never been forced to feel instantly overtaking him. For a moment he looked towards the Podium – And it was here that he saw something strange.

On the stage, a small puff of purple spoke had appeared. A figure seemed to show itself in the smoke for just a moment – Soon disappearing in another equally lavender-like cloud. The Vice-President swiftly looked away – The stresses of that day were already making him imagine things.

He had to focus. There was enough real things to worry about as is. The made up ones didn't matter.

\---

Technoblade did not sing, but he still hummed that familiar melody as he walked.

He hummed it as he walked over the passed-out bodies of multiple Festival guests, from average citizens to guards and mercenaries who tried to stop him. The edges of his shoes were stained with their blood – His cape stunk of gunpowder and was practically turning grey from all the dust settling around him and sticking to it. He stepped over someone, the edge of his heel pressing into their arm as he walked. He heard them yell in pain – He ignored it. He had somewhere to get to now that the dust was settling and he was out of things to fire.

In the past he would have blamed this on them. He would have blamed this on another blackout, he would have said they took control. But even now he knew – As he allowed them to speak out again, as he listened in to their compliments and cheers as more and more violence came their way... He knew they were never in control. He knew from day one it all came down to whether he listened or not – And for once, he chose to do so. He chose to listen, and this time, there was no lie hiding that truth from him. He was not ashamed – He knew this was all necessary. They would all understand eventually, once he explained. For now, there was one man he had to get out of here.

They were searching for them again once more when he found him – Curled up in the corner of the cave, half-awake and focused on nothing at all. Wilbur filched and backed up into the corner as he saw his brother approach – He relaxed once more as he recognized him. Techno crouched down, grabbed his hands and helped him stand, saying nothing as he collapsed into him and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. He simply returned the embrace, knowing this madman was the last one who would understand – Perhaps that said a lot more about his situation than the blood or ash did.

'It's gone, Techno.', Wilbur whispered, pointing to a nearby wall. Covered top to bottom in the lyrics of the L'Manbergian anthem scratched into the stone repeatedly, there was a single blank spot right at the centre of it – And no button to be found there. 'I made it disappear.'.  
'I know.', Techno whispered in response, looking around the room more. There was a chair right at the centre of it – Did Wilbur plan to come here often? 'I had a feeling you'd do that.'.  
'It's ironic, isn't it?', Wilbur looked up, eyes filled with tears, clouded and lifeless. 'Even the monster inside of me knows I'd never have the fucking balls to burn this shithole to the ground.', the man pressed his head into the warrior's chest, grasping at his clothes as he did. 'I wish I was as strong as you. You know what you want... I can see why you're Phil's favourite.'.

'Let's go home, Wilbur.', Techno urged the other, pulling him along. 'Tommy's waiting.'.  
'I don't think Tommy wants to see either of us right now.', Wilbur whispered honestly.

And so the two brothers left behind the button room, the panicked country, and the bloody Festival and returned to the only place that still felt like home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DID YALL SEE THE LOH LAST NIGHT  
> AND THE CAST FOR TODAY'S TALES FROM THE SMP  
> HOLY SHIT WE'RE STACKED IN THIS FANDOM THIS WEEKEND


	139. The Settling Dust (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the Festival, Pogtopia recovers.

'Niki? Where's my scarf?'.  
'It fell when you were on the Podium.'.

Niki was silently wrapping a bandage around a large cut on Tommy's shoulder, having had stitched it up first thing after they got to Pogtopia. They were both sitting in a deep corner of the cavern, using up whatever supplies the group had with them. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep them alive, so that worked. The whole time she worked Niki had to fight her hardest to keep tears at bay – Tommy, on the other hand, wasn't even trying to hide anything any longer. He was staring off into space with small beads of water rolling down his cheeks one by one, dropping to the ground and drying up. He had been completely silent since they arrived – Speaking up to only repeat one single sentence each time his hand instinctively moved up to his neck.

'Niki? Where's my scarf?'.  
'When Techno pushed you it fell. It's probably still laying by the Podium.'.

He had been doing nothing but that since they got back – Reaching for his neck, touching around and noticing the bruise on it, and turning to the woman, once more asking the question. He had been in a daze since the moment they got on Fungi and rode away, not a single coherent sentence escaping him. She knew she had her own wounds to take care of – Something scraped her while she was running, and she fell a good few times while the two were running through all that smoke and fighting. She definitely wasn't as bad off as Tommy, though – Which was why she chose to prioritize him in the situation. She was just finishing up with another bandage when he asked once more;

'Niki? Where's my-'.

He needed to snap out of that loop. It'd make everything easier if he did.

'Why is your scarf so important to you?', the woman tried to ask as a form of distracting the younger, trying to get him on a semi-related topic that would make him say something else. For a moment the boy hesitated – He quietly whispered those words to himself again, touching his bruised neck and mostly avoiding eye contact. Then, he looked up and weakly spoke;  
'...My dad gave it to me.', he said, hugging his knees. '...I had it for a long time. Since I was a baby. I never knew why. But a month or two back I found out who he was... And that he left me with it.', Tommy, for just a moment, clenched his palm into a fist. 'And now it's gone.', he choked out before his voice failed him completely, once more coming back to sobbing quietly.  
'I'm sure it's around there somewhere.', Niki reassured him, placing her hand on his back. Despite the boy now being in tears, at least she somewhat snapped him out of that trance. It was better than nothing – Now it all came down to fixing up the last of his wounds and getting him to lay down and sleep... As difficult as it would be with everything that had happened that day.

'We'll find it. We just have to-'.

She heard them approaching, first of all. Shuffling up above, someone laying their weapon down in the entrance cave. Then, she saw them – Techno and Wilbur. Both stinking of gunpowder just like the whole Festival had while her and Tommy ran. They came down to the bottom of the ravine without a word said – Niki wasn't sure if they looked guilty or pleased with themselves.

'Niki-', Techno tried to speak as she rose to her feet.  
'Don't talk to me.', she swiftly snapped, voice cold and void of its usual kindness.  
'Just listen-', he tried once more as she passed him, trying to grab her arm.  
'I have no reason to.', she hissed through her teeth and pushed his hand away.

'...Did you do it?', Tommy suddenly spoke up, now standing by Niki's side. His gaze, unlike hers, was set on Wilbur, who was hiding behind his older brother like a startled child. He himself looked about as shocked as everyone there but the oldest of the three brothers – Eyes wide, trembling, and struggling to hold back emotions that he himself probably did not understand.  
'The fucking button was gone.', the man snapped, his voice far stronger than his stance or expression was. He looked about ready to slip back into his madness-induced confidence – And lose that small spark of himself he found again before Tubbo's speech once more. 'But don't think I didn't look. Don't think I didn't try. Don't think I didn't-'.

Wilbur wasn't all that surprised when Tommy came closer and pushed him, causing him to stumble back into the wall, making him collapse. Before he could do more he felt himself being pulled back by Techno, who grabbed his shoulders and forced him to step away. With how weak he was it wasn't too hard to force him away, leaving him standing still and ready to attack anything that came close to him. Fists clenched up, whole body trembling from anger. He was waiting for one thing to push him over the edge – And Techno knew what would happen then.

And he wouldn't hold back. He had no reason to.

'Watch out Technoblade, Tommy's angry at you.', Wilbur walked around his oldest brother, gripping onto his arm as he did. Techno felt that usual cold shoot through his arm, practically making him freeze in place. He could see Tommy's eyes glaring right through him – The way he looked at him took him right back to the second the Captain fell before him all those years ago in SMPEarth – He wasn't sure how to feel. Wilbur, on the other hand, continued urging him on, thriving off the chaos; 'Look at his eyes. He's pissed at you. He's angry.'.

'Say something Tommy. Say something.', Wilbur suddenly turned to the youngest of the three brothers, his expression twisting into his usual grin. The normal Wilbur was back – The very same that had laid that TNT and was ready to set it off any second only a week prior.  
'Why did you kill him, Techno? What's wrong with you?', Tommy finally spoke up, his voice shaky. 'Please tell me you lost control. Just tell me you didn't choose to do any of that. Just tell me it was those fucking voices and tell me I haven't lost my brother. Please.'.  
'...No, Tommy.', Techno quickly said, getting closer to the boy. He flinched and backed away instantly, trying to make some distance between himself and his brother. 'Schlatt was right. Those voices don't control me. Look at me, Tommy.'.

The boy didn't want to, but soon enough he met eyes with his brother.

'Do you not understand what's happening here? Tubbo was already lost. He wasn't your friend. He was under Schlatt's control. And trust me, I know who Schlatt learned all those tricks from. It's impossible to break out from that sort of grasp. No matter what you would have done, Tubbo would have been on that tyrant's side-'.  
'I don't care!', Tommy screamed, once more getting ready to attack. 'I don't give a shit about any of that! I wouldn't have cared if he came here preaching about that asshole's policies or whatever the fuck! He was my friend, he was my friend and you killed him-'.  
'Your “friend” was part of the very government that is tearing everything your nation ever stood for to pieces!', Techno snapped, unable to hold himself back any longer. 'If I didn't kill him then and there it only would have gotten worse! He would have hurt you, or me, or Wilbur-'.  
'You seem to be the only one fucking hurting people as far as I can see!', Tommy soon retaliated, still too enraged by everything to think clearly in any way. 'Why did you- Why did you kill him? Why did you kill my... Why... Why...'.

'You still don't understand, do you?', Techno suddenly grabbed onto the boy's arm, squeezing it tightly. 'As long as that government is in power, more people will suffer. Tubbo was lost. His death was necessary – Necessary to show everyone just the sort of pain putting people in power like that brings. Tommy, I chose to kill Tubbo. I was completely aware. From the second I went up to that stage to the second I pulled the trigger I knew what I was doing and-'.

Tommy swung first. A single punch, and finally, the argument spiralled into a fight.

Tommy's punch was enough to knock Techno back for a moment, although now that he was in control of himself as much as he was, he didn't waste any time grabbing his arm and forcing him into the wall with a swift push. Tommy felt pain shoot through his arm as it hit the stone surface, the attack followed by a shout of protest from Niki and an uncontrollable fit of laughter from Wilbur. Seeing Techno get closer the boy shot up, knowing he wasn't just going to let him get away with a small push. This was a fight now – And when facing Technoblade in a fight, you had to focus on staying alive above all.

'Techno! Techno, stop!', Niki started screaming out, although not getting any closer. She knew stepping in could just do more harm than good, getting herself and Tommy hurt in the process. She tried to interrupt the warrior, who just shoved her aside with his elbow and carried on. When Tommy got to his feet again, he felt a kick to the stomach, causing him to fall on his back.  
'Yes! Yes, Tommy, think about what he did. Think about what he did to your friend!', Wilbur urged the younger on, his words interrupted by laughter, only stopped by his need to breathe and get more air to scream with. Before Tommy could even get up he felt his shirt being grabbed, Techno pressing him against the wall and getting ready to punch him.

With the last of his strength, Tommy stopped the punch and kicked his leg, being let go for just a moment. Taking charge of the situation the boy swung a few more times, each attack dodged with perfect precision. This time, Techno's grip grew around his neck instead of the collar of his shirt, and Tommy could feel pain shoot through his body from the bruises all over it being pressed on now. With each second that the man's fingers were pressing into his throat he felt more and more air escaping him, eyes slowly blurring from tears as he coughed and wheezed.

'Techno!'.

The man understood – Tommy was the same as Tubbo. He was stubborn. He didn't understand.

'Techno, stop!'.

He'd never change – He had his ideals and he'd stick to them if it meant throwing his family aside.

'Get away!'.

As his brother was mere seconds away from death, Technoblade felt himself being pushed back.

He would have fought. He would have insisted on continuing, attacked the person who dared interrupt him – If it weren't for who it was. Niki, with the last of her strength after everything, grabbed onto his cape and pushed him back, forcing him to the floor. She didn't even give him a passing glance – Tommy instantly became her main focus. Techno didn't move. He didn't even flinch. For just a moment, his mind seemed to focus on all the quiet evenings in the woods, the endless chats about their families and pasts, and a million other things from almost two years ago. He felt himself fill with an unfamiliar level of guilt as he met eyes with Niki once more when she helped Tommy to his feet – But when her expression turned sour and her clear disgust for her once-friend showed, he once again snapped out of his trance and rose to his feet.

Niki kept her hands on Tommy as if not wanting to let go of him for a single moment – She kept a grip on his shoulders, one strong enough to keep him standing still but gentle enough as to not hurt him any more. She allowed him to speak, but she knew that if anything happened, she would get him out of here the second anyone tried to hurt him again.

'I thought you would have stopped yourself from killing Tubbo.', Tommy whispered, looking up. 'I thought you'd have at least found the strength in yourself to keep someone I cared about alive. But all you care about is your own stupid fucking ideals.', the boy choked out before tears once more overtook him, knowing he needed to stop before he broke down again.  
'Tommy the thing is, you're using words... But the thing about this world, Tommy, is that the only universal language... Is violence.', Techno looked at his brother, wiping his blood away from his knuckles. 'And we've had that conversation. We've spoken that language. It's over Tommy. Onto a new day...', the man walked away for a moment, turning back as stood by Wilbur's side.

'...A new plot... To destroy Manberg.'.

Niki knew they had to go. For today, there was nothing left for them there.

\---

As much as had happened, it only dawned on Tommy fully when he saw it.

Running from the explosions he still had questions about everything. While Niki took care of him he was too confused to focus. Arguing with Techno he was still too angry to think it all through. But now, standing still, alone with the woman and looking down at what they put together, he felt the whole situation crash down on him. Niki brought him out into a clearing in the woods when they decided to put something together – Something they knew Manberg wouldn't let them do properly. Niki stuck a single wooden plank into the ground, tying another small one into it. She carved a few words into the smaller wooden plank before she attached it to the base of the construct;

_ Tubbo _

_ An Alchemist, a Revolutionary, And a Friend _

_ Rest In Peace _

Niki stepped back, her teary eyes focused on the make-shift grave.

They knew Manberg would never let them have Tubbo's body – And definitely wouldn't let them come to a funeral, if he even were to get buried. Creating something like this near Pogtopia was their best bet at having anything to remember Tubbo by... So that was what they did. While Techno and Wilbur continued spiralling into their respective forms of insanity, the two had to get away from everything and allow themselves a single moment to grieve.

Niki could hear Tommy slowly starting to sob more and more loudly, putting her arm around him and pulling him closer as he finally allowed himself to just... Cry. To just feel emotion, normal human emotion and not have to force himself into shutting it all away. Niki joined him soon enough, tears streaming down before she could even try to contain in. Tubbo was gone – Their friend from day one, someone who had been with them since everything started. Between this, Techno's newfound purpose and Wilbur's deteriorating mental state, Niki and Tommy only had each other – They knew as much. Between all the suffering, fighting, tears and anger, they only had one another as far as saving what L'Manberg had once been.

'We're gonna be okay, Tommy.', Niki whispered eventually, hearing her friend calm down.  
'Are we?', he asked, his voice still weak and shaky from breaking down.  
'We just have to stick together.', the woman carried on.  
'Okay.', Tommy responded, pressing his face into her shirt. '...Okay.'.

For a moment, they stood in silence, soon talking again.

'Wilbur was going to blow it up.', Tommy whispered, turning to the woman. 'He rigged the whole country. Dream gave him more explosives than I've ever seen before.'. Niki felt her heart skip a beat – And this boy was forced to keep such a secret from everyone? She couldn't even imagine the strain he was under before she arrived here. A deep hatred for both Wilbur and Techno begun building up in her as she saw his red eyes and bandaged arms – This wasn't fair. None of it was.  
'...He used to be a good man...', she whispered eventually, unable to hide more tears as she remembered all the happy memories she shared with Wilbur before that accursed Election tore everything apart. '...What happened to him?'.  
'He gave up.', Tommy whispered in response, his eyes still focused on the “grave” the two had put together. 'And I... I feel like if we don't do something, we're going to give up, too...'.

Niki's eyes widened – No. She would not give up hope. Not now, not ever.

'That won't happen.', she quickly reassured him, grabbing onto his shoulder and squeezing it. 'As long as we have each other we can make it out of this – And we can still save what L'Manberg once was. We might be the only ones left...', she gave Tubbo's name engraved on the wood a quick glance. 'But that only means there's still someone fighting. And that's enough.'.  
'...I hope you're right.', Tommy admitted, clearly still too shaken from everything that day to build up any level of confidence in himself. He hugged the woman once more, muttering under his breath; 'I really, really hope you are...'.

And the woman ran her fingers through the boy's hair without a word, unable to hide the fact that she, herself, was unsure of what the future of this nation would bring.

But for now, Tommy and Niki had each other, and that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im gonna be posting a video of me reading my old fanfic on my channel soon and since i think you guys might like that make sure to check it out;
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu5SLLqc7yTb-x89pPGeOGw  
> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu5SLLqc7yTb-x89pPGeOGw  
> https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu5SLLqc7yTb-x89pPGeOGw
> 
> AYO THE TALES LAST NIGHT WERE CLASS  
> CONAR IN THE TALES  
> MY STREAMER IS IN TALES FROM THE SMP LETS FUCKIN GOOO


	140. The Settling Dust (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the Festival, Manberg recovers.

The scar would never go away. That was what Ponk said.

Quackity was standing in silence in front of that broken mirror in Schlatt's bedroom – Whatever was left of it was enough to reflect his face right back at him. His left ear had a large burn over it, the doctor having had told him it was a miracle he could even still hear with it at all. The President was laying in the bed behind him, still being tended to by Ponk. The fighting had long ended – Evening was coming around, and Schlatt was yet to wake up, with the man refusing to give any further information about his state. With nothing else to do the Vice-President was forced to handle the country himself – The cabinet only had him and Fundy left, after all.

Tubbo's death was something he tried to not think about. He knew the moment he did he would start questioning his loyalty to the man laying in that bed – And once he did, the country would remain under the control of a tyrant who couldn't control himself. For the sake of the people of Manberg, he had to keep his focus on other things... At least for now. He sent out Fundy to get him a report of the state of all of their citizens – He was one of the few to get out of the Festival mostly unscathed. He was just about to ask Ponk another question about the man's state when the doors to the bedroom opened, with Fundy standing right at the doorstep. His right hand was bandaged and most of his clothes were covered in that dust that had settled over the entire Festival. He was holding a single page in his hand – He passed it to Quackity with hesitance.

'Did you run a full check?', the Vice-President asked, his voice quiet and hesitant. He was by no means a quiet man normally – But the whole situation left him too tired to keep up that perky, light-hearted facade everyone expected from him. Fundy looked aside, one of his ears fluttering as he spotted the President resting in his bed.  
'Yeah. Good news is everyone made it out alive. That has to count for something, right?', Fundy spoke up, handing the page to the other. Quackity looked at the list of names and current statuses in front of him with a sigh. He shook his head, responding under his breath.

'Not everyone.', he reminded the young man in front of him, who cleared his throat. He couldn't afford to think about it – But it was near impossible not to.  
'...We couldn't...', Fundy started, barely able to bring himself to speak. 'We couldn't find the body. We're guessing the rebels took it – We found a make-shift grave for him out in the woods.'.  
'Right.', the Vice-President whispered, nodding along. 'I'd rather them have it than us... Ha had a lot more friends in the rebellion than he did here.'.

The two could barely say anything about the situation – Was this really happening?

'Quick summary... Tubbo is the only casualty. Nihachu is gone and most likely joined the rebels for good. Alyssa stuck with The Dream Team once things got messy and is one of the people hiding out in King Eret's castle. Karl Jacobs and Sapnap are both badly wounded but recovering. Jack Manifold got out pretty much unscathed and helped me out with most of the scouting. Punz is recovering... And... As for you, President Schlatt and Ponk I'm sure you can evaluate that yourself.'.  
'Yeah...', Quackity waited a few seconds, eventually looking up and placing his hand on the man's arm. 'Thanks, Fundy. This would be a lot harder without you helping out. And...', he paused, for just a moment. 'I'm sorry. I know Tubbo was-'.  
'A traitor.', Fundy quickly cut in, although it was clear he was just trying to mask his true feelings with the word. 'Nothing more. I guess he should have considered an outcome like this when he chose to become a spy for the people who ruined our nation.'.

'Fundy.', Quackity snapped before the other man could properly walk away.  
'Yes?', he whispered, looking back.  
'You don't have to pretend you're okay. Especially not now.', the Vice-President reminded him.  
'I'm fine.', the Fox Hybrid insisted, looking back. 'Don't worry about me.'.

Fundy walked out, the doors shutting behind him. Quackity took a deep breath and focused his eyes on Schlatt and Ponk once more – The doctor was mostly done with his work now, standing up and turning back to face the Vice-President. He nodded his head towards his patient.

'I'm going to be honest here, Quackity.', he started. 'I'm unsure if he's gonna recover from this. He got badly burned. I couldn't do much about his eye – It probably won't work again. His right ear is damaged for good and half his right horn got snapped off. And the amount of alcohol he had before everything went down definitely isn't making recovery any faster.'.  
'Right... I... I think I might have an idea on how to take care of this.', Quackity said with a hesitant nod. 'You can go now. Thanks for everything. Sapnap and Karl could probably use some help now.'.  
'Understood.', Ponk picked up his things, and before leaving the room, looked back for a single moment. '...Is the country ever gonna get to hear about what this was all about? I may have saved that man, you know, but I did it under orders... He still got a child killed.'.  
'And if you want him to live to explain himself, you'll leave.', Quackity looked back, knowing he didn't have much time to do what he planned to do. 'Please.', he added under his breath. There was no need to bring more aggression to such a broken nation.

Ponk gave him a quick nod, and finally, left the room.

Quackity knew there was a single thing standing between Schlatt and waking up – Even if he was alive, as long as he was passed out, there was no way for him to answer for what he did. He had his theory as to why Schlatt had been stuck in that state in between surviving and dying just as he was... In his moment of weakness, there was of course someone else who thrived and took full control. He took a deep breath and turned his attention in the general direction of where the President was.

'...Minx, I know you're the one keeping him like this.', he spoke up. He couldn't see her or hear her, of course – But she still reacted. She flinched, retracting further into the corner she was sitting in and hugging her knees. 'And I know... He's the last person to deserve your help, but... If he doesn't wake up we're never gonna know what happened back there. We're never gonna know why he made that order. And eventually, someone is gonna make the choice to finish him off.'.

'I hate him as much as you do right now.', Quackity carried on, unsure if he was even making any progress with the Dreamon – Or if she was even here. 'But... This country needs their leader more than anyone. Maybe they need a leader to overthrow, a leader to blame everything on, a leader to ask for help – But they need a leader. And whether we like it or not our mutual pathetic drunk of a friend is that leader they need. Manberg will crumble if he just stays like this.'.

'I can't make you do anything.', the man finished, pretty much giving up as he looked down at the pages Fundy had given him. 'But just consider it, please. Consider that there's more on the line that you or me or him – There's a whole country and its people at stake.'.

Quackity let out a sigh of relief as he heard the President gasp and watched him shoot awake – For a moment he wished he knew where Minx was, just so he could look her in the eyes as he thanked her. He opted out for just muttering a silent 'thank you' under his breath and focusing on the matter at hand – The panicked man now gasping for air and sitting on the bed in front of him. He came closer, sat down by the edge of the bed and looked at the man's eyes, or rather, single eye not covered by a bandage, and waited for him to speak.

Schlatt's hand slowly moved to his face, inspecting the right side of it – Tracing over his broken horn, the burns on his skin, and touching the large cloth over his eye. His head quickly snapped towards the mirror, inspecting himself. He was coated in sweat,clearly having had been in an endless struggle against the Dreamon possessing him for a while now. It took him a moment to recognize where he was first of all – Him remembering what had happened and got him here was a whole another conversation. He moved his hand to the patch over his eye and slowly removed it... Quackity would have stopped him if he didn't have such a high level of resentment for him in that very moment. The President looked at his own reflection in horror.

'That eye is gone for good.', Quackity quickly told him, seeing how confused he was. His fingers were tracing the edges of a burned mark right where his eye would have usually been, now only a half-closed eyelid and a light grey, clouded pupil beneath it. 'You're best off wearing an eyepatch. It'll add to your whole villain look. You already have the personality for it.'.  
'...What?', Schlatt whispered in response, looking around. He was clearly still quite dazed from everything, and didn't seem to have a single clue as to why his Vice-President was a standoffish towards him as he was. 'What the fuck are you on about?'.

'...Why?', Quackity asked without giving much more context to it, as if the question were obvious. 'Why did you... He was just a kid. He was just a fucking kid, and you...', the man cut himself off, feeling himself getting sick already. 'Jesus Schlatt, why would you do something like that?'.  
'I...', the President looked down, as if finally remembering his acts earlier. 'I didn't...'.  
'What the fuck kind of twisted shit got in your head to make you think that was the right way to deal with a spy?', Quackity continued his questions, unable to even bring himself to give the other some time to rest. 'Did you even have any evidence of him being a mole?'.  
'I had my...', the President bit his lip, shifting in his seat. 'Suspicions.'.

'Suspicions.', the Vice-President repeated with a few nods, an irritated grin growing on his face. 'Right. Right, you staked the life of our friend on fucking suspicions. And now Tubbo's dead, the whole country is in shambles and everyone's questioning your leadership-'.  
'As if that wasn't the fucking case before.', Schlatt quickly snapped, reaching over to his bedside table and grabbing onto an unfinished bottle of alcohol of some kind. Quackity would have stopped him if he wasn't so angry – Right now that asshole could choke on it for all he cared.  
'Do you realize what you're doing?', the Vice-President spoke up, feeling rage build up in him. How could the man in front of him act so casual with something like this? 'Do you know who you're acting like? Do you know what kind of cycle you're creating here?'.  
'I did what had to be done.', Schlatt spoke up, his eye still focused on the nearby mirror. Quackity felt that rage flood him again – And this time, he allowed it to overtake him completely. He had kept up appearances for the rest of the country... But he had no reason to pretend around this man.

'Tubbo is dead, Schlatt!.  
'I gathered as much.'.  
'And you don't fucking care?'.  
'Who said I didn't?'.

Schlatt took a deep shuddering breath before he spoke.

'You have to make sacrifices for a nation as big as this.', he finally spoke up, putting the bandage back on his eye – He had clearly gotten sick of looking at the wound in his own reflection. 'I couldn't tolerate traitors in Manberg. I made an example of him. Not only that, Niki is gone, too. I got rid of this country's two biggest issues in a single day. I'd call it a success.'.  
'Half of the country has permanent burn scars, you lost a fucking eye, a child is dead and you call that a success?'. Quackity was appalled. Was this man downright insane?  
'I call it progress.', Schlatt moved some covers aside and turned to the side of the bed, getting ready to stand up. 'It's not always pretty. But it's necessary. Alex, why can't you understand that? Why can't you put yourself in my shoes for once?'.

_Here he goes again. Why does it always come down to this?_

'You're a fucking monster.', he spoke as if trying to convince himself of the truth of the matter. That tone of voice – Just hearing it again made his thoughts get clouded completely.  
'Maybe I am.', Schlatt admitted as he got closer, standing face-to-face with the younger man. 'Or maybe that's just a word people begun choosing for people like me. People who know what they want – People who know how to get it. They call us monsters because we're ruthless.'.  
'A lack of empathy is not ruthlessness. That's just being an apathetic prick-'.  
'Your voice is getting a little shaky. Are you sure you mean all that?'.

_And I'm at my snapping point, and he keeps pressing and pressing, and yet somehow..._

'I... I don't know.'.

_I'm still unsure._

'Tubbo was an obstacle. An enemy. He got in my way and I couldn't afford that. I gave him his chances – I gave him my trust. And he crossed me.', the man suddenly gripped onto Quackity's tie, pulling at it and forcing him to come far closer than he was comfortable with. 'Do you want to end up an obstacle, Alex? Or do you want to be something else?'.  
'Something... Else?', the man asked, feeling his heart pounding more than ever. He forgot how terrifying this man could be when he tried to be.  
'...A wise man I knew had a saying.', Schlatt explained, finally letting go of his Vice-President's tie and walking past him, stopping at the nearest window. 'Powerful people need powerful friends. I can flaunt my strength all I want. But without someone equal to me there's not much I can do. But my question is this, Alex.'.

_No matter what you say I'm going to say no. I have to start saying no._

'Do you want to be an obstacle I have to remove, or a friend I can rely on?'.

_I'll say no._

'And I need an answer now, Alex.'.

_I'll say no._

'Are you a problem I have to remove now...'.

_I'll say no._

'...Or are you the powerful ally I need by my side?'.

_I'll say-_

'Yes, Schlatt.', Quackity lifted his head, feeling his lip trembling. He knew. He knew no matter what, he'd always end up in this corner. And he knew there was no other answer he could ever give. 'I won't be an obstacle. I'll be an ally. I'll be a friend.'.  
'I could not be happier to hear that.', the President said with a smile, the burn scars around his face twisting his lip and making it far more menacing than it was. 'Now, Alex. Let's get to work. We've got a nation to get under control. I doubt you managed much without me awake to help.'.

_I'll say no eventually._

And Quackity carried on believing that, despite knowing it to be a lie.

Because Quackity admired....

Because Quackity trusted...

Because Quackity...

…

He had work to do.

\---

_I thought I could trust him._

_Tubbo is dead, by Schlatt's orders and by Technoblade's hand. His death came from both sides of this fight – Just another piece of evidence I need to know that L'Manberg lives on only in the dreams of fools who can't move on from a broken nation..._

_And I'm a fool. Because even in the face of this tragedy, I'll fight on._

_Jschlatt will fall. Wilbur Soot will fall. In Tubbo's name I will make sure that L'Manberg and its true nature, its true calling, its true purpose remains. If I'm the last once standing so be it – As long as the nation that my father and my friends- No, my family, settled, stands._

_Some of them may be gone. Some of them may have changed. But I have not. And as long as I remain, L'Manberg will too._

_This is Fundy, and this is far from my last entry._

_Let the real war for my home begin._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys make sure to subscribe to my channel!! very cool video coming in the next few days!!!
> 
> ALSO THANK YOU FOR 50K HITS HOLY SHIT  
> IM LIKE???? OKAY????????????  
> IM  
> YEAH IM JUST VERY HAPPY


	141. The Settling Dust (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the Festival, the DreamSMP recovers.

The DreamSMP had two leaders – Dream had the power, and King Eret had the extravagancy.

And yet in the face of this tragedy, only one seemed to truly care for the city's people.

The moment Niki slipped out of Eret's grasp and ran into the rising smoke before he could even try to stop her, he knew he had to focus on something else. There were dozens of people all around – People who lived in his nation, people who relied on him, and people who saw him as a leader. And in the face of such a tragedy, it was leaders such as him that had to provide everyone else with hope. He frantically looked around and tried to locate as many people as possible, helping them to their feet and getting them away from the epicentre of all the fighting. To every person he'd shout something about heading to his castle – Between the thick, stone walls and the large moat around it he knew it was the safest place near Manberg that they could all go to.

It was during this panic Eret spotted something unusual – Dream, a silent guest at the Festival was... Standing still. Only moving to dodge oncoming attacks or panicking people, the man stood at a small distance observing the whole disaster without a word. His face was completely covered by his mask, the absent smile on it barely visible under all the dust now covering it. The King wasn't sure how to react – Did this man have no regard for the safety of his city? Eret came closer, feeling himself being completely fuelled by rage. He grabbed Dream's arm and forcefully turned him around, coming face-to-face with those empty, beady eyes on his mask.

'Dream! What do you think you're doing?', he snapped, barely able to contain his anger. The man quickly pushed him away, forcing his arm out of his grasp and knocking him back with his free hand. He turned, shifted his mask slightly, and revealed a neutral frown underneath.  
'I'm sorry?', the man asked, sounding neither pleased with the situation nor worried. 'Is there something I'm supposed to be doing by any chance?'.  
'These are your people! They're in danger! Get your shit together and get them somewhere safe!', Eret shouted out, his blood boiling just from how casual the masked man was acting. 'Do you not understand what could happen? Do you want someone to die?'.

Upon seeing Dream refusing to response, the King moved away, knowing these people had no one left but him. He continued moving through the crowd, narrowly avoiding explosions and getting as many people as he could out of dangerous situations. Eventually, Sapnap and Karl seemed to have gotten a hold of Technoblade, attempting to apprehend him, the situation only spiralling further. Eret finally started running himself. He knew Niki got away – She wasn't the type to easily get lost in this type of situation. Once things begun calming down and he knew the settling dust would only reveal everyone and make the situation worse, he finally decided to escape himself.

When he arrived in his castle most of the people he had told to hide there were already there – More arrived in search of medical supplies and a place to stay where they wouldn't fear for their safety. Eret knew the two nations would most likely go into some form of lock down with how dangerous Technoblade had shown himself to be – And with Dream's lack of reaction to the situation, it was best to stay hidden until the rebels were confirmed to be gone for good. The King could see the DreamSMP citizens crowding around the main hall of his castle, talking between each other and wondering what to do next. Eret stepped forward and begun speaking;

'Everyone, please don't panic! The castle is filled with medical supplies, there is enough space for everyone to be comfortable, I have spare clothes and enough beds for anyone who's in critical condition! Anyone who got out without major injuries please try to help those who are badly wounded! Any and all medically trained persons or alchemists should focus on trying to help people or put together potions that can! And above all, please, don't panic!'.

And he carried on. Reassuring his subjects, passing around supplies and clothes, assigning bedrooms for those who needed rest away from everything. Eventually, Callahan and Alyssa, who both managed to get away without getting too badly injured, begun helping him with getting everything under control. The Dream Team seemed to keep their distance, staying at the castle and shutting themselves away in one of the rooms, but clearly too busy with arguing with one another and taking care of themselves to involve themselves with the larger crowd. Bad, Skeppy and Antfrost stuck together as they often did – The first two were a lot more injured than the other, so he tried to take care of them both in-between tending to his own wounds. Sam was one of the few people trying to take care of everyone he could, meanwhile Purpled and HBomb begun handing out fresh clothes and food and water after a few hours passed.

The King, finally, stopped working, took a deep breath, and sat down on his throne, just for a moment. He rubbed his eyes, his sunglasses falling to the floor as he did. Normally, he'd slip them back on without hesitation, but with how tired he was, he could barely bring himself to reach down for them. They were cracked, covered in dust... He wiped some of it away with his finger, spotting his own reflection... For just a single second he seemed to consider something-

'King Eret!'.

The man slipped the glasses back on and his head shot up.

'Yes? Yes, what's wrong?'.

It was Sam – That tan man with dark green hair that walked around with pristine, golden armour most of the time. Of course, due to Manberg's rules on armour and weaponry, he was now only walking around with a green hoodie and ripped jeans. There was a bandage around his arm, but compared to the others, he came out pretty much undamaged. He had spent the whole day helping everyone else around the castle, reporting on everyone's states and getting the supplies that were needed. He had always been such a helpful person to people – It was almost heartbreaking how often he was pushed into the background of everything.

'Everyone is in a stable condition now. It's best if these people stay the night – Moving them in the condition they're in could be more damaging.', Sam quickly recited, as if having had gone over the sentence a million times in his head. He was always quite the calculated man – One of the few in this city that always seemed to have it together.  
'Right... That's fine. Thank you, Sam.', Eret took a deep breath and felt his shoulders relax. This day had been too stressful for him to even focus, and-

Tubbo was dead.

Tubbo was actually dead.

How had it skipped his mind?

With everything happening and all that he was forced to manage, Eret hadn't even given it a second thought. He was so focused on keeping everyone safe he hadn't even considered this whole situation – This innocent kid who got wrapped up in something he should have never been forced into was now dead. Dead because of people who should have protected him, taught him, taken care of him... People who he, himself, tried to help. He was gone. He died in the worst possible way anyone could ever die, in his last moments afraid, hurt and betrayed and-

'King Eret?'.

The man looked up once more, his glasses this time hiding tears building up in his eyes.

'Yes, Sam?'.  
'Are you alright?'.  
'I... I'll get better.'.  
'Right. Goodnight, then.'.

Eret knew he had to rest. He had enough of letting other people support themselves on him – He needed to lay down for at least one night and focus on himself. He couldn't even put into words how much his mind was swirling with a million thoughts – About what happened, about how Niki was, about what the future would bring... He barely even heard the argument in the room he was passing, only stopping when the shouting got too loud and aggressive for him to ignore.

'Why are you two always on my case?'.  
'You're not the same person you used to be any more.'.  
'People change. Sorry to break it to you.'.  
'Can you two please stop arguing already?'.

Eret leaned on a nearby wall, his eyes focusing on the inside of the room he nearly passed – The doors were ever so slightly ajar, revealing what was happening inside. He could see Dream – His back was turned to the door, with his hood down and his mask laying on a nearby table. His hair was mostly messed up, covered in that infamous dust from the Festival. George was sitting in front of him, on a bed in the room with his head in his hands, and Sapnap could be heard from inside, although Eret couldn't see him anywhere near the door. Dream kept pacing back and forth, shouting something about the other man from time to time.

'You didn't even bother looking back. You ran away from that Festival and left everyone to fend for themselves.', Sapnap continued berating his friend. 'That's not what you would have done last year. I remember just how concerned you used to be with the forest. Now we barely scout it any more.'.  
'Schlatt puts up enough bright lights in that hellhole of a country to keep any monsters away. We don't need to waste time scouting the woods any more.', Dream claimed, looking calm but his constant pacing and playing around with his pockets showing something else.  
'It's not about what's in the woods! You don't care any more. You don't care about your people, about your city...', Sapnap hesitated, looking back. 'And about us. You don't care any more.'.  
'...I put my priorities somewhere else.', Dream responded after a short pause, standing still and glaring at the third man Eret was unable to see. 'By protecting the city and its integrity rather than individual people I ensure everyone can survive. These cities' survival no longer relies on the people in them. Now relations and politics are more important. And if I got involved-'.

'I don't even know who you are any more.', George finally spoke up, lifting his head. Dream seemed taken back by his words – For a split second, Eret could hear nothing but tense silence.  
'I'm your friend. I always have been. I do all of this for you two-', Dream tried to defend himself, his voice clearly growing more and more unsure of his own words.  
'If leaving people behind when they need you most is somehow supposed to be in service of us...', Sapnap muttered, suddenly appearing near the door. 'Then maybe it's best if we just put an end to all of this all together. George, Punz asked for me earlier. Wanna come to Manberg with me?'.

'You guys aren't-'.  
'Yeah. Yeah sure, that sounds good.'.  
'You're acting like children!'.  
'Come on. Best if Sam doesn't catch us sneaking out before he gets those potions done.'.  
'Don't walk away from me!'.

Eret watched as Sapnap's hand was grabbed by Dream, stopping him.

'Everything I ever did was for you two. Everything I ever sacrificed was to keep us together. I just want things to come back to how they were. I just want us to be... One family again. Do you understand that?', Dream whispered, gripping onto Sapnap's shirt with all his strength.  
'...If you wanted that you'd have stopped a long time ago.', the man responded, forcing his hand away. He waited for George to catch up with him, stepping out the door. Eret hid himself to the side, disappearing behind one of the pillars that kept the above ceiling stable. Sapnap looked back;

'Goodbye Dream. I hope you find what you're looking for.'.

His friend, however, was far more hesitant to leave.

'...George?'.  
'I know you're still in there. Under that mask you're still my friend.'.  
'...George.'.  
'But you're in that... State... Now. Maybe once this war is over we can talk again.'.  
'...George!'.  
'I don't like goodbyes. Let's call this a see you soon.'.

And just like that, Dream was alone.

Eret stuck around for a little longer – He wondered if he'd be required to step in. He heard the man cursing under his breath, knocking something over, and kicking something else. Eventually, he decided it was best for him to leave. He had enough troubles of his own – Worrying about those others were struggling with would only make him lose himself more. He wandered into his bedroom feeling exhausted from the whole day... It were as if only now he was finally feeling the effects the Festival had on him, everything hitting him all at once.

As he lay down in his bed, he finally felt himself relax. He put his crown aside, he took off his glasses and ran his fingers through his hair, taking a deep breath. The ceiling above, as always, was cold and lonely, distant with paintings of things he dared not name. Legendary creatures, Dream had called them after he had the thing commissioned. A pitch black dragon and purple eyes and a three-headed thing he couldn't even match to any animal or monster he knew of. He turned to the side, already feeling his breathing grow uneasy from laying on his back like this. He felt sick, exhausted, every part of his body seemed to hurt... And yet, still, he couldn't bring himself to even as much as shut his eyes. And it was then he spotted it – Something insignificant, but something important enough to cause a reaction from the King.

A piece of jewellery. Earrings he considered wearing to the Festival, but put aside. And the moment he spotted them, he noticed a familiar glow return around the edge of his eyes. He quickly moved his head aside, burying it in his pillow and trying to not let his mind wander.

It had been there for a long time. From the day he first arrived at the DreamSMP, that strange anomaly he seemed to be born with caused him grief. His eyes empty and void of life, without pupils of any kind. Those eyes that were always drawn to what glimmered the most, forcing him to grasp onto power and possessions anywhere he could just so he could satisfy that voice in the back of his head begging for more. His eyes had always been an indicator of that greed – Lighting up like stars up in the sky whenever setting on something they wished to have forever. Those sunglasses eventually became something he needed all the time – Kept people from asking questions. Kicked out from his first city due to growing hungry with power and trying to steal everything his fellow citizens had, he wandered here, and the rest was history. First Dream helped him, then used him, and now, he only had himself to rely on.

Eret took a deep breath, his empty, now darkened eyes settling on a nearby mirror.

His hand moved to that light pink dress he decided to wear – He could barely tell what was blood and what was the strawberry pattern underneath. He traced the edges of the stitching on it, finding rips and holes... The dress was better off in the trash than being fixed in the state he was in. He could still hear Niki talking about it... The two of them laughing, joking around with Techno. Tubbo came around eventually, Schlatt having had given him a moment of peace. The first thing he did was compliment him – Always first to make the people around him feel happy and comfortable. God, that kid never did anything wrong, why was he...

Eret took another deep breath, this time having to wipe those very empty eyes.

Niki was gone. She had ran off with the rebels – That was better. With Technoblade there it was hardly a safe place for Tommy... He needed a guardian. And Niki was just that. Tubbo was... Gone. Just like that, gone for good. And it stung to even think about that. And despite all the people he had helped, all the people he provided with shelter and protection for the night... Eret was... Unsatisfied. Hollow. Because that was forever his curse.

Never satisfied. Always empty. Always craving more and never feeling satisfaction.

Niki and Tubbo had brought him that once – They brought him joy. They showed him that he was more than those riches, and that he could be happy with far less. They had given him that purpose he always searched for, helping him switch from the royal garments and the crown to a dress and a genuine smile filled with hope.

And now all of that was gone.

Feeling empty, just as he had always been cursed to be, the King finally fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eret angst :)  
> also some sam content :)
> 
> apparently the video wont be out for 2 weeks cuz youtube decided to strike me this morning  
> i want to fucking die /j /lh


	142. The Split

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quackity is at his snapping point.

Quackity admired Schlatt.

It had become more of a rule than a belief – Something he kept in the back of his mind because he knew it would excuse every single small thing he had ever done. Every time he cheered him on, every time he went along with his plans, and every time he supported his choices it was those few words that kept propelling him forward. He kept convincing himself that this was the single reason he felt like he had to be near him all the time – Because blaming it all on admiration was easier than admitting there was something far worse, far more conflicting there. Resorting to admiration left him with nothing else to question any more. It left him with an escape.

But how could he use that excuse now? How could he keep convincing himself he admired someone like him? How could he keep convincing himself he admired a man who felt no remorse to killing people that trusted him, who felt it necessary to turn friends and family against one another in the name of progress? This feeling could no longer be masked with admiration.

And here came the scariest part – If it wasn't admiration, then what was it?

What kept him around, what kept him chained, what kept him coming back for more? He knew it was something that had been there for a long time. He arrived at this city all that time ago looking for purpose – He had ran from city to city in search for a home. And even when L'Manberg opened their arms to him, he knew he still wouldn't feel at peace. From day one, from the moment he started running, he only knew one feeling – Emptiness.

He was numb. He was always so, so numb.

And any feeling making the numbness go away was better than nothing.

There was no admiration at the core of this issue – Admiration was a word he tried to use for it to hide the fact of just how weak, broken and dependant he was on someone who would use that against him any chance he got. But he would continue to stay. He would continue to admire. He would carry on forcing himself into this situation because being in pain was better than being numb.

'I'd love to make the Podium bigger. If I'm supposed to address everything it's best to make it flashy, right?', Schlatt would as always think aloud. The cabinet wasn't the same any more – Fundy didn't cut in with his ideas for things, Quackity didn't outright oppose everything Schlatt said. It was just an echo chamber – The President saying what he wanted, and two broken followers agreeing.  
'There isn't any more space around the Podium.', Fundy stated, cold and absent. He didn't care about the best interest of the nation any more – All he cared about was getting another meeting over with and moving along. That seemed to be his only priority any more.

'Well then we're going to make space.', Schlatt quickly responded, narrowing his eyes. 'I don't understand what the problem there is. Whatever is in the way will have to go.'.  
'The... The White House is behind the Podium.', Quackity spoke up, slowly realizing just what Schlatt wanted to do. The man shrugged, leaning back.  
'Then I guess it's going down.', he spoke rather casually, no worry in his voice. 'We can hold meetings in my house anyway. It's not like we follow any rules around here.'.

He felt that pain, again. He felt rage flood him. Did Schlatt not understand? That place had been built by all of the candidates in the Election, it was a sign of good sportsmanship and union. The only problem? Schlatt had not contributed. He was the only candidate who never laid a single brick in that place. So why was he allowed to sit here and order it to be knocked down? The numbness, as always, was gone. The numbness, as always, was replaced with something negative. The numbness, as always, disappeared, and finally, he felt alive again.

He'd have opposed him. He'd have talked him down. But that would have risked making the pain go away and letting the empty feeling back in – So he let it stay. He let it boil inside of him, let it fester, and knew that eventually he'd have enough. But... Breaking down was better than sitting still. Questioning everything was better than staying silent. And feeling hated, used and abused was better than feeling like no one cared you were there at all.

So Quackity didn't say a single word.

Because Quackity was dependant on Schlatt.

\---

Quackity trusted Schlatt.

At this point it was like a drug. A fleeting source of happiness at first, a drop of feeling in a sea of nothing. It was addicting. Finally feeling noticed, finally feeling like he was contributing, finally feeling like he belonged, even if his role was to be constantly berated and left wondering why he still held on. And like a drug it got weaker and weaker and he constantly needed more – First enjoying the high but still questioning choices like taking down the wall or burning the flag, slowly going into supporting manipulating Tubbo to their side or convincing Fundy to support their cause. And now? Now the need was so intense his mind was convincing him to justify Tubbo's death and continue to push himself into his endless feeling of trust.

But with every drug there was a breaking point – You either got out before you couldn't let go any more, or you died from the very thing that had once become an escape. And with every day you grew closer to that point, every hour becoming a constant fight with yourself and every minute becoming a missed opportunity for finally putting your foot down and turning away. An endless spiral down the path to death or a ruined life of endless regret – Was there no good way to come out of all of this? Was there no solution, no escape, no exit?

'We can't let him do this!'.

Fundy brought him back down to reality. Fundy was an anchor. Fundy was a _headache._

'He won't actually go through with it.'.

And Quackity didn't want to face it. Not yet. One more day. One more hit.

'We built that place together! With Niki, with George, with Tommy, with... Wilbur.'.  
'I'll tell Schlatt. I'll explain. He won't do a thing without our approval.'.  
'He killed Tubbo without our approval.'.  
'You said it yourself. Tubbo was a traitor. He got what was coming to him.'.  
'I know but he- He never even spoke to us, and...'.

They were both lying. They both didn't mean a thing they said. But they were both too deep in to get out now – Quackity couldn't tear himself away from someone who made him finally feel, and Fundy... Why was Fundy still sticking around? Was it the same for him? Could he have a friend in all of this? Or was it something else? Something better, something worse? How was it that the President's two closest supporters were also his two biggest criticizers? How was it that an entire nation was in uproar, but the tyrant was still in charge? Why was everyone stuck in this limbo where they despised a single person and yet their hate turned them against one another, while those who didn't have the strength to hate admired their oppressor?

It was all so simple and yet so complicated – The answer was right in front of them and yet spawned more questions than they could ever handle at once. It was hard to describe the sort of things he felt in the middle of all of this. It was like standing in the eye of a hurricane – Wind lashing from every direction around you but just avoiding that one place where you found yourself. Leaving you with a moment to access your situation and realize just how fucked you were – And then throw you right back into the disaster you were forced to call your life.

And yet still Quackity could see the truth in the eye of that storm. Even with everything blinding his vision, his predicament was as clear as ever to all those who saw him day to day. Even though it hurt, even those it broke him, even though it tore him down, he knew he had no choice.

Because there was a simple truth;

Quackity was addicted to Schlatt.

\---

Quackity admired- Relied on- No, he admired-

He trusted... And he was addicted to... And he...

He had... He...

He...

...

Quakity had had enough.

This was it. This was the breaking point. This was the moment the drug stopped working and he either let go or died to the thing that had once brought bliss. This was the moment the hurricane moved and he had his last chance to brace for impact. It was do or die – And at the centre of it all was that fucking building. That stupid, seemingly useless pile of bricks and glass that ended up being a symbol of the unity between the different individuals running during the Election. It was so simple and so insignificant – And yet it had more meaning than anything could ever have.

And Schlatt wanted to take that away.

He didn't deserve it. He didn't have the right to take down something he had no part in creating. He didn't deserve this power, he didn't deserve to make this move, he didn't deserve to make this order. This wasn't something that was granted to him through his title – He could never possibly understand just how much work and meaning went into that place.

'To Be Demolished', read the signs in front of the building.

It made him sick. It made his blood boil. It made him feel.

He was far from numb when he finally snapped.

'What the fuck do you think you're doing?', Quackity shouted out as he approached the White House, noticing the people gathered around it with tools and explosives. It baffled him as to why people still followed him after the Festival – Now that he wouldn't be seen without a bottle in his hand and could not say a single word without his speech being slurred. But the offer of money and power made people do strange things – And of course, taking Schlatt's side also meant not taking Dream's – And that was an offer few would pass up in the state that the city was in.

'Alex! There you are! I was just about to send someone for you!', Schlatt exclaimed as he approached. The smile on his face no longer seemed inviting. That friendly gleam in his eyes – Or rather, eye, the other being covered with an eyepatch – Seemed more malicious than anything else. Quackity felt no more admiration, or trust... He just felt... Exhausted. Just looking at him made his stomach turn – And remembering what he was about to do only made that feeling stronger. Not numb. Angry, fed up, broken, tired... He just had to hold on.

_I won't let him lure me in again. I'm stronger than this. I'm stronger than he is._

'You can't... You can't do this, this place-', Quackity tried to speak, but he could already feel his voice growing weak. No, no, no, not already, he couldn't let go already, he couldn't let him get away with this for another day, that couldn't be right-  
'Oh come on, Alex. Don't tell me you're gonna try to oppose me on this?', Schlatt turned with that usual smirk of his, his hand tightly grasping onto a bottle of whatever he pulled out of his liquor cabinet. He came closer, grabbing onto his Vice-President's arm.  
'Don't touch me-', he tried to fight it, but felt his voice grow weak. The man pulled him closer, looked him in the eyes and spoke in a half-whisper;  
'Let me tell you something, Alex. Something I think you really need to hear. Come here, don't be shy.', the man moved him closer, putting his arm around him.

_This time I won't let him break me. This time I'm going to stand up for myself._

'It's funny, really.', Schlatt spoke as he lead him forward, watching as the people around them begun taking apart the building Quackity had put so much work into with all the other candidates. All the candidates but Schlatt – He never contributed. He had no right to do this. 'These past few days I can't help but think you've been mad at me... But I really don't get why.'.  
'You really don't get it?', Quackity practically hissed. 'You constantly insult me, do things behind my back, go against all my advice and you wonder why I'm angry? Do you know how fucking terrible these past few days have been for everyone? You think Tubbo's death and everything else you did is just gonna go away like that? You're dumber than you look...'.

_I'm stronger than him. I'm better than him. I can-_

'But... I thought I could rely on you, Alex. Are you really gonna turn on me like this?'.

_Am I really gonna turn on him like this?_

'You know, Ted taught me lots of things. A lot of those lessons went over my head – I mean, I was so young and stupid. I thought he was using me... Hurting me... But here's the thing, Alex. All this time he was teaching me – And look where I am now.', Schlatt paused, pointing to himself. Drunk, barely dressed well, and looking as if he hadn't slept in three days. The fucking paragon of success...  
'...What are you trying to say?'.  
'I'm trying to show you things, Alex. You're my friend. My partner. My Vice-President. Everything I do I do with you, for you, I mean... Tubbo was a minor set back in everything, you know? A stepping stone. You have to look at the bigger picture. This place, just like Tubbo, has to go. Sometimes people- Or, uh... Places, have to be left behind.'.

_Is he right? Or is he using me as a way of telling himself what happened to him was okay?_

'I care about you, Alex. That's why I do all of this.'.  
'You do?'.  
'Of course! And Ted cared about me too. I just made the mistake of overlooking that.'.  
'I wouldn't want to make a mistake...'.

_I wouldn't._

'I see so much of myself in you... You could be like me. Hell, better! You just need to be sharpened, you know? Like a good but unused sword. Have to get all fixed up to be fit for battle. You get that, don't you? Diamond in the rough. Overlooked gem. Someone has to pick you out.'.  
'And this is your way of doing that?'.  
'Exactly! And this place, Alex, has to go. Some people get left behind. Some buildings come down. Some assholes have to be thrown off cliffs and others have to be exiled for five years or some shit. There's other things to worry about. In the grand scheme of things it's just a couple walls.'.

_He's right. It's just a few walls._

'Come on! Let's get to work!'.

_It's just a few walls._

Quackity watched as Schlatt walked into the to-be-demolished building, barking out orders as if it were second nature. His mind was swirling with thoughts – But one thought prevailed above it all.

_...Just..._

_…A few..._

_...Walls...._

_..._

_A few walls I built together with people who cared. A few walls put together by people who wanted the best for each other. A few walls that signified more than that asshole could ever imagine. A few walls that, as long as I live, will not come down._

_I've had enough of your endless lies and broken promises._

Quackity didn't need Schlatt.

Not any more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys like this chapter!  
> im very proud of it :)
> 
> for those who dont follow the tumblr - i didnt upload yesterday cuz i had a really bad headache all day, but its gone now, so dont worry about me ^^


	143. The Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy heads out to do something he might regret. Quackity snaps.

She heard him wake up early in the morning.

'Tommy?', Niki lifted her head, feeling something shift next to her. Her and Tommy had moved their bedrolls next to one another after everything happened – They also chose to keep their distance from Techno and Wilbur at night. It must have been around eight or nine when she heard him wake up, unusually early for him. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. 'Where are you going?'.  
'Oh, I'm just...', she heard the boy respond, barely recognizing him through her blurred eyes. She hardly got any sleep in this place – Between the cold stone floor, constantly fearing for her and Tommy's safety and about a million other things, it was downright impossible to rest. Her voice was groggily and she could barely even keep her eyes open as she looked at the boy.

'I'm just going on a little walk.', the boy whispered, as if afraid to wake up the other two inhabitants of Pogtopia. Who knew what plans they had for that day, with their usual behaviour? 'To... Tubbo. I wanna... I wanna talk to him for a bit.'.  
'...Right.', Niki responded with a slight nod, once more rubbing her eyes and yawning. 'Just... Come back soon, okay? Before they wake up. I don't... I don't' wanna be alone then.'.  
'Yeah. Don't worry.', Tommy quickly reached for his bag, laying nearby, and picked up a sword as well as a bow and a couple of arrows. Was he just staying safe, or planning to do something else? 'I'll just be an hour at most. You can just come get me if they're a problem, okay?'.

Niki could see it in his face – The sort of maturity he was forced into with everything he had been through, but he shouldn't have had ever been forced to display at his age. He wanted to protect her and keep her safe just as much as she wanted to protect him... And that was all they could rely on these days. She gave the boy a quick nod before she lay back down.

'Okay. Stay safe.'.

And it was the last thing she said before drifting off to sleep once more. She was exhausted.

Tommy, on the other hand, could not rest. Not with what was going through his mind. His friend was dead – His best friend. His best friend was gone and it was all because of a single President who couldn't let himself trust those around him. He didn't care about how stupid his plan was – He didn't have the time to hesitate any more. No one around him seemed to think through their acts carefully... So why should he do something of the type? He had a plan – And the plan required sneaking out to Tubbo's grave with a bow and enough arrows for a kill.

The only thing on his mind as he walked was the need for revenge.

\---

'First, daffodils. Rebirth and new beginnings. That's what they're supposed to show.'.

It had only been a few days since everything that happened. Barely a week passed, and already, things seemed to fall back to the normal rhythm of things for everyone but Tommy and Niki. It was almost as if they were the only ones who cared any more – Quackity and Fundy kept working for Schlatt, Wilbur insisted on keeping Techno around and blowing up the country next chance he got, and the President seemed to have the exact same amount of support he did before.

'Tulips are love and royalty. They're supposed to be really special.'.

How could everyone turn away so quickly? How could everyone forget this? Why was it that he was the only person in this city standing at this boy's grave and laying down flowers every day? Why was he the only one remembering him for who he was, for the person he was? Forgetting his acts, or which side he was on, or whatever the fuck else everyone else used as an excuse for his death, and remembering the good person underneath?

'Lavender is purity,grace, peace... And the smell is really nice – It can calm you and shit like that.'.

Why was he the only one here, standing at this grave, looking at the name lazily scratched into it and wondering why everything that happened even went down in the first place? It didn't seem fair. It didn't seem right. But if he was the only one who was willing to be here and remember him for the person he was, he'd sit here all day. That was what his friend deserved.

'And then... There's poppies.'.

Tommy knelt down, placing a single, ruby red flower in front of the small, wooden cross.

'The symbol of death.'.

He wished he was here. He'd give anything for it. He'd give anything to turn back time to before the Festival, take the discs and run away with him as they planned. He wanted to come back to that single moment, take that opportunity and just... Live on, somewhere safer, somewhere better. Somewhere where people didn't argue over shit that never mattered, somewhere where there was no stupid politics, Presidents, Kings and god knows what else. Somewhere where two kids could have a normal life and not be separated like this.

Tommy's eyes focused on the grave, already blurring from tears.

'I never even got to say goodbye.', he whispered, wiping his eyes with his palm. 'The last thing we said was that argument in the alleyway... You walked away from us with Wilbur telling you you were a pushover. That's not... That's not fair. Tubbo, I promise I never thought that, okay? You are- You were...You were my best friend, and... And I don't know what to do without you, okay? I don't... I don't know what to do any more.... Even with Niki here, I don't know...'.

He had to take a moment to calm himself, and then spoke on.

'It's not fair. You should be here, you know? With me. It's not... Fair...', he paused for a moment, took a deep, shuddering breath, and carried on. 'But... You can't be. Because you're dead. You're dead because Technoblade killed you and Schlatt ordered him to do it. I... I can't let him get away with that! I can't just sit here and wait for whatever bullshit plans Wilbur or Techno or Niki string together! I'm not gonna let them just sit back while you have to pay...'.

Tommy's grasp on his bow grew stronger, his head turning towards Manberg.

'I'm doing this for you, Tubbo. I don't know what will happen once I do. Maybe I'll die, too. But maybe that'd be better. Maybe I'll see you again then? I don't know...'.

He lifted the bow, prepared a single arrow, and begun heading towards the country that was once his home – And now only remained as a scar that would never go away.

'Whatever happens... This is for you.'.

And he begun walking.

\---

'Take all the photographs down!', Schlatt continued shouting out, wandering down the halls of the White House as they were broken open and torn apart. 'And burn them, too! I only want to see myself around here from now on, not hose tyrants!'.  
'We agreed the pictures of the previous President and Vice-President will stay.', Quackity cut in, following behind in a rush. 'It's history! It doesn't matter what you think of them, they were here and they lead the nation, they deserve to be remembered!'.  
'If everyone had the right to forget me decades ago I have the right to forget two assholes who never did anything good.', the man insisted, taking another swig from his bottle. 'Come on Alex, chill out. You're making such a big deal out of this! It's just a couple walls.'.

_Fuck you._

They walked on. Quackity winced every time a loose brick somewhere fell down, or another window found itself smashed. Schlatt didn't do a single thing, observing as everyone did the hard work for him and narrowly avoiding all the workers as he walked around and knocked over whatever he didn't like the look of. Smashing the vase of flowers Niki insisted to put in the corridor, ordering the carpet Fundy thought would fit the area to be torn apart. He could feel his rage only building up more and more. The desk Wilbur himself brought from his own office, the chairs Tommy ensured would be the easiest to lean back in and slack off. Smashed to pieces – Those piles of wood made him want to scream. Even the small engravings George left on the doorways weren't spared – Or the bookshelf Quackity put inside the small room under the stairs he himself ensured would be there once the build started.

Quackity's eyes focused on his President, making his eyes flood with spite.

_Fuck everything about you._

They were standing outside now. The whole building was already practically collapsing.

And he couldn't keep it in any more.

'It's beautiful, I think. Progress and all-'.  
'Shut up.'.  
'I'm sorry, what did you say?'.  
'Shut the fuck up.'.

_Fuck your illegitimate Presidency, fuck your lies, and fuck all your tricks._

'This place was put together by people who actually cared, unlike you. We made this as a sign of unity, we made this as-', Quackity tried to be rational, calm, convincing, anything. But he wouldn't take him seriously. He never did. No one ever did. All he did was laugh.  
'Oh come on, Alex! Stop with that sappy bullshit! We're making space for more things. Better things. Why are you so against it?', he asked, coming closer. He was going to grab him again, pull him closer, tell him more lies to shut him up.

_Fuck your fake smiles, fuck your fake words, and fuck everything you told me._

'It's not as simple as that!', he snapped, slapping his hand away.  
'Oh, come on, Alex-', Schlatt tired again, but once more, failed.  
'Names are for people you trust. Don't you dare use mine.', the man reminded him.  
'...Oh. I see how it is.', the President stated with a dry laugh.

'Fine then, _Quackity._ Want to get serious? Let's fucking talk.'.

_Fuck you for making me feel weak._

'I can see what's happening here. You're starting to doubt me. And here I was thinking you were actually smart. That you'd see the sort of opportunities you were missing by pushing me away. Those sorts of things don't come all the time – You have to grasp on. Hold on. And what you're doing right now is the opposite of that, Quackity.'.  
'What I'm doing is finally standing up for myself-'.

_Fuck you for treating me as if I was beneath you._

'You're weak. You haven't gone through the shit I have to get here. You haven't seen half the shit I have. You're throwing away something that I'm trying to give you. You're giving up a chance to be something greater. Without me you're nothing. Nothing, Quackity. Just a washed up bitch with nothing to his name and no backbone.'.  
'That's not true and you know it.'.

_Fuck you for underestimating me._

People were starting to talk. Work around the demolition ceased, and Quackity was left with nothing but silence around him and Schlatt's words burning into him like flames. But he wouldn't cave this time – This time he was going to put an end to all of this, once and for all. His hand moved to the side and he found a bow laying about... Probably something one of the workers left out once they arrived. Next to it, an arrow. He didn't even recognize what he was doing as his fingers travelled over it, eventually wrapping around the two items and lifting them.

_Fuck you for taking away my family, my home, and everyone I cared about._

'You killed Tubbo. How can you live with that?', Quackity asked, feeling his voice grow weak. And although he barely had the strength to speak any more, he had more than enough energy left in him to make this final move. Schlatt's eyes wandered to his hand.  
'What are you planning to do with that bow there?', Schlatt asked, although he didn't seem too concerned. He tossed his bottle aside and took a few steps forward, making his Vice-President flinch. He stood tall. He didn't plan on backing down any more.  
'You're an awful person. And... And I can't let you carry on. You don't deserve to run this nation.', Quackity kept his voice clear and focused, and his stance tall and proper. Schlatt looked back at the crowd now gathering around them, laughing out loud.  
'Look, everyone! Quackity decided he wants to take charge! He thinks I'm not fit for this position!', the President kept shouting out, meanwhile the people around him gave him mixed reactions. Some were in agreement, some were confused and most were worried. Quackity felt his grip around the bow tighten, his other arm reaching for the arrow and wrapping his fingers around it.

_Fuck you and everything you stand for._

'You don't have the guts to do half of the shit I do for these people! To protect them, to help them get better, to grow their country! I am the single thing standing between Manberg and its end, and you're going to take that away because of some fucking house you got obsessed with?'.

_Fuck you and all your stupid ideals._

'Or is it about Tubbo? Because you can't understand the sort of sacrifices I make for this place? Do you know the pain I was in when I realized that little shit was a rat? Do you know how much I reconsidered calling that fucking order? But I had no choice! I did it for this country, for you!'.

_Fuck you and whatever bullshit turned you into this._

'I've been through more shit you could ever even imagine, so don't try to stand here and tell me what's right and what's wrong! You are nothing! Nothing at all! I tried to give you your chance but you're throwing it away! You're just gonna end up a useless fucking pile of trash!'.

He raised his weapon.

'Go on then. Do it. You don't have the fucking balls.'.

He aimed it.

'And about the White House? It's still going down.'.

He got ready.

'Why don't you cry about it?'.

He wouldn't let him have a hold on him any more.

'Fuck you!'.

Quackity snapped, firing the single arrow and watching it lodge itself into Schlatt's chest. The man looked down, standing still for a single second, and eventually collapsing to the floor and stumbling back. People were by his side instantly, some shouting at him and others getting ready to capture the former? Vice-President. He knew he had to run. He had no future in this country – Not any more. He dropped the weapon out of pure shock, turning away.

He ran. Just as he had his whole life, he ran. From another home, to another uncertain future. And yet this time, there was feeling – He wasn't numb. He wasn't empty, alone or broken. Now, for the first time since he could remember, he felt.

As Quackity ran, he finally felt alive.

_It's over._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HES FREE  
> LETS GOOOOO
> 
> the word fuck is said 23 times in this chapter so that says a lot huh


	144. The Survivors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quackity escapes from Manberg and finds himself overwhelmed with everything - Tommy offers help. Niki decides to save a friend, and Minx feels helpless. A man in the woods remembers faces long gone.

Tommy went to Manberg with the intention to shoot Schlatt.

The last thing he expected to find was the President already shot, laying on the ground.

And the last person he expected to run into nearby the scene was Quackity.

'Quackity? What the fuck?', Tommy instantly snapped, watching the man stumble onto the ground in front of him. He was shaken, trembling and panting for air, barely able to catch his breath as he rose to his feet once more. The boy could hear some of Schlatt's men nearby – They were after him, and if he didn't move soon, they'd catch up. The man stood up, gasped, and went pale as he saw Tommy, with his sword at his hip and a bow in hand.  
'Oh shit! The last fucking thing I need right now is the rebellion finding me, Jesus-', the man choked out, coughing as he found himself out of breath. He hadn't ran a long distance – But it was clear the stress of the situation made him spiral into something reminiscent of a panic attack, making him lose his breath and leaving barely be able to string together a coherent sentence. And as much resentment as Tommy had for this man, he felt pity seeing him in a state like this.

'Hey, hey! Dude, calm down! Jesus, you're a mess...', Tommy got closer, watching as the man coughed more and more, forced to spit on the ground to not start choking on his own saliva. 'What the fuck happened back there? Why are you running? What the hell is going on?'.  
'I... I think I...', Quackity hesitated, feeling himself grow weak. He gagged, quickly covering his mouth. Did he actually do it? Take away the life of another human being? As twisted as Schlatt was, ending someone's life wasn't something he ever wanted to say he had done. All he could do as his thoughts clouded him was choke out; 'Fuck!'.  
'Hey. Hey, hey, hey! Keep it together, come on!', Tommy grew closer, unsure where his sudden worry for this man had come from. He was the enemy, after all – And yet the way he looked right now made him feel too pitiful to cast him aside. He turned his head, realizing the voices of the people chasing this man were only getting closer.

Perhaps it was his willingness to trust anyone that wouldn't be the people that hurt him constantly.

Perhaps it was his belief that Quackity truly, at heart, was still a good man.

Perhaps it was the fact that he wished someone had done the same for Tubbo when he needed them.

'Come on, let's get you out of here.'.

But no matter what it was, Tommy helped Quackity stand and took him away.

\---

'Here, sit down. Do you want some water?'.  
'I'm fine.'.  
'You're barely breathing, dude.'.  
'I.... F-fine. Okay. Can I have some water?'.

No one was there.

Perhaps that wasn't the thing Tommy should have had focused on, seeing as he just brought the enemy into their base and all, but still, he didn't control what his mind became set on. And his first issue, the moment he entered Pogtopia, was that Niki, Techno and Wilbur were all missing. He could see from the state of things that they must have eaten, got their gear and left – There were only two plates left behind, however, which suggested the woman didn't interact with the other two. He wasn't that surprised. She barely even spoke to them, only answering questions where communication between the rebellion was necessary - And even that was rare. Still, he had something else to take care of, and he was sure Niki could handle herself and was alright.

'...Here. Just calm down, okay? You're safe here.', Tommy spoke up as he passed Quackity a small bottle of water, watching him open it and take a quick swig of it. He took a few deep breaths before he calmed himself down completely, speaking up with a soft voice that was so unlike himself it only made the boy worry more. What had this man been through in the past few hours?  
'...Thanks.', was all he said, looking down at the bottle. He took another sip, eventually resorting to just playing around with the thing in his hands as a way of calming himself down more.  
'I'm never gonna hear the end of this once the rest of them get back...', Tommy whispered to himself, already imagining the amount of arguing with Wilbur and Techno that would follow this. He was sure Niki would be frustrated, too, but she had a way of showing her anger in ways that made you feel far more guilty than just getting screamed at.

'I... I can go.', Quackity quickly spoke up. 'I need to get to another city, anyway.'. Tommy was shocked – Why would this man want to run? Was he not in a high position of power in that country? Now the boy could barely contain his curiosity as to what had gone down.  
'Wait, wait, why do you wanna run?', Tommy asked, only seeing the man in front of him flinch and his breathing grow panicked once more. 'Quackity, what the hell happened back there?'.  
'...I... I killed him.', the man whispered, looking down at his hands for a moment. 'Schlatt. I shot him. We were arguing, I... I didn't even know what was happening. I grabbed a bow, and-', Quackity cut himself off before he even finished the sentence, hugging his knees. 'I shot him.'.

'Shit...', the boy whispered, looking in the bow he had placed by the entrance once he arrived. How was he to admit he was only in the woods to do the very same thing? And did this man look... Guilty? Why would he feel guilty about getting rid of someone as horrible as Schlatt? 'And... And you're sure he's dead? I mean... How bad was it?'.  
'...Straight through the heart.', Quackity responded after a moment, the image of the arrow lodged in Schlatt's chest appearing in his mind once more. The feeling he felt was mixed – On one hand, there was an impossible amount of relief coming together with that arrow piercing his flesh as it did, but on the other, the bloodstain that formed around it soon after made him sick.  
'Yeah, doesn't sound survivable, does it?', Tommy whispered under his breath. And yet still, he felt no relief – No excitement, no rush of joy at the idea of victory. Something in the back of his mind kept convincing him this was not the last he had seen of the President. With how he somehow survived all those injuries during the Festival, it was hard to imagine he'd give up after one arrow.

They sat in silence. It was hard to string together a single thought with everything happening.

'...So I'm guessing you're out of the cabinet for good after that?', Tommy asked, although he knew the answer to be obvious. Quackity took a deep breath and sat back, rubbing his hands together.  
'Yeah. I doubt they want me back now.', he whispered, his eyes wandering the side of the cave. He kept focusing on all the cracks in the wall, the small scratches, the dripping water... No matter what, he didn't want to leave. He just wanted somewhere to stay, in peace, for at least a day.  
'...You know...', Tommy started, already hearing the earful he was gonna get from his brothers. 'The rebellion could always use more people. I mean... The more the merrier, right? And... You don't look like you've got anywhere to go. And I'm gonna be fucking honest here, man.', he paused for a moment, sitting down by the man and sighing.

'You're a mess right now. What sort of shit goes on in that country?', Tommy asked, meeting eyes with Quackity. Instantly, the other looked away, as if trying to hide something deep within them. 'I know the state you're in right now didn't just come from firing one arrow, Quackity.'.  
'I guess it doesn't fully hit you until you're out of it.', the man responded, inching himself closer to the corner of the cave. 'I just... It's all just... I don't know.', the man stammered on every word, grabbing at the edges of his beanie and pulling it down more. 'I just need... To put it all together.'.  
'Well...', Tommy grabbed the man's shoulder, feeling him flinch at the touch. 'We have lots of space. There should be enough food. And I'm sure I could convince the others to take you in. Basically, what I'm trying to say here is...'.

There was no hate in him – Just as he was “angry” at Tubbo for switching sides, he directed the same sort of frustration at this man. One's opinions did not define them – It was their actions. And as far as he knew, Quackity was his friend once. A friend who was lead astray by someone who wanted nothing but to use him. Looking in his eyes, watching him struggle as he tried to piece together everything that had happened to him, trying to calm his breathing only to spiral into more and more panic... He had never done anything to directly hurt him. So why would he leave him to struggle like this alone? It wasn't fair. It was never fair to leave anyone behind like this.

'...Welcome to Pogtopia, Big Q.'.

\---

Niki was confused by this development. That was to be expected. I mean, the Vice-President of the country they were trying to take back suddenly popping up shaken, refusing to speak and sitting in the corner like a scared child in the home base of the rebellion after she came back from a morning run? Definitely not something she was prepared for. And yet, somehow, her mind found itself wandering somewhere else. Because Quackity being here meant one thing.

Minx was alone.

It was all she could focus on as she took care of the man and tried to calm him down. It was all she could focus on as Techno and Wilbur returned with questions. It was all she could focus on as she explained the situation and convinced them to let them man stay. It was all she could focus on as they found him a place to sleep and whispered between each other as he drifted off to sleep, still refusing to speak to anyone but Tommy. And it was all she could focus on as she lay awake in the middle of the night, playing around with a loose bandage on her arm.

She got up. She knew she wouldn't rest until she did something. She had waited far too long for this opportunity – This was her time to move. Now or never. She got up as slowly as she could, careful not to alert Tommy or Quackity. She quickly moved to the corner of the cave, where she had hidden a small bag of items as well as an old, tattered book. She slipped the bag on, put the book inside as careful as she could, and quickly checked if everything was still there. A dagger made of iron, a collection of herbs, a single piece of chalk, four candles and a couple of matches. She was good to go. She sneaked out of Pogtopia under the cover of darkness – And made her way to Manberg.

It was time to free another person from Schlatt's clutches.

\---

He was alive.

What other choice did she have? If Minx didn't save Schlatt's life, she would have died with him. She had to. While the shot was fatal, with a few minor arrangements, it soon became something the local doctor could handle, being praised as a miracle worker for doing something so impossible. She rolled her eyes as she heard people compliment him – It were times like these that reminded her just how lonely it was to be a Dreamon. And it was when the President finally woke up that she was reminded just how painful, tiring and utterly depressing it was. Just seeing his face made her sick to her stomach – She felt about ready to snap.

'You're fucking lucky to have me, you know that?', she hissed at him the moment he opened his eye, looking at her from where he lay on his bed. He grunted, grumbled something, and turned to the side, throwing the covers over himself. 'Oh, boohoo, is the President a little tired after getting fucking shot by his own Vice-President? You had this coming, asshole.'.  
'Just shut up already. I have a headache.', Schlatt practically whispered. She felt her eyes narrow with rage – He never listened. He never even as much as gave her a passing glance. 'And Quackity will come back. He can't do shit without me. He's obsessed with me. It's sickening.'.  
'Yeah, sure. Keep believing that.', Minx sat down on a nearby drawer, looking in the mirror in the corner of the room. 'You're losing grip. A few more stunts like this and you're out of power. And then someone is finally gonna come along and cut your fucking head off.'.  
'You won't allow that.'. Despite his quiet tone, she could still hear that irritating melodic sound to the way he spoke. He had power over her and he knew it – It was infuriating. 'As long as you're here you have to keep me alive. So even when the whole fucking world turns on me... You'll still be there. Whether you like it or not.'.

'I wish I never met you.', the woman snapped, feeling rage that had been building up for weeks finally crashing down on her. 'I wish I left you to die. Found someone else to use.'.  
'And you think I don't?', the man responded, causing her head to turn. 'All of this could have ended so much more easily if I just died in that portal. Maybe if I didn't even relight it. Just burned with SMPLive like I should have. But here we are – So we have to deal with this shit.'.  
'...Maybe next time I just won't bother saving you.', Minx suddenly whispered, putting her arms around herself. 'Maybe it'd be easier to just give up. It's not like I have much to live for.'.  
'Whatever. You can die for all I care. Either way I win.', the man told her rather harshly, finally shutting her out completely and focusing completely on falling asleep.

Minx couldn't put into words her frustration. She wanted to kick everything, make every book on every bookshelf fall, shatter the windows and mirrors, scream and make this whole house fall down on her and everything in it. But there was nothing – All she could do was sit in silence, hugging her knees, feeling her situation dawn on her more and more with each second. Her words stated becoming less of a grim threat aimed at Schlatt – And more of a promise of an escape from this hell. It'd be so easy just to stab him while he slept, keep him silent for as long as it took before he died to make sure no one came to save him again. One swift move, one sacrifice. She'd go with him – But wouldn't that be better for everyone in the long run? Niki and Quackity got away – But there were still multiple people in this nation suffering because of him.

Was she being selfish by saving herself?

Minx's thoughts were soon interrupted by a noise – Someone was in the corridor outside, tripping over something. They were lucky Schlatt was as tired as he was because of his injury, or he would have woken up and investigated it already. She knew Fundy still lived in this house, but she was sure he had left to take care of some business around the now-demolished White House. So who else could possibly be here? Ponk left and had no reason to stick around, Punz and Sapnap were off looking for the rebels... Ah, fuck it. It's not like she had anything better to do. She might have as well gone to investigate. She jumped down from the drawer, stepped forward, and pushed open the doors, stepping into the corridor silently.

No. No, no, why was she here?

Minx's eyes soon met Niki's – The woman was standing near the staircase of the house, holding onto a bag with one hand and a large sword with the other. She stopped and became still like a deer in headlights, startled by the sudden meeting and looking back at her friend without a word said. Her face relaxed for a moment, all of her worries melting away as the joy of seeing Minx safe once more overtook her completely. She smiled, some tears already coming to her. She sheathed her sword and waved with her now-free hand, chuckling quietly.

'Hi, Minx. We made a promise, remember?'.

Niki pulled out a single book from her bag, lifting it up. Its title was inscribed into the leather cover, lazily scratched in with something sharp – ' _The Dreamon Book of Rituals_ '.

'Let's get you out of here.'.

\---

He thought he'd be afraid of fire, but he found it more intimidating than anything.

Sure, all the memories made it difficult to stay close to. The heat made the burns around his eye itch, familiar memories coming back together with it. But how else was he to stay safe out here? The night was dangerous, especially in a place like this. The more people the more monsters – That was the number one rule of the woods, and it was a rule he knew well. For a moment he just stared, letting the rising flames crackle and dance, but keeping his distance.

In his hand, there was an old photograph. The circumstances of that picture being taken were peculiar – It wasn't like he had a camera available when he took it. It wasn't the place or the time where things like that were present... But a visitor from a land far, far away spared the tool and gave him this single gift to remember these three by.

Two men and a young child – All smiling, relaxed and without a single worry. And only days later all three were dead – The world was a cruel place, wasn't it? The burn on his eye begun to itch again. Perhaps it was time to stop looking at the past.

He lay down, looking up at the grey sky. A droplet of water fell on his face – He didn't mind.

He loved when it rained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY GUYS
> 
> this chapter originally was supposed to have the minx/niki ritual finished completely + reveal who the person at the end is butttt  
> i ran out of space oopsie
> 
> SO instead....  
> MAKE SOME THEORIESSS WOOO
> 
> whos the stranger?  
> clue: the last line hints at who he is :)


	145. The Recovery (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niki and Minx carry out the ritual. Meanwhile, a man in the woods helps someone out.

'So how does this work, exactly?'.  
'I'll run you through it in a moment.'.  
'This looks... Dangerous.'.  
'Well, it _is_ basically a satanic ritual...'.

Minx watched Niki as she worked. The two made their way down to the living room – Right under Schlatt's bedroom, so the Dreamon wasn't bothered by their separation headaches, and with enough space for the human to do what she had to for the ritual. She was in the middle of drawing a small chalk circle around herself, inscribing various symbols she copied from the book she brought around her. Minx didn't fully recognize the alphabet they were in – But it seemed incredibly familiar. She begun lighting four candles around four sides of the circle, replicating perfectly a drawing in the book. She eventually tossed it aside, and rubbed a large amount of herbs over the dagger she brought with her sleeve. This was the moment Minx got concerned – She knelt down and joined her friend on the floor, observing her as she sharpened the blade carefully.

'Niki... What's that for?', the Dreamon questioned, seeing how sharp the edge of the iron blade was. The woman looked up, seeming slightly guilty. She cleared her throat.  
'The candles and symbols will capture all of the energy severing your bond with Schlatt will release. It's only here so you don't burn this whole place to the ground. To sever the bond I'll have to hold your hands and say an incantation – Your real name being used in it is enough to make it work. Names carry a lot of power for Dreamons. And once that's done-'.  
'Niki, what's the dagger for?', Minx cut in, her voice serious and grave. Niki took a deep breath, knowing her friend would try to stop this whole thing the moment she explained. But she also knew if she wasn't honest this whole thing could turn to disaster – So hesitantly, the woman spoke;

'...A Dreamon without a host can possess easily. But a Dreamon mid-severing of a bond needs assistance. Their new host has to be weaned, severely... Blood loss is the easiest way to weaken the host like that. So I'll have to-'. And just as Niki expected, Minx cut in.  
'No!', she instantly shouted out with a gasp. The woman shook her head, looking up.  
'There's no other way to do this! Listen, I lined the dagger with numbing herbs, I won't feel a thing. I'll just get light-headed. Once you attach yourself to me you can get rid of the cut. I'll be fine. You just have to focus and make sure you switch hosts quickly.'.

'And what if I...', Minx looked down, biting her nail. 'What if I can't? What if I don't get severed at all? And you'll just lay here with a cut in your stomach, and-'.  
'Then you'll wake up Schlatt. Get someone. I'll get captured, but at least I'll survive. And then we can try again. And again. And again. And as long as it takes to get you to safety.', Niki came closer to her friend, grabbing her hands and looking into her eyes. 'I can't leave you here, Minx. If this is the only shot I have at getting you to safety, so be it. But I need you to work with me.'.

She squeezed her hands, a gentle smile coming to her.

'I trust you, Minx. But the question is... Do you trust me?'.  
'I... I do. I trust you, Niki. Let's do this.'.

Niki instructed Minx to stay on her knees the way she was, meanwhile she sat across from her in a similar position. She kept holding onto her hands, rearranging her grip on them and squeezing more tightly. She lit all the candles, one by one, and made sure they were all in position. The Dreamon felt her whole body grow cold and her skin go pale as the other woman picked up the dagger once more, brushing over it with her herb-coated sleeve one last time. She placed the dagger on her legs, fixed up her hair, and met eyes with Minx once more.

'Ready?'.

The Dreamon nodded, gulping. She wasn't sure what to expect.

'Alright. Here goes nothing.'.

Niki closed her eyes and begun whispering something under her breath, in a language Minx could barely comprehend. She could hear her full, real name thrown in there a couple of times – Something she had trusted Niki with many years ago. As the woman carried on, Minx felt a strange wind blow through the room, the flames on the candles dancing along with it and the inscriptions in chalk on the wooden floor below seeming to shift and change. The Dreamon felt herself feeling... Strange. Sick, uneasy. Her stomach begun turning, but she tried her best to stay focused. Deep breaths, keeping her mind on Niki's words and nothing else. The woman kept whispering, but now, she reached for her dagger and let go of Minx's hands, turning the blade towards herself.

And together with her final exclamation, Niki stabbed the dagger into her stomach.

With her free hand she moved her sleeve closer to her mouth and bit down on it, trying her best to get rid of the overwhelming pain now shooting through her body. Even with the numbing herbs on the blade she still felt a lot of the damage caused by it. She tried her best to stay focused and awake, giving Minx all the time she needed to carry the host over – But she also knew it was the bloodloss and her eventual loss of consciousness that would give the Dreamon the most strength. So, as much as it hurt, she pulled out the weapon and allowed the crimson liquid to pour out, staining her clothes and eventually dripping down to the floor below. She could barely recognize what was happening around her any more – She was getting light-headed.

She fell into Minx's arms by the time the pain got too great, feeling something warm above her and seeing a flashing light. She could tell the ritual was working – There was an unusual wind blowing through the room, and the candles all suddenly went out all at once, the flames from them seemingly rising and floating above them. Niki felt her friend press one of her hands onto her wound to try and stop her bleeding with one hand, another wrapping around her shoulders and pulling her closer. She could hear her shouting something, but with the amount of blood she was losing, she soon felt her dagger slip out of her hand and saw her vision blurring. Only a few more seconds and Niki passed out for good – Left only with the hope that her friend had managed what they had to do.

And Minx had no intention of leaving her friend to die in this place.

\---

_'You need to stop putting yourself in the front lines like that.'._  
_'A couple scratches never hurt anyone, Niki.'._  
_'These are full-on stab wounds, Minx. I know you're tough, but... What if one day I'm not there to help you recover? What if something happens and you get seriously hurt?'._  
_'That won't happen. I promise.'._  
_'How do you know that?'._

_She grabs the other's hands, smiling._

_'As long as we're together, we're gonna be alright.'._  
_'And if we're separated?'._  
_'Then we'll find each other again. And you know what will happen then?'._  
_'We'll be alright... Again.'._

\---

Niki wasn't sure how much time had passed by the time she woke up – She was dizzy, her head spinning as she raised it up. She was no longer being held by Minx, but rather laying on top of her, as the other had passed out. She slowly forced herself up, moving her hair out of her face and trying to get a hold of her situation. She looked down at her stomach, lifting her bloodied shirt. Her palm moved over her skin, finding... Nothing. No cut, no scar, no scratch. She was completely fine. Her bloodied dagger still lay nearby, together with the now put-out candles that had toppled over since the whole ritual happened. There was no doubt about it – Something... Happened. Whether it was what the two wanted or were expecting was a completely different conversation. Niki finally turned her attention to Minx herself – Finding her passed out.

She was breathing, and seemed semi-awake – That was a good sign, right? Niki helped her up and watched her grab onto her head, trying to get rid of a headache. There was blood under her nose that she swiftly wiped away, sniffling before she looked back up at Niki once more. She looked exhausted – But in a way, also filled with much more energy than she had been when the two started the whole thing. Something in her eyes made her seem more alive... It was strange. She rubbed her eyes, looked around a few times, and finally focused her attention on her friend once more. Instantly she pointed to her blooded shirt, trying to say something, but Niki grabbed her hand.

'Hey, hey. It's okay. I'm fine.', Niki lifted her shirt slightly, pointing to her stomach. 'You fixed it. You managed to do it. I'm okay.', the woman continued reassuring her friend until she calmed down fully, sitting back and letting out a sigh of relief.  
'That was so fucking stupid, Niki!', Minx finally shouted out, her usual self clearly returning to her. 'You could have gotten seriously hurt! What if I didn't manage this?'. Niki knew she didn't mean to get angry – She just had very expressive ways of venting her frustration.  
'Well you did! So relax!', the woman exclaimed, helping her friend stand. The two looked around, the living room being as silent as ever. The wind was gone, there was no one around but the President sleeping upstairs, and the night wasn't getting any shorter.

'Do you think... It worked?', Minx asked after some time, looking down at her hands.  
'Only one way to find out, right?', Niki reached out with her hand, urging her friend to grasp on.

'Let's get out of here.'.

And so the two women walked. First out of the house – Minx hesitated, just for a single second, and then walked on. Nothing. Past the house and out of Manberg's main sector, the one that was once surrounded by the walls. Nothing. Eventually, they reached the edge of the woods, sneaking into the forestry and making sure to go unseen by guards scouting the perimeter. Nothing. This was the farthest Minx had ever been away from Schlatt – And she was completely fine.

The amount of relief she felt was impossible – Finally being free of that man, standing here on her own accord. It was liberating. She looked around a few times, feeling energy she had never had before flowing through her already. She practically charged at Niki, wrapping her hands around her and grasping onto her as she felt tears come to her.

'It worked!', Minx shouted out in-between choking sobs, feeling her friend return the embrace soon enough. 'Niki, it worked! I don't have to- I don't have to stay there any more!'.  
'You're okay.', the other whispered in response, herself feeling her eyes grow teary from overwhelming joy. 'You're okay now. We're gonna be alright.'.  
'I promised we'd always be.', the Dreamon reminded her, letting the rest of the world disappear just for a single moment. 'I promised we'd always find each other and be alright.'.

Niki pulled herself away from her friend, grabbing her hands.

'We better go back to Pogtopia now. This fight is far from over.'.  
'Right. Right, let's go. And let's kill that asshole for good this time.'.

And finally, side by side, the two women walked.

\---

_please please please I don't want to die please I don't-_

_'Tubbo, I'm sorry.'._

_please I wanna see Tommy again I wanna take the discs I wanna run away please-_

_'I promise I'll make it as painless and as colourful as possible.'._

_PLEASE-_

'-Stop!'.

He shot awake, the terror he felt from the nightmare reminding him just how alive he still was.

Tubbo was panicking – His heart was pounding, he could barely breathe, and he couldn't even recognize what was happening around him. He felt sick, his head spinning and his stomach turning as he tried to gather his thoughts. Coated in sweat and his whole body burning with a pain he had never felt before, the boy had no idea what had happened. One second he was standing in front of Technoblade, begging for his life, and the next, he was sitting in a dark, silent void, the nightmare repeating itself over, and over and over again as if something taunting him and trying to-

'Breathe, Tubbo.'.

Someone was... holding onto him? He wasn't sure if the sensations around him were even real, his mind so focused on that single moment during the Festival he could barely think of anything else. He felt about ready to pass out again, but the reassuring voice of a stranger he could hardly recognize brought him back down to reality, helping him slowly but surely relax. Tubbo's shoulders moved down, his muscles were no longer tensed up, and he finally managed to breathe slowly enough to not cough and choke on every small bit of air that entered his lungs. He put his hands on his head and tried to let himself calm down – And that was when he felt it.

'You're safe, Tubbo. Just breathe.'.

Burn scars. All over most of the right side of his face, his entire arm, and from what he could see, his stomach. His clothes were ripped and stunk of gunpowder, and most of his right side was covered in bandages that smelled vaguely of the potions he used to brew for Dream all that time ago. There was something else – While his hearing was completely fine on the left side of his head, on the right, everything seemed distant and muted, mixed with a ringing sound. He tried to keep himself from panicking again – Instead trying to find the source of the unknown voice. He could figure everything else out from there once he knew his situation. He had to focus – With everything that had happened, he knew he most likely only had himself.

'That's it. Here, have some water.'.

Tubbo didn't even question where the water bottle had come from. His vision was still blurry, only showing him the hand holding it in front of him. He grabbed it, opened it, and chugged it, nearly choking on the drink. It felt relieving to finally have some water in his system – His throat was more dry than it had ever been. How long had he been passed out like this? He finally found his eyes focusing again, and although half of his vision was blurry and unclear, he could still see what was right in front of him – And that thing was the stranger that had been talking to him all this time.

'Hey. How are you feeling?', he spoke, his voice deep and incredibly comforting. He was kneeling by his side, a man with tangled, pitch black hair and a purple mask resembling a skull covering most of the right side of his face. The only facial feature of his that was visible was his left eye – Deep and ruby red. Tubbo backed away for a moment, sitting back.  
'...Who... Where... What happened?', he eventually resorted to asking, trying to get the sequence of events in order. The man came closer, putting his own hand on his – It was covered in rings, and his nails were painted black. The nail polish itself seemed old and chipped.

'Don't stress yourself too much. You just woke up.', the man carried on, his voice practically drilling through the boy's head. It seemed so... Familiar? It almost hurt to think about it. It was now Tubbo started noticing other features about the man – For once, a pair of black cat ears of the same shade as his hair on top of his head, much reminiscent of Antfrost's. Together with it, a tail, moving behind him as if it had a mind of its own. Tubbo shook his head.  
'...Can you... Can you at least tell me where I am?', the boy asked, hoping to get some information before his exhaustion got a hold of him and forced him to sleep once more.  
'You're safe. That's all that matters.', the man claimed, helping him lay down once more. He'd ask more questions – But he was so, so tired... 'Just close your eyes and rest. We'll talk more once you recover a bit. I'll keep you safe. Just rest.'.

And as unusual as it was to admit... The stranger brought him comfort he could not put into words.

'...Did you save me?'.  
'I guess you could say that.'.  
'Then... Thank you.'.

And although Tubbo already drifted off to sleep and did not hear him, the stranger responded;

'...Don't worry. I wouldn't make the mistake of leaving you behind again.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's pretty obvious who the guy at the end is  
> if you know dont feel scared to tell me in the comments  
> if you dont know... id suggest avoiding the comment section, just for spoilers sake
> 
> hope you guys enjoyed <3
> 
> ALSO YALL TUBBO IS ALIVE????  
> WHY DID SO MANY OF YOU IN THE COMMENTS THINK HE WASNT???  
> YALL HES ONE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS???  
> GUYS????


	146. The Recovery (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Pogtopia, Minx speaks to Quackity and shares her thoughts on things. Out in the woods, Tubbo talks with his mysterious savior.

The moment she spotted him, her heart dropped. Panicked, pale, refusing to speak. Niki had said he had been like that since he first arrived there the day previous – Sitting alone in the corner of the ravine and only speaking to Tommy when he absolutely had to. They hadn't managed to get anything out of him – About Schlatt, about his plans, about what had been going on behind closed doors. No one there seemed to fully try to communicate with him, more keeping him around and waiting for the issue to resolve itself... As unlikely as that was to happen.

Minx wasn't going to sit around and watch this happen. She knew this man better than anyone here.

'Niki?', the Dreamon tugged at her friend's shirt, getting her attention. They were still getting used to the woman having to pretend she couldn't see the other around other people, but while alone in Pogtopia as they were, they could talk freely. It had only been a day since the two got tied to one another – And already, they begun gaining an understanding of how to co-exist.  
'Yeah? What's up?', the woman turned, speaking in a whisper. Although Quackity was out of it, she was still sure he would question her if he saw her talking to herself – Which was why Minx speaking up and distracting her while someone else was around was so unusual.

'Could I... Talk to him?', she asked, pointing to the former Vice-President playing around with a rock he picked up from somewhere in the ravine. 'I'd have to posses you. Talk through you.'.  
'...Does he know... About you? That you exist?', Niki quickly asked, clearly quite confused. She wasn't surprised, necessarily – Quackity had been incredibly close to Schlatt, after all.  
'Yeah. We've talked before. Once, and... It was brief. But we have.', Minx turned back to Niki, crossing her arms. 'I think I could help out here a bit. But... I need to take control of your-'.

'Sure.', Niki cut in, outstretching her arms. 'Just do whatever.'.  
'You're just... Okay with it?', Minx questioned, not used to this level of cooperation from her host.  
'Obviously. I already said. I trust you.', she quickly responded with a wide smile.  
'Right... Right.', the Dreamon nodded to herself. 'Alright then. Just stay still.'.

'This might hurt... Just a little.'.

\---

_'Then I suggest a coalition. Our votes pooled together tomorrow.'._  
_'...That sounds more than ideal, Alex.'._

He won.

_'It's nothing. I'm just looking out for a friend.'._  
_'And I couldn't have asked for a better one, Alex. Truly.'._

He did it.

_'Allowing rebels to mingle with our people is the exact opposite of bringing up morale!'._  
_'Oh what the fuck would you know about morale?'._

He broke him.

_'Are you a problem I have to remove now ...Or are you the powerful ally I need by my side?'._  
_'Yes, Schlatt. I won't be an obstacle. I'll be an ally. I'll be a friend.'._

Even sitting here, he could only think of him and all that he had done.

'Hey, you stupid cunt. Remember me?'.

And yet there was a single voice able to snap him out of his trance.

'Minx? What the hell are you doing here?', Quackity looked around in a panic. He knew Techno, Wilbur and Tommy had left to gather supplies – But he was sure Niki had been there with him mere minutes prior. Come to think of it, the Dreamon appeared to have that typical, bleached-at-the-front hair he usually saw Niki playing around with, and was dressed identical to her. 'Is he-'.  
'No, no. You're safe. Relax.', Minx reassured him and tried to drop her usual... “creative”, so to speak, vocabulary, already seeing him panicking. This man was on edge, and even as much as mentioning Schlatt seemed to send him into a spiral. And as long as he didn't face these issues head on, this sort of reaction would only keep showing up.

'Then how did you...?'.  
'It's a long story, man. Way too fucking long. But the summary is... I'm tied to Niki now. She found a ritual that severed our bond and here we are. I'm with Pogtopia. And... Schlatt is alone.'.  
'...So he can die now?'.  
'I ain't gonna be saving him any more. Now the hard part is getting to the guy and hurting him. Which means... We can win, Quackity. We're just a bit away from getting rid of him.'.

He could see what she was trying to do. She sat down next to him, shifting closer.

'Quackity?', she asked, moving her hand closer and grabbing his palm. He flinched at first, but seemed to welcome the gesture in the end. 'You don't have to sit here and keep it all in. We've got some time – Let's make the most of it. Lord fucking knows we're the only ones who get how this feels... No one else was as deep in there as we were.'.  
'...I just don't get it.', the man whispered, already feeling his breathing grow uneasy. 'I keep hearing everything he said. Over, and over, and over again... And it makes no sense. How did I... How did I even stand him? How did I stick around? I just don't... I...'.

'It's harder to realize what's happening when you're in the thick of it.', Minx claimed, squeezing his hand to keep him focused. 'When we were in the Nether for that six month exile of his I genuinely thought we developed some sort of friendship – But it was all bullshit.'.  
'I... admired him. I trusted him. God, I was obsessed with him. For a few days there I even thought I loved him! But all he wanted was to hurt me, why was I...', Quackity's words trailed off once more.  
'It's how they get you. Talk good things, break you down, fix you up again with sweet nothings. It's an endless cycle that's downright impossible to break. But... You did it, Quackity.'.

A moment of silence. It was almost comforting. Almost.

'...No one got you out of there. No one killed him, no one dragged you out against your will. You realized you were being hurt and you fought back. You put your foot down. That's already the first step... It's not gonna be easy from here, but the hardest part is behind you.'.  
'...I keep wanting to go back.', the man eventually admitted after a short pause. 'I keep wanting to go and apologize. I feel like... I made a mistake. I mean... No one here treats me like he did.'.  
'You have to remember the good parts of everything were just to keep you around. But here people are true. They're honest. I mean... Niki has been worried sick for you. She kept asking me about what's been happening in there. People here care, Quackity.'.

The silences in-between their words begun making him feel uneasy.

'...And what about you?'.  
'Well, he might have been an asshole, but I definitely knew it. He didn't try that sort of shit with me, not once he got a hold on you, at least. I was just angry with him. He didn't try to hurt me, or use me the way he did you. I'm just happy to have a host that actually considers me now. I'll be fine.'.  
'...And... What about me?'.

'...These types of scars don't go away overnight.', Minx spoke up after taking her time to gather her thoughts. She knew her words here mattered immensely. 'And yeah, it won't be easy. I'm not gonna sit here and tell you it will be. You're gonna keep thinking you did something wrong. Keep wanting to go back. That feeling won't stop – But it will fade. Eventually.'.  
'What you need to understand is that you've already taken the first step. You didn't get dragged out of there. Schlatt didn't die and leave you alone. You put your foot down and you got out yourself. You saw through his lies and you managed to get out of it. You should be proud. I mean, it takes so much courage to do shit like that. I know I wouldn't have managed...'.  
'But you need to let yourself be helped. Talk to these people. Tell them what you've been dealing with, open up. You can't keep things like this in. And they can use any of the information they can get from the inside.'. The woman paused, grabbing his hand once more and squeezing it gently. 'You just need time. Once this war is over and done with... You'll be alright.'.

Quackity looked down at her hand, nodding slightly to himself.

'I'll be alright.', he whispered quietly.  
'And hey. If you ever feel like you need to talk... Just tell Niki and we'll set something up.', Minx looked down at her – Or rather – Niki's hands, taking a deep breath. 'God knows this is exhausting for both of us. But from time to time I should be able to slip in like this.'.  
'Right.', Quackity looked at her, smiling. 'Thanks, Minx. Really'.  
'It's what I do best.', the Dreamon claimed, standing up. 'Well, I better go now. Niki has got better things to do than give up her body so I can have a chat. But I'm always around. And hey, if we get close enough, you might even be able to see me sometimes.'.

'Things are gonna get better, Quackity. Just give yourself time.', she reminded him.  
'...You too. Don't pretend you're okay.'. The woman, although caught off-guard, smiled.  
'Right. I'll try. Sometimes it's easy to forget you're allowed to feel hurt, isn't it?'.

And the Dreamon once more left her host's body, becoming unseen to Quacktiy. And yet still, he could feel a familiar squeeze on his hand, making him feel relaxed once more.

He'd be alright. Eventually.

\---

Tubbo never liked waking up with a headache – It was a crappy start to a day, a bad omen, and usually meant you had even less of a reason to get up at all. But between all the burns on his body, his stomach growling from hunger, and the nearby smell of something absolutely amazing, the headache barely seemed like it mattered in this equation. He slowly lifted his body up, although it took some strain with how weak all his limbs were, and looked around. He seemed to have been laid out inside of a tent – The stranger who had saved him sitting at a small distance outside of it. He was cooking by a fire, although it was far from the type he and all his friends usually lit while out in the woods. Small, reserved, and controlled. In a way, it almost seemed like he didn't want to risk it getting out of hand. Still, Tubbo stretched and yawned. He felt rather rested, strangely enough.

Crawling out of the tent, he got the stranger's attention. Now, seeing him so clearly in the daylight, he noticed a lot more things about him. Such as his mask also having an additional element on its right – A bunny ear, but only one. His right eye, the one covered by the mask, had some sort of light-purple gem inserted into it, covering his eye completely and giving it a light glow. His clothes were everything you'd expect from people who lived out in these woods – Loose, tattered and dark, the type that made it easy to move, run and hide whenever the need arose. The man looked at him for a moment, and then returned his attention to the meal he was preparing.

'You look healthy. That's good. You're recovering quickly.', he muttered under his breath, although his low and quiet tone seemed to be his usual way of speaking. Tubbo came closer, taking his seat next to the man and looking at the fire he was working with.  
'That smells nice.', he said, his voice raspy. It reminded him of how tough it was for Tommy to speak after he took all that time trying to get better after the duel – So he tried to stay away from questions about his situation until he could ask them with ease and find out as much as he could.  
'Thank you.', the man responded, adding something else to his creation. From what Tubbo could tell, it was some sort of soup, although he could never guess what was in it. He picked up a spoon and started stirring it. ' Sykkuno always says I'm a good cook when I try.'.

'Sykkuno?'.  
'Just a friend from my city.'.  
'You don't live out here?'.  
'No. I'm only here for a bit.'.

Tubbo griped his knees, clearing his throat.

'So um... I have... Questions.', he spoke up, trying to be respectful. This man had saved his life, after all. Only fair he didn't overwhelm him with things straight away.  
'Naturally.', the man said as he picked up the bowl he was working with, passing it to Tubbo. 'But you should eat, too. And ask whatever. I have nothing to hide.'.  
'Oh. Thank you.', Tubbo grabbed the meal, instantly starting to eat. He wasn't sure if it was his overwhelming hunger or if the man truly was as good of a cook as his friend had described him as, but the meal was some of the best food he had had in a while. It was fully eaten before he could even as much as think of something to ask the stranger.

'Whoa. Take it easy!', the stranger warned him with a laugh. 'You want seconds?'.  
'Um... Yes please.', Tubbo admitted, unable to put into words just how hungry he was. He felt as if he hadn't eaten in weeks – And as far as he knew, that could have been the case. The man turned to his bag, pulling out more food to prepare. And while he got to work on his second meal, Tubbo decided it was about time for him to ask some questions.

'So... You saved me? How did you even... I mean...', he started, remembering everything that had happened. It was almost as if he could feel that firework exploding all over again, his burns itching.  
'Ender Pearls. They're quite useful.', he explained. 'I jumped in, grabbed you, and threw another one before anyone even saw what happened. It wasn't that hard in all the chaos – The stage was abandoned, dust everywhere... I don't think anyone even saw me.'.  
'...And... Who even are you?', Tubbo asked, noticing the man stop his work for just a single second. 'I mean... I know people live out in these woods, but... They never interact with us. Why did you save me? I mean... I don't even know who you are.'.

Those cat ears on the top of the man's head flopped down for a moment – It reminded Tubbo of Fundy. He'd always do that whenever he was upset about something... It was hard for him to hide his feelings a lot of the time. But he seemed to have mastered masking it in the recent weeks.

'Let's start with the easiest questions. I'm just... A guy. Passing by. I saw the Festival happening and watched from a distance. And then... I saw that explosion. I didn't want to leave you behind. It's not fair to just leave people to die when you can do something about it, you know?'.  
'Right. Thank you again. Uh... I'm Tubbo, by the way. I know you already know my name. I guess you overheard it in Schlatt's big rant. But yeah. Officially, I'm Tubbo. And what's your name?'.  
'...Names carry a lot of meaning.', the man stated, pausing. 'I left mine behind years ago.'.  
'Well then... What's your title?', Tubbo insisted with a smile. 'Tubbo is only my title, too!'.

'My title?', the man paused, hesitating. 'It's... Corpse. I'm Corpse.'.  
'Well, Corpse, nice to meet you.', Tubbo grabbed the man's hand and shook it. 'And thank you.'.  
'It's nothing.', Corpse reassured him. 'Just call it... Making up for some things.'.

While the man carried on with preparing the meal, Tubbo begun looking around. Just being out here made him start getting tired again, getting out in the sun only making his headache worse and his exhaustion more bothersome. He rubbed his eyes as Corpse passed him a second meal – This one he ate with a lot more hesitance, feeling full by the time he was done with it. He yawned a few times, the other clearly noticing his behaviour.

'You should probably rest. You seem exhausted.', the man told him, and then perked up, as if suddenly remembering something. 'Oh! I almost forgot. Here.'. He turned back, reaching into his bag and passing him a small, green scarf. Tubbo looked down at it.  
'...Huh?', he whispered, looking closer. It stunk of gunpowder, was covered in ash, but... There was no doubt about it. It was Tommy's scarf. But if he had lost it... 'Where did you get this?'.  
'It was laying on top of you when I picked you up.', Corpse explained, confused as to why Tubbo's face dropped as much as it had when he noticed the thing. 'I thought it was yours. Is it not?'.  
'It's... It's not...', he whispered, already feeling tears come to him. He moved the scarf closer to his face, as if trying to hug someone that wasn't there. '...But it's important.'.

_'Even when this whole thing comes crashing down, we're gonna be together. It's just gonna be you, me and the discs. We're gonna get them back. And if shit hits the fan? Hey, we can always skip town. Who the fuck cares? As long as we got each other, yeah?'._  
_'Yeah. We've got each other. No matter what. It's always Tommy and Tubbo, and no one is ever gonna get in the way of that. We won't let them. If all of this ever falls apart... We'll have each other. And that's all that matters.'._

'...Very, very important.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> since its official now;  
> CORPSE HUSBAND BABYYY  
> yall i added other guests, of course id add him too!!!
> 
> hes sort of a set up for sequel things, so dont expect his storyline to be resolved in this book  
> call him... a teaser for the sequel, if you will  
> but dont get upset if you leave his section with more questions than answers :)


	147. The Recovery (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corpse and Tubbo discuss the man's past. Meanwhile, Schlatt finds himself alone - Making him hear a familiar voice.

'So... Um... I have this, uh... Issue.'.  
'I'd imagine you have quite a few.'.  
'Right... Right... So... There's this... Problem.'.  
'Go on. Don't be shy. I'll answer anything.'.

'I can't... I can't hear with my right ear.', Tubbo eventually admitted, grabbing onto his arms. It was his third day in this camp now – And with how he was feeling day to day, he hadn't even considered asking Corpse about leaving. He was glad he had this time and a place to recover... But he also knew Tommy needed him, so he couldn't stick around forever. But first, he had to learn more about him.  
'...Right. I hoped you'd recover from that, but at this stage it's unlikely.', Corpse eventually spoke up, clearly taking some time to consider the answer. 'I'm sorry, but... It's unlikely your right ear will work again. Same with your eyes – They still function well enough, but you probably noticed how lights seem a little too bright from time to time, and how some things are blurry?'.

'So... That won't go away?', the boy asked, feeling an unusual sombre feeling overtake him.  
'No... I'm sorry. Some scars just stick around forever.', the man told him. As he saw his reaction he couldn't help but feel sorry – This poor kid... 'But it's not all bad. I'm not exactly without scars of my own either, you know. Everyone has a story they tell through themselves.'.  
'Scars?', Tubbo glanced over the seemingly perfect man, confused as to what he may have meant. The man relaxed his shoulders for a moment, moving his hand to his mask and slowly taking it off. The moment he did, the boy felt his hand moving to his mouth and a gasp escaping him.

'I'm not a fan of fire.', Corpse explained, his finger moving over the immense burn scar over his right eye, most of the right side of his face, and some of his neck. It was even worse than Tubbo's – What had this man been through? '...Or rather... Something slightly more dangerous.'.  
'More dangerous than fire?', Tubbo whispered as he watched Corpse slip his mask back on, taking a moment to make sure it was attached to the strap going around the back of his head.  
'It's a long story.', the man reassured him with a quiet laugh. 'And I'm sure you don't want to-'.

Tubbo's eyes were already glimmering like that of a child ready to hear a fairytale, forcing Corpse to sigh and roll his eye. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph.

'You really want to hear my shitty story?'.  
'Everyone deserves to tell their tale. If they... Want to.'.  
'Yeah. Yeah, sure. It's been a long time, anyway.'.  
'So... Who are these three?'.

Tubbo and Corpse now both focused on the photograph the latter had removed from his pocket, inspecting it. There were three people on it – Two men and a young child. One of the men was tall, light-skinned and blonde. His hair was long, reaching to right around his shoulders and being tied back in a ponytail. He wore a green cape together with blue trousers, and a white mask that seemed... Strangely familiar. The other man was a cat hybrid, much like Corpse, with that same sort of black fur. With a dirty shirt and suspenders, the man seemed to be a farmer of sorts. His eyes were blank – A light grey, focused on nothing at all. Both of the man had one hand each placed on a young child's shoulder – A child with ginger, curly hair, a loose white shirt and a small, straw hat. They were all smiling and seemed relaxed, clearly at a good point in their life.

'That's my... Family. They... Were, my family, at least.', Corpse explained, his finger brushing over the picture – Dirty and torn, it seemed... Ancient. 'They're all gone now.'.  
'I'm... I'm sorry.', Tubbo whispered, unsure what to say. 'Can you... Tell me about them?'. Corpse appeared... Hesitant. But still, he spoke. He pointed to the farmer first.  
'This here... Is me. If you can even believe it.'. Tubbo leaned in closer. Now that he gave him a good look, he did look a lot like this man. 'This was a long while ago. I barely recognize myself too.'.  
'You look so young! When was this?', the boy cut in, fascinated with the photograph. Once more, the man telling his story appeared very, very hesitant to say anything at all.

'...An incredibly long time ago.', he finally stated, clearing his throat.

'This other man is Cornelius. He was a very wise man. A scholar, who travelled from town to town. The most brilliant person I had ever met...', Corpse cut himself off as he realized he was getting lost in the photograph, pausing as if having to remind himself it was just a picture. 'He... Was my partner. We lived together before everything... Fell apart.'.  
'...And the little kid?', Tubbo cut in, clearly noticing the other was eager to switch topics.  
'That's Robin. They were an orphan in the town me and Cornelius lived in. We sort of... Took them in. We never officially adopted them, but we treated them as if they were our own. They...', Corpse paused, gripping the picture a little more tightly. 'They were the last of us to die.'.

'...They sort of look like me, don't they?', Tubbo whispered as he looked more closely at the picture.  
'Yeah.', Corpse looked up at the boy, feeling a familiar pain in his heart. 'They do, don't they?'.

'But... You're still... Here.', the boy spoke up, pointing to Corpse and then looking at him on the photograph. 'Why are you saying all three of you died? I don't...'.  
'The person I was when this picture was taken is not me, Tubbo.', the man claimed. 'That person died with that town.'. For a moment, he paused, clearly noticing the boy had only grown more interested. 'There was... A fire. The whole town burned down. I was the only one that survived. That's where the burns came from – I barely escaped with my life.'.

Corpse's single visible eye focused on the photograph once more.

'They did not.'.

Just hearing the story, Tubbo felt about ready to cry. There was no way for him to not sympathize with this man – He had lost so much. And yet, something about the picture still unnerved him. Firstly there was Cornelius – That white mask with a blank smile definitely wasn't new to him. Corpse in the photograph had those blank, grey eyes, the types that usually categorized someone who couldn't see. The way his gaze didn't focus on the camera, and rather some distant point nearby, made him quite aware he was blind... And yet his sight was as good as ever here. Blindness wasn't just something you could cure, was it? And finally, Robin.

They were practically identical to him – It was almost unnatural.

But despite his many questions, Tubbo stayed silent. With how much Corpse had opened up and how personal the things he told him were he didn't want to press on him so much any more. He sat back and kept focusing on the picture, giving the man the time he clearly needed to compose himself again. He couldn't even imagine how much pain he was in after losing two people as close to him as those on the photograph – As unusually familiar as they appeared to him.

'You know, that's why I saved you.', Corpse eventually spoke up, putting the photograph away. 'You remind me of Robin. I just couldn't see you get hurt. I was just supposed to pass by and look for something... Go back home and try to lock these memories away. But then you showed up.'.  
'...I just don't get it... Why do I look so much like this kid?', Tubbo questioned aloud, turning away. He soon, as always, found himself lost in a mix of his own thoughts and questions brought on by his whole situation, eventually getting swamped with exhaustion. He quickly told the man just how tired he was, quickly crawling into the tent and falling asleep incredibly early, as he often did.

And Corpse bit his lip, trying to hide just how much he knew but couldn't afford to say – Not yet.

\---

He fucked up. And yes, it was rare for him to admit that. But for once he knew – He fucked up.

'Ah... Shit...', he whispered, putting his hand over his eye. Hangover combined with that agonizing wound in his chest? Definitely didn't make a morning like this any easier. He didn't feel like getting up just yet, but he knew he had to... At least say something. Anything. He took a deep breath as he looked up at the ceiling in silence. 'Hey, listen, uh... I realize I was a bit... Much. Yesterday. But you know how it is. One too many drinks and you end up saying shit you don't mean.'.

Schlatt waited. He listened. And heard nothing. So he kept talking.

'It's not your fault you got tied to a disaster like me. But listen – I'm only here until I get back at Wilbur, okay? Once that's over and done with I'll... I dunno... Fucking, go into the Nether, and you can do whatever you want at that point.', the President kept speaking, his eyes strangely heavy. 'You've saved my ass more times than I can count, and... Well, it's not like you have a choice. But it's still... Welcome. You could just keep me in pain all the time or some shit. But you don't.'.

Once more, he waited. And still, Schlatt didn't hear a word. She was really pissed, huh?

'You're a good person who got stuck with a wreck who can't control himself. And that sucks. And I do feel bad for you. It's not like I'll stop being this way – God knows I don't know how to. But... You're the only thing I really have left right now. With Quackity gone especially. And yeah, I know he won't come back... I told myself that shit to try and make myself feel better. He's gone. If he does come back... Then fuck, he's a bigger dumbass than I thought, you know?'.

He chuckled, and his pathetic laugh was the only sound in the room. Finally, Schlatt sat up.

'Listen, Minx, let's just try to-'.

His relaxed attitude instantly faded as he realized he had been talking to himself all along.

'Minx?'.

It was a confused whisper at first. Relaxed, more puzzled than anything. Wondering where she had been, why she had been missing. She didn't have anywhere to be, did she? It's not like a woman like her had things to do. Or, the means to do them. And of course, there was something else – With her at a distance away from him, even if it was small, he should have been able to feel it. The headache would have been nothing compared to what he felt because of how much he drank the night previous, but he would still be able to pick it out. It had an incredibly specific feel to it – It was impossible to mistake for anything else.

And of course, impossible to overlook. And it was missing. Which, as far as Schlatt knew, was most definitely not a good sign. The Dreamon had to be right outside, he was sure. In the corridor, perhaps. Maybe sitting downstairs in the living room. She was around – He was sure.

She had no way to leave. She had no reason to leave. He was sure.

'Minx? I get it, you're fucking mad, okay, point taken. Can you stop now?'.

He didn't care how much pain he was in, or how dizzy just standing up made him feel. He had to look. He had to find her. He was sure she was somewhere around, he just had to look for her. He checked the corridor right outside his room, finding nothing. Next he checked the living room. Once more, nothing. He tried not to panic but he knew – He knew just how familiar this situation felt.

_Running around the office, checking Wilbur's apartment, throwing aside papers and shelves, hoping he sees someone, anyone at all-_

No. No, he couldn't panic. He couldn't let himself go back there.

Not now. Not when he was so close to shutting it all away.

'Minx, I'm fucking serious. This isn't funny.'.

But that was the truth. Whether or not he wanted to admit it, he was alone. He was fucking alone again and the walls were closing in on him and he couldn't breathe any more he couldn't-

_-see anyone, hear anyone, feel anyone, he's running through the same street for about the tenth time now screaming out names of people he told himself he doesn't-_

'No!'.

_-he rushes into the Lunch Club office next, he checks every single office, pushes open the doors-_

'Please, not again...'.

_-one by one, Charlie's, Travis', Cooper's, Noah's, Joko's-_

'I don't wanna be alone again.'.

_-and Ted's, with no one inside-_

'Please... Please, I-'.

_-empty._

'Damn. I don't think I've ever seen you cry. That's gotta be a first.'.

Schlatt's head shot up, momentarily snapping him out of whatever state this whole situation had made him spiral into. He looked around the room, barely able to focus with the panic he felt. The room was silent – Empty, cold, lifeless. The only noise was his own breathing, quick and irregular. His heart pounding, head spinning, stomach turning, about ready to throw up and-

'But then again, it does show you've lost grip. You're not as strong as you used to be.'.

He looked around three or four times before he finally got to his feet again, collapsing back down as his head begun spinning from the sudden movement. He swore he could hear someone laughing at him as he did, but in the state he was in he could hardly look around to find the source of the noise. He tried to stand up again, this time supporting himself with a nearby cupboard.

'Careful, old man. Don't break a bone. Maybe you should ease up on the alcohol?'.

Schlatt's eyes, for a moment, focused on a pile of empty bottles in the corner of the room.

'But then again... It's not like you exactly can. You're in pretty deep here, _Schlagg_.'.

That was it. The snapping point. Schlatt whirled around, trying to find the source of the voice, only to find himself faced with a mirror. A mirror reflecting a broken, one-eyed, hungover, sick, barely-standing President of a crumbling nation. He moved aside some of his hair as he inched closer, touched the edge of his broken horn, and looked into that grey, lifeless eye of his as he grabbed onto his eyepatch and slowly moved it down. Was he going insane? Was he actually losing his mind?

He grabbed onto the mirror, looking down at the floor and pressing his forehead into it. He felt about ready to collapse – Something was wrong with him. So, so wrong. It were as if Minx disappearing and Quackity leaving had triggered something in him he had been trying not to face for a long, long time. And now, finally forced to deal with it, everything started falling apart.

'No. No, I'm not fucking doing this. I'm not crazy. I'm stronger than this. I'm better.'.

He looked up once more, this time focusing his gaze on his single working eye, yellow with a black slit through it and burning through his very soul. That was who he was. Not some broken mess, not some pitiful alcoholic, not some traumatized child who needed someone there to hold his hand. He was the goddamn Emperor of Manberg, and he wasn't going to sit here and let all of this get to his head. He faced things far, far worse before then – This was nothing new.

He took a few steps back, once more finding himself at the centre of the room, struggling to stand. This time, he fixed up his hair, wiped some blood that had shown itself under his nose away, and fixed up his clothes, taking a deep breath. His chest still hurt like hell, he had a pounding headache and could barely focus on what was right in front of him – But he was fine. He was fine, he was fine, he was fine.

'Keep telling yourself that.'.

He was fine.

He was fine. He was fine. He w _as fine. He was fine. He was fine._

HE WAS FINE.

he was fi

He needed to lie down. Just for a bit. Just for a little.

He'd be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYUS
> 
> im working on a spin off :)  
> its not the hermitcraft one, this one is actually related to the main storyline lore  
> i wont say anything yet but currently all the chapters are vaguely planned and chapter one might be written soon...  
> ill tease the title of it sometime soon :)))


	148. The Agreement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy and Quackity are forced into panic upon realizing something - And Wilbur gets ready to make his last move.

Laughing.

Tommy entered Pogtopia and heard laughing.

Perhaps he shouldn't have had been so surprised. It was a completely natural thing all humans did, right? But in a place as grim as the rebel base happened to be, hearing something as joyful and innocent as two people telling jokes and giggling between one another was more than welcome. He entered the ravine and climbed down the stairs on the side much like he usually did, eventually being faced with Niki and Quackity having a seemingly light-hearted conversation while fixing up some armour they could use in the future. He took a few steps forward, his presence silencing them for a moment, but hardly making their smiles fade.

'...Someone's in a good mood.', the boy concluded, approaching the two. He took off his backpack and started removing some supplies he picked up from it. Now without any direct contacts in Manberg they really needed to work hard to get items – And another rebel to feed definitely did not help. He came closer, looking between the two.'What's the occasion?'.  
'We've got the Vice-President of Manberg as one of us now.', Niki quickly said, pointing to her newfound friend. 'Why shouldn't we be excited? We're closer to victory than ever!'.  
'So I assume you're feeling better?', Tommy turned to Quackity, who just shrugged.  
'Not better, just less helpless, I guess. But sitting around won't get that tyrant off the throne. So we have to get to work.', the man quickly explained, nodding to Niki. 'I already told her all I know about things inside of Manberg. It should help... Hopefully.'.

'Hey.', Tommy suddenly stepped forward, patting the man on the back. 'I'm glad you're here now.'.  
'And I couldn't be happier to be out of there, so thanks.', Quackity responded with a smile.

This blissful peace didn't last long, that was for sure. Before the three could say anything else to one another, a loud noise soon startled them into silence. Someone had entered Pogtopia – More specifically, a heavily-armoured pig hybrid with a Netherite blade had, walking down the stairs accompanied by deafening silence. They could hear his every footstep, making them too afraid to even as much as move. Tommy tried to convince himself he wasn't afraid of him. Niki knew she was, even if she didn't want to be. Quackity didn't try to hide his fear. Technoblade turned to the three, sheathed his weapon and crossed his arms.

'...Is he better now?', Techno asked, nodding his head to the former Vice-President of Manberg.  
'Like you care.', Quackity himself quickly responded, causing the man to flinch.  
'Why wouldn't I?', the warrior questioned, almost... Shocked? By the other's cold attitude towards him. Tommy and Niki listened to their conversation without a word said – This was definitely something the newest rebel needed to face on his own. 'You're one of us now. Of course I-'.  
'And if I were on the other side, you'd have my blood spilled all over the floor?', Quackity cut in, clearly causing Techno to hesitate, just for a single second. He looked aside.  
'Obviously.', he answered without much care, clearly not finding the question that difficult to answer. 'You were a part of the government. I'd have no choice. I protect my allies and attack my enemies – I don't see why everyone finds this so hard to understand.'.

Techno turned away, walking past the silent group. Suddenly, Tommy grabbed onto his sleeve.

'Techno? Where's Wilbur?', he asked quietly, only noticing the absence of one of his two brothers. The warrior looked around once or twice, seemingly unmoved by the lack of the other man.  
'...Not here, apparently.', Techno answered rather nonchalantly, shrugging. 'He was with me on the supply run. He said he had to go check something around Manberg. So he went.'.  
'And you let him?!', Tommy instantly snapped, the worst possible thoughts already coming to him. Wilbur pressing that button, maybe Wilbur getting captured and killed, maybe someone getting their location out of him and tracking their base down. His mind was racing – He was lucky Niki was still there to bring him back down to reality.

'Tommy, you have to find Wilbur. Now.', she practically hissed at him, squeezing his shoulder so tightly it made him regain his focus on the situation instantly. 'Take Quackity. I'll stay here and make sure he doesn't do anything.', she gave Techno an angry glare, and strangely enough, he actually seemed... Guilty, almost, because of it? These days, the woman seemed to be the only one able to get through to that man. She turned back to the other two suddenly, trying to rush them. 'Go!'.

Tommy didn't try to protest in any way. He urged Quackity to follow him, the two rushing out of Pogtopia before Techno could even as much as call out to them. The boy could hear his heart pounding – With everything that Wilbur had been planning and with how little he had to lose these days he knew getting closer to Manberg was practically a death wish, the place itself having had turned into a literal ticking time bomb the moment the former President was left alone to his devices. By the time they had arrived at the border of the nation Tommy already felt too sick to even walk forward, having to be dragged forward by Quackity. The boy vaguely recalled Wilbur mentioning when he planned to hide the button to set the explosives off, and soon instructed the man to help him to get there. Manberg was still there when they arrived.

And with how his brother had been in the past few days, that was a downright miracle.

\---

So close. So, so close, and yet, still hesitating.

'I think you'd be proud of me, Phil.'.

Wilbur's finger was practically tracing over the edge of the small, wooden button – The button which, with a single press, could make every single pain in his life fade away. It would get rid of this cursed country, everyone in it, and leave behind nothing more than sour memories of something that was never meant to be. It was so simple – Just inch his fingers closer, press onto the button and let everything blow as he was consumed by the flames and crushed under the rubble, finally being freed form this burden. One press. Just one. So why was it still so difficult?

'You always taught us to get what we want. I think that's why Schlatt got into the Lunch Club in the end. Maybe I gave him the push he needed, but you raised us to think like that. You were good. At least in SMPLive. When we were kids. I don't... I don't think about how you were after that much.'.

He backed away, sitting in the small chair he had prepared for himself. His eyes were still focused on that button, beckoning him like some sort of glimmering treasure, whispering into his ear and convincing him he was worthy of something so much better. The words on the walls, as always, seemed to arise around him and sing the familiar song to him as if he was back inside of the walls once more, shouting the song at the rooftops with all his fellow L'Manbergians.

It felt like forever ago.

'But that's the thing. You didn't get better after. The way you treated Techno... It's a shame. He could have been easily in control. You just had to put more trust in him – But... I have a feeling you knew. Maybe you weren't the sweet fatherly figure we all make you out to be. Maybe you knew exactly what you were doing, and with the way SMPEarth went, I have no doubt about that.'.

Wilbur shut his eyes, placing his head in his hands.

'You did what you taught us. You disregarded everything and got what you wanted. Good job.'.

He stood up once more. Just as he had a million times now, he inched closer to the button, each step making his heart beat faster and faster. He could practically feel the ash that would rise above this battlefield, feeling his lungs and making him choke. He could feel his body growing cold as he was finally released from the clutches of this hell he forced himself into. He could feel the weather around him calm as he finally fell, leaving the world silent and free.

'I wish I was as strong as you Phil... I wish I was as wonderfully selfish... But I-'.

A noise.

'Wilbur!'.

_Someone's here._

'Holy shit!', Tommy shouted out as he ran into the button room, Quackity following right behind. He looked around a few times, watching as his older brother slowly turned but did not take a single step, standing close to the button and ready to press it at any moment.  
'W-what? What the fuck?', the man who had arrived with Tommy stammered as he looked around, his gaze eventually setting on Wilbur – He looked downright insane standing in a room like this, with words carved into the wall over and over. 'What the fuck is this?'.

'...Quackity, I know you weren't here during the Festival.', Wilbur started, his hand once more tracing the edge of the button. He could see Tommy tense up as he did – Quackity didn't seem to quite understand what was going on. 'I was gonna blow it up. The whole country. Dream gave me impossible amounts of TNT, which is all currently laying under Manberg. This button is connected to that very TNT, which will ignite and blow up the entire nation.'.

'I'm glad you're here. I'd love for you to bear witness to this-', the man started, his younger brother finally snapping and cutting in. He couldn't let him do this.  
'Bear witness to what?', Tommy asked, already fearing the answer.  
'The Festival was my chance to blow it all up. And I missed it. I missed my chance. But I decided to come here... Do you know why? Because I noticed someone happens to be right under the heart of the destruction right now.'.

Wilbur looked up, and as if on queue, something up above seemed to collapse, dust falling from the roof of the cave. Quackity knew exactly what it was – It hurt to think about it. The three were standing right below whatever was left of the White House. Schlatt was right above them, probably overlooking the final steps of the demolition process. If the explosives were to go off now, everyone above, that being Schlatt and every person he forced to work on the building, would disappear.

'And I thought... What better time for eradicating the nation... And eradicating him... Than right now? And I can finally do what I said I was gonna do!', Wilbur shouted out. Quackity felt sick – From the way the man talked, he knew he was serious. If they didn't stop him now, a single move of his hand the whole country would be as good as gone. He couldn't let that happen. No matter what.  
'Listen Wilbur, blowing up Manberg isn't gonna do anything-', he tried to step in. He took a single step, maybe two, before the man in front of him already had a firm grasp on the tool of destruction next to him. He stepped back once more, raising his hands.

'Wilbur, what are you-', Tommy tried to ask, his voice growing weak.  
'I'm gonna do it today.', Wilbur cut in, his eyes focusing on the button. He moved his hand back, as if getting ready to press it, and it was in this single moment the former Vice-Presidents finally knew they had to step in – For the sake of their nation, and for the sake of everyone.  
'Wilbur, no! No, move away from the fucking button!', Quackity screamed out, grabbing onto the man's arm so he couldn't press onto the thing. Once he did, Tommy charged forward and tackled him, forcing him to the floor in the corner of the room. Before he could even stand the man and the boy were now above him, keeping him down on his knees by pointing their swords at him.

'At the Festival I had the perfect opportunity to blow everything up and finally end it...', Wilbur begun speaking, staying on his knees and looking up. '...and I had the perfect opportunity! To finally blow it all up, end it, and free everyone from the tyranny of Schlatt- Form the tyranny of Manberg! So I'm gonna do it today! Make up for my mistake, my hesitance, and finally end it!'.

'Wilbur, you can't do this-', Tommy begged, watching his brother stand up.  
'I can press it. Just one press-', the man insisted, moving forward.  
'Wilbur, don't!', the younger screamed out, trying to hold him back.  
'Grab him!', Quackity screamed out, the fight only getting more intense.

Wilbur continued struggling, practically throwing himself in the direction of the button. The two grabbed onto his arms, holding him back as he insisted on moving forward. The last thing Tommy wanted to do was to hurt his brother – Quackity had no such hesitation. The moment Wilbur got too close to the button he didn't even think it through as he swung his first forward and punched him, forcing him back into the corner with his hand over his face, trying to stop the blood pouring out of his nose.

'You're gonna do so much harm by doing this! Wilbur!', the man insisted, watching the other fall. Tommy felt rage overtake him as he watched his brother cower in pain like this, but he knew it was necessary to keep him away. He stepped forward and shouted out once more;  
'Wilbur, this is not the right thing to do!', he insisted, his voice cracking with each word.  
'Just let me press it! You two can run, get away!', Wilbur screamed out, getting to his feet.

This time his movements were a lot slower and weaker – He barely had enough strength in himself to get up, not to mention throw himself forward at the same intensity as he had before. He was pushed back by the two with ease, his back once more slamming against the walls of the cave, forcing him to his feet out of sheer pain.

'Why did I fucking wait... I'm such a fucking showman. I always have to be dramatic.', he whispered under his breath as he looked up, eyes red from tears. 'And you two can escape! I'll be... I'll be trapped in here...', he took a sharp breath, practically hissing as he broke down into sobs and laughter. 'I just wanna- I just wanna end it! I wanna press that button! I wanna end this!'.

Tommy, despite everything, still had a level of trust for his brother. As much as he did, as much as he hurt him, he was his family above all. And he knew, no matter what, he'd never do anything to hurt him. Perhaps at times he lost control – But in this situation, he would be willing to put his life in his hands, as unusual as that sounded. He instructed Quackity to back down, and with hesitance, he did. He moved to the side and let Wilbur stand up, once more making his way to the button, where he appeared most comfortable. He came right up to it and leaned against the wall.

'Wilbur... I won't run. Quackity has a choice, but I doubt be will, too. We still stay here as you press that button and everything collapses.', Tommy said, standing at the centre of the room and making his stance as proper and strong as he could manage. He was trembling – But he knew he had to be focused if he wanted to end this. 'If you press that button you kill us as well. So what's your choice?'.  
'Why do you have to make this so difficult...', Wilbur asked, slamming his fist against the wall and hitting a space just inches away from the deadly weapon. He screamed out, already too distressed to put on that calm and collected facade of his. '...Oh, fuck you! Fuck you, man! Why do you make it so hard? I should have just... I'm such a fucking showman!'.

Tommy swore he could hear his own heartbeat for those few seconds of silence.

'You love it, don't you, Tommy? You love L'Manberg?', Wilbur eventually asked, turning his head to the side. He met eyes with his brother, and those eyes, for a single second, glimmered for hope that things would change.  
'Yes.', he responded without hesitance, nodding and taking a deep breath.  
'And Big Q you wanna help?', the former President carried on, turning to Quackity.  
'Wilbur, when I ran against you, it was to save L'Manberg.', the man stated, knowing his answer could mean everything here. 'It wasn't against you, it wasn't against Tommy, it was to solidify democracy in our land.'.

Wilbur momentarily looked down at the floor, wiping his eyes.

'Have you heard of something called a Chekhov's Gun, Tommy?', he asked, receiving a confused shake of the head in response. Wilbur cleared his throat, reminding himself of something his father had mentioned about storytelling and the importance of the little details. And of course, one of the most important plot devices one would use. 'A Chekhov's Gun is an idea in plot devices that if you tease something for long enough, and you keep showing it off, you have to use it at some point.'.

Tommy could see Wilbur inching closer and closer to that small, seemingly insignificant button, instantly stepping in. He outstretched his arms, getting in the way of his brother, stopping him from doing anything.

'Tommy step away-'.  
'No.'.  
'Tommy that is an order.'.  
'No.'.  
'Tommy if you trusted me, you'd move to the side.'.  
'If you think killing me, Quackity, and everyone in Manberg is the way...'.

Tommy stepped aside, leaving Wilbur to make his choice freely.

'...Be my guest.'.

Wilbur's hands brushed over the button for a moment, getting closer and gripping it. He just had to press his hand forward – It was as simple as that. His fingers wrapped around its edge, gripping onto it, his breathing growing heavy and his heart beginning to pound. He put his palm to it...

...And then, he swung his hand back, ripping the button out.

'Tommy we've tried my ideas.', the man said, turning back to his brother. 'I'm willing to listen to you. I'm gonna follow you Tommy – Whatever you think is the best way of taking down Schlatt, we'll do it.'.  
'Alright. Okay. Yes! Okay, good, good!', Tommy started exclaiming to himself, taking the button from his brother as he passed it to him. For a moment, he hesitated, but eventually pulled the man into a hug. He buried his face in his shirt as if he were back in the first days of L'Manberg all over again, and with relief in his voice knowing he was speaking to his brother once more, he said;

'Thank you.'.

Wilbur soon returned his brother's embrace, pulling him closer.

_I think you'd be proud of us, Phil._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh boye we getting in the real good stuff now  
> no further side-stories any more, we're on a straight path to the finale  
> hope you guys are excited :)
> 
> also this chapter is longer than the usuals, have fun with the extra content :D
> 
> im still working on the spin off i mentioned, expect more information soon!


	149. The Morality of Revenge (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bad feels as though there's another way to end this war. Schlatt loses grip.

_An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind,_   
_but if justice is blind, then what is the morality of revenge?_

'...It's not fair.'.  
'No one said it was.'.  
'It's just... Not right.'.  
'It never will be.'.

BadBoyHalo was sick of this city and how much it had changed.

He wouldn't say him, Skeppy, Antfrost and Sam had ever involved themselves much with the city and its matters. Bad and Sam were both there when it was settled – Starting as a campfire out in the woods, and eventually, building the Community House nearby. A home put together by all of the founding members of the city, a place where they could all live, meet, and finally feel safe. Eventually, everyone begun making their own home – Bad and Skeppy putting together a rather clean and advanced mansion, meanwhile Sam travelled a large distance away from the city and built himself a home in the side of a mountain. The Community House, eventually, much like the initial unity between all of the citizens, was left behind and forgotten as the DreamSMP grew more and more. It had changed – And it was a change for the worse.

Bad, from day one, had been an advocate for returning to that sort of peace they had when they first founded this place. It was supposed to differ from all the cities they were forced to run from – Or the cities they had left for other reasons, ones they dared not disclose. But here they were, in the same, and some would even say, worse state than the cities nearby – Constantly at war, in a useless political struggle... The letters coming in from Ant's boyfriend about how clean and organized his city was begun making an escape more and more appealing.

But no. Bad would not let up so easily. Not as long as the Community House stood signifying that underneath everything this city was still a show of strength, unity and a bond between people irreplaceable by anything else. Not as long as all of his friends, and people he considered family, were suffering at the hands of tyrants who only wanted power and to wrong each other, disregarding all those they hurt in their way. He knew there was still some way to return the city to what it had once been without taking a side in this war without a single right side.

But what was it?

\---

Schlatt didn't want to look into reflections any more. But it wasn't like he had a choice – He had to know what he looked like when he stepped in front of all those people waiting at the podium. The person that looked back wasn't him any more – That eye didn't carry the same focus, no matter how hard he tried he could not get his suit in order, and every strand of his hair seemed to go in a different direction. He barely bothered shaving his face any more – And it was in a dark room like this with nothing but his own thoughts that all his imperfections seemed to jump out and put themselves on display. Alone, with no distractions he could finally look at himself.

And it hurt too much to look. So naturally, his mind made up distractions.

'You're a mess, aren't you? It'd be funny if it weren't so pathetic.'.

But it wasn't like even his mind wanted to cooperate. Not every distraction was a good one.

A familiar squeeze on his shoulder, and a well-known voice whispering in his ear. It brought him right back to those few months in that cramped office, to all those addresses in the city plaza, to all those moments when for a single second he actually thought he was in control, just to be slammed back into reality seconds later. He wasn't even surprised his mind seemed to drift to those moments in his life when he searched for comfort – That was where it all started, after all. That was where it all started going wrong. That was where a mark was left on him that would never fade.

'I'm not.', he responded through clenched teeth, trying to force himself to stand tall. He couldn't remember the last time he had been sober since Quackity left – Every time he felt like he was getting a grip again he just drank more. It was getting out of hand.  
'Right. No. Of course. You've really got it all together _, Schlagg.'._  
'Don't call me-', he started, feeling himself get light-headed again, swaying back and having to regain his footing. He didn't even finish his sentence before he felt too sick to speak, covering his mouth and sitting down to stop himself from throwing up.

'This is just sad to watch, really.'.

He swore he saw something move in the corner of his eye.

'You wan to make a speech in this state?'.

'I have to...', Schlatt started, once more leaning on the nearby mirror, grasping at its sides and trying to fix up those loose strands of hair that just couldn't seem to go away. 'I have to address everything. I have to. I'm losing grip. Everyone's turning away.'.  
'Well, if it helps, you've lost grip long ago. A nice little speech won't fix it.'.  
'A “nice little speech” can fix anything.', Schlatt's head snapped back, finding nothing but an empty room. It started driving him crazy – He was sure he was right there, just a second ago. 'You should know that more than anyone. You're a walking fucking definition of that.'.  
'I wasn't blackout drunk when I did those sort of damage control speeches, _Schlagg_.'.

'Stop calling me that!'.  
'You want control? You need to control yourself first. Sober up.'.  
'Because it's that easy?'.  
'It is if you try. Cold water. Splash your face. Go, right now.'.

He took a few deep breaths, turning back to the mirror. For a single second it wasn't him looking back any more. It was someone else. Someone unfamiliar and someone he feared.

'Come on. The speech is in a couple minutes. You don't want to waste time, do you?'.

The water was cold. Painfully so. Especially with that headache, which only seemed to get worse. Next, he seemed to criticize his clothes. Covered in a sickening smell, a mix of alcohol and cigarette smoke, he felt sick just walking around in it. So he changed. Cold shower, clean clothes, brushed hair. Fresh bandages on all his wounds, cleaning that eyepatch he had been forced to wear. And once more, he was in front of the mirror.

And again, there was a distraction. And again, he was _perfect._

'There. Now that's the face of a leader. Make sure to not move too fast so you don't get too sick.'.  
'You seem to have this figured out.', Schlatt said under his breath, fixing up his tie. Again, something in the corner of his eye... Tempting, but he knew it would go away if he looked.  
'We all have our secrets. And alcohol is a nice distraction when a whole nation is relying on you.'.  
'You just say that because that's what I want to think.', the man kept speaking, despite knowing just how fabricated everything around him was. 'Because that makes me feel better about what I did.'.  
'Obviously. But you know as much.'.

'Because I'm not insane.'.  
'Of course you're not. You're just lonely. That's all.'.

A grip on his shoulder so tight it hurt.

'You're a leader. They need you. They need their President, their Emperor. You've got to get out there and show them what you're made of – Show them you've still got control. Make sure everything you did is accounted for – Make up lies if that's what it takes.'.  
'I'm their leader.', the President repeated, watching his own gaze intensify as he looked at himself. 'I'm their Emperor. I'm above them. They bow down to me.'.  
'They do. But they won't if you don't show strength. They won't if you don't show power. You have to make them look at you and see something great – Even though you're weak.'.

'I'm not weak.'.  
'Make me believe that.'.  
'I'm not weak.'.  
'Make them believe that.'.  
'I'm not weak.'.  
'Make yourself believe that.'.

He turned to the door, fixing up his jacket and stepping forward.

'I'm not weak.'.

And he wasn't.

\---

'First of all I'd like to open with the fact that I understand the past week or so has been incredibly strenuous for everyone. And yes, I have been silent on everything that happened as I myself have been recovering from the Festival. And I gathered you all here today because I know just how horrible it is being kept in the dark by your leaders – I am here to be honest.'.

Everyone came. Every single person. Manberg, the DreamSMP, and even the rebels. Yeah, he knew they were watching. They always were. He didn't care. He'd show them. He'd show them how perfect, how powerful he was. He'd show them he wasn't weak. He stood tall, he didn't sway at all, he had his eyes focused on the crowd. He knew what he wanted to say and he knew how he would say it – It was here and now he would finally make his stance on everything very clear. Fundy was to his right, meanwhile the spot to his left was now empty... But he could still see someone sitting there with the corner of his eye regardless.

'At the Festival I had two goals. To dispose of a traitor and to test the state of the rebellion. The result has made one thing clear to me – The rebellion itself is unstable, blood-thirsty, and does not have Manberg's best intentions in mind. But I do.'.

Tommy was sick of listening to him. Wilbur felt immense guilt overtake him as he looked at that stage and the traces of dried blood and dust on the edges of the Podium. Niki wanted to jump forward and swing her sword at his skull. Quackity didn't want to come – He didn't feel ready yet. Techno never tagged along as is. And yet only one single person in this group knew just how feigned the confidence on that man was – Those smiles, that nervous look in his eye – Wilbur knew he was barely even there... But that was the dangerous thing about Schlatt. He could look you in the eyes with an arrow through his head and still convince you he was okay.

'Tubbo was a traitor. I understand it's hard to accept what happened because of his young age – And trust me, this was not an easy choice to make. But that boy was tearing this country apart. Leaking information to that rebellion – Giving it to that- That monster! Technoblade! Do you want every single one of our secrets to end up in the hands of that thing?'.

How could he speak of his own family like that? Wilbur never understood. He never understood how he could just drop the people he cared about, just like that. He never understood how he could turn away and put on another mask, become another person with the snap of his fingers. And he never understood how people just believed every word he said and seemed completely enamoured by him just as they were during this very speech.

'Tubbo didn't have to die. I gave the rebellion its last chance to snatch that kid and run. Technoblade had the ability, don't tell me he didn't. But he chose to kill. And next, Quackity – A single argument and he instantly resorted to shooting me. I barely survived. My heart is permanently damaged because of this wound. And it's all because those rebels are selfish, mad and want nothing but suffering from everyone in our nation. And why should we allow that!?'.

Bad couldn't believe just how easily people followed this man. He was a monster. Could they not see that? Could they not see the sort of pain he was causing? It couldn't be possible he had them all fooled, right? Was he the only one who could see just how twisted he was?

Was he the only sane one left in this nation?

'This country has been cleansed of its worst – But they're still out there.'.

Wilbur Soot and Jschlatt, as they often did during these speeches, looked at one another.

'And the bounty has now been doubled for the rebels – Dead or alive.'.

And Will and Schlatt, although long gone, still seemed to look back.

'Stay strong, Manberg! Once these rebels are gone, this nation is gonna be a force to reckoned with once again! Don't let rumours and lies about me or my acts break you down! We will be strong, we will be better! And it's all thanks to my leadership – And thanks to you!'.

And the crowd, as they often did, cheered.

The President smirked – He wasn't weak.

He wasn't... weak.

He wasn't...

There was one more thing he had to do.

\---

'Revenge is a funny thing. A source of comfort. Once you take your revenge, you feel at peace.'.  
'Do you?', Schlatt snapped back, although deep inside he knew he was just arguing with himself at this point. No matter how many things he told himself he knew there was only one way for him to finally be able to look at himself in the mirror and see a man who no longer had regrets – And it was something that was becoming more and more impossible with each failure he took day by day.  
'Of course. Did I ever tell you why I took over the Lunch Club the way I did?'.  
'...No. Which is why you won't tell me. You don't know. You're not really here. I know that. I'm not crazy.', the man whispered under his breath, pacing around his room as he thought everything through. 'I'm not crazy, I'm just... This is how I'm coping. You're here because I can't be alone.'.

'Well done. You're smart. Or rather, you've got a very interesting mind that's doing some crazy shit just to keep you believing you're-'.  
'I'm not crazy.'.  
'Mhm. That. Anyway, as I was saying... And don't doubt me this time, will you? ...You want revenge That's what you came here for. That's all that's on your mind.'.  
'But Wilbur isn't gonna bring me the satisfaction I need any more. He doesn't care. He never did. He won't feel regret even if I look him in the face with a sword up to his throat-'.

'But Wilbur is not the only one who's wronged you, is he?'.

Schlatt turned his head, much like he had a million times that day. And this time... The little thing in the corner of his eyes finally seemed to stand there, right in front of him. He moved forward, each footstep making his heart skip a beat. He leaned forward.

'Find me.'.

He blinked.

'I'll find you.'.

And he was gone. No voice, no vision. He knew. He knew what he needed to do. The only way Schlatt could ever feel full again was to find out if he won – At least this one time.

If it was the last thing he did before his world came crashing down around him, he knew.

Jschlatt was going to track Ted Nivison down, and make him pay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS GUYS  
> okay so  
> i've been teasing this for a while  
> and i posted this on my tumblr, BUT  
> time to reveal OFFICIAL info about the spin-off!  
> below is a small extract from the opening chapter, and under it, the title and summary!  
> hope you enjoy this little preview...
> 
> \-----------PREVIEW STARTS HERE-----------
> 
> 'Don't you think things could be better in this place?', Kara had brought up on another lazy working night – Jordan would often spend time with her when she took care of some final business deals on late nights with nothing better to do. She never knew what was going through his head as he looked out a window for hours on end without doing anything at all.  
> 'Hmm? Oh, yeah, I suppose.', and as always, the Captain would only respond after a short moment of hesitance. He'd get brought back to reality once more, take a moment to go over what you said, and only then find the right answer to your question – Usually just boiling down to a mumble of one or three words at most.
> 
> 'I mean... We're just sitting here. We've got all this potential and more and more people keep flooding in, and eventually that lack of order is gonna screw us over.', the woman carried on, her eyes narrowing as she focused all her attention on a plan of the city she hung by her desk.  
> '...It'd be good to have a leader of some sort, wouldn't it?', Jordan eventually spoke up, himself seemingly getting an idea similar to what she was proposing. 'But... It's hard to pick leaders when everyone is so divided on what they want. There's lots of people in this city.'.  
> 'If we were to use a system it would make sense, you know.', Kara insisted, as always finding it impossible to give up on her ideas. 'Like... The richest business owners in the city. Six of them would be good, right? Maybe five... I'd like to get you in there, too. You'd be useful.'.
> 
> 'Me?', The Captain repeated, looking around for a moment. 'I don't... I don't even own a business out here. I don't think I'd be fit for it. People would get mad, you know?'.  
> 'Not if they see what you're capable of.', the woman insisted. 'You're a bright guy, man. You're the type of person we need on that team, you know? They just need to see it.'.  
> 'I have nothing to show.', the man leaned forward, his eyes once more setting on something distant. 'I can barely focus... And the Nether stuff is all theoretical. Don't get your hopes up.'.  
> 'Well we gotta get you to stop fazing out, yeah? Then you can focus on this stuff and get us some real good research!'. She could see he was hesitant. 'Oh come on, don't tell me you don't wanna try!'.
> 
> '...I wouldn't even know where to start.', Jordan admitted, leaning on his palm and playing around with something with his free hand. It was a pen his friend had gifted him with a while back – He developed the rather annoying habit of clicking it constantly soon after getting it. 'It's not like I haven't tried things. But these dreams... I just can't stop thinking about them sometimes, you know?'.  
> 'And... Have you tried writing about them?', Kara suggested, cocking an eyebrow. She leaned back in her chair with a smile. 'About everything, actually. Your dreams, what you do day to day, and your research! If you put your thoughts together like that it might keep your mind clear – Keep journals and get yourself in order. Maybe that will work?'.
> 
> The Captain laughed to himself, a dry and tired laugh.
> 
> 'Could you imagine? Me, keeping a journal?'.  
> 'Hey, don't knock it till you try it!'.  
> 'I dunno. Doesn't sound like the thing for me.'.  
> 'Fine, grumpy. Whatever. But keep it in mind, yeah?'.
> 
> For a moment, The Captain looked at that pen his friend had gifted him with so long ago.
> 
> 'Yeah... yeah, I'll keep it in mind, I guess.'.
> 
> \-----------PREVIEW ENDS HERE-----------
> 
> and as for the title and description... here it is!
> 
> TITLE: Between The Captain And His Journals
> 
> DESCRIPTION:  
> While Ted Nivison took charge of SMPLive and turned the Lunch Club into a force to be feared, he taught him everything he knew.
> 
> While Technoblade and the Antarctic Empire dominated SMPEarth, he was forced into exile, watching from a distance and biding his time.
> 
> While Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit searched for one another in the DreamSMP, he brought them the knowledge they needed to understand who they were.
> 
> From story to story, The Captain has always been a source of knowledge and a man who never seemed to make a single mistake. Between the three worlds The Captain wrote three journals – And their contents have been unknown to the world for years.
> 
> Until now.
> 
> This is The Captain's story.
> 
> \-----
> 
> ill be posting the first chapter sometime in the next few days, and ill announce it on the bdam chapter of the day!  
> more info on the posting schedule of the fic will be posted with it!


	150. The Morality of Revenge (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In search of revenge, Schlatt only seems to spiral more. Corpse reveals the full story of how he lost his family.

'...I can't just sit around and watch this city fall apart!'.  
'Well what do you want to do? There's nothing left for us to try.'.

It never stopped. Day after day, Bad just questioned the idea of how Manberg was being lead over, and over, and over again. He knew that if he didn't do something, anything at all, this place would crumble and fall apart and he'd have practically no way of ever bringing it back to what it was truly meant to be. He eventually found himself arguing with Skeppy and Antfrost a lot, even Sam at times when he visited. He wasn't sure what he wanted – Change, definitely. But what sort? And how do you get this sort of change in a place like this? He'd get lost in his own thoughts, shouting out about things he didn't quite understand and snapping at nothing at all.

'There's nothing we can do, Bad.', Skeppy, always, would insist. He always insisted they were helpless. He always insisted there was nothing to be done. But wasn't he the one always so insistent on profiting off of all the fighting? Why had he changed his mind like this? Why had he become so absent from everything? The Festival seemed to bring about this change he didn't quite understand.  
'But there's got to be something! Right? Some sort of... Some sort of way to...', Bad hesitated, already feeling himself get overwhelmed with this whole situation. It was far worse than anything he ever thought this place would turn into when he first noticed it all going downhill – It was starting to prove to be too much to handle.

'I know you're angry, but we can't sit here complaining. It's just gonna get worse. The best thing we can do is... Is just sit back and try to look away, you know? If we get involved-'.  
'He killed a child! A child, Skeppy! Tubbo didn't do a single thing and he killed him!', Bad snapped, unsure why he had gotten so angry about it. He was just... So, so fed up.  
'Bad, are you...?', Skeppy stepped closer, noticing just how emotional his friend had gotten. He was now wiping his eyes with his sleeve, trying to hide the tears that had showed themselves.  
'It's not fair...', the man whispered, already feeling his friend's arms wrap around him. He was probably the only person he'd ever willingly cry around – He trusted him more than anyone.

'We can't stay here.', Skeppy eventually said as he heard his friend's sobs quiet down.  
'I don't want to leave everyone-', Bad tried to insist, soon being cut off.  
'We're just getting hurt. I don't want that.', his friend told him, gently pulling himself away from him. 'We could take Antfrost and go to where Velvet lives. Wouldn't that be easier?'.

For a moment, Bad thought. Just for a moment. A single moment that passed before he could even grasp on, shaking his head and wiping the last few tears from his eyes. He eventually nodded.

'You're right. We don't belong here any more. We should go.'.

\---

He flipped the page forward, back, and forward again.

It didn't make sense.

'How is this... How is this possible?', Schlatt whispered under his breath, looking through the names in front of him. Nothing clicked – Why was finding answers so difficult?  
'It is rather confusing, isn't it?'.  
'These two lists are completely contradictory, how does that make sense?', the man continued, looking down at the journal in front of him – The Captain's Journal. One of the main sources of information regarding the Nether and the previous worlds that had been stashed away in the library and abandoned without much care since Wilbur and Tommy were exiled.

And now, it remained his only possible place to turn to for an answer.

The Captain had made two lists – A list of everyone he encountered in his memories of SMPLive, and a list of everyone he encountered in his memories of SMPEarth. These two lists made one thing very, very clear to Schlatt – Something went wrong. There was no way to know for sure what it had been, but somewhere, somehow, almost half, if not more, of the people who were to go through the Nether to their new home had completely disappeared. And Ted Nivison? He was only one of near dozens. But where had they gone? To that, the Captain had practically no answer.

'Where did all these people go? They couldn't have just... Disappeared, right?'.  
'Are you sure they left in the first place?'.  
'They all left together! Every single one of them, I mean if they didn't...'.  
'Right, right. So where did I go, then?'.

He didn't try to deny it any more. He saw him sitting in chairs, standing in corners, looking back in reflections. He didn't try to fight it. It helped put everything together.

He wasn't crazy. Just lonely. That's all.

'There's gotta be someone who knows the full story.', Schlatt continued talking under his breath, taking notes on everyone who had gone missing in-between the two worlds. Every time he looked there just seemed to be more of them – Where did all these people go?  
'Don't think about it too much. Look here.'.  
'It's the SMPEarth people?', Schlatt asked, not even questioning why he listened to that voice in the back of his mind as much as he did. It was just his own thoughts. He wasn't crazy. He was just coping. He was just figuring out everything and this was how-  
'The Captain underlined everyone in this city who was in SMPEarth. Take a closer look.'.

'Alright, so... I can't talk to the rebels. Technoblade, Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are off the table. Tubbo is... Unavailable....', the man, for a single second, hesitated. His eyes moved over the page, noticing one single name. 'Eret. Eret was in SMPEarth.'.  
'He must know something, right? No way he doesn't, right?'.  
'Has he gotten his memories back?', Schlatt asked himself, shaking his head. 'No, no, he hasn't. He'd say something. He'd say something if he knew, wouldn't he? I know he would. Yeah, that makes more sense. So Eret isn't available, right?'.  
'You can force the answer out of him. Get right up to his face and get loud. Don't give him time to think and let the thoughts in the back of his mind take over. Something will emerge. Break down those walls the Nether built around his old memories.'.

'Won't that harm him?'.  
'Obviously it will. But do you care?'.  
'Of course not. I just wanted to know.'.  
'Get to Eret and force those memories out.'.

He leaned in closer, and Schlatt felt a familiar fear wash over him.

'You want your revenge? Work for it.'.

And he would. Without hesitation.

\---

Tubbo shifted a few times, looked around, and finally, cleared his throat.

'...You lied, didn't you?'.

Corpse froze. God, he had been wanting to say that for a while.

'I'm... Not angry. Obviously. But I know you lied... About Robin, and about Cornelius. It's okay though. I mean... You don't owe telling me anything. But... I'd rather you said nothing than lied, you know?', the boy carried on, playing around with his bandages. As any day, him and his friend were sitting across from one another over a fire, the older preparing some food to eat.  
'...How did you know?', Corpse eventually found the strength in himself to ask.  
'It's... Not hard to tell. You learn how to spot that sort of stuff after some time. Especially with the type of people I've been around for the past few months...', Tubbo looked down, digging into the ground below him with his finger. 'I'm good at lying because of it, too.'.

'Well... You're right. I did lie. But... It's not because I don't want you to know.', the man paused, looking aside and shutting his eye. 'It's... Because I don't know if I'm strong enough to recall all that really happened. It was... Worse than just a fire.'.  
'Well... You don't have to.', Tubbo muttered, standing up and walking away from his seat and joining Corpse on the other side of the campfire. He turned to him with a reassuring smile, trying to be as supportive as he could. 'But I'll listen if you want to.'.  
'...It's a bit more gruesome than I made it out to be.', he admitted, playing around with a silver necklace hanging from his neck. 'I'll have to give you a bit more background on things.'.

Tubbo didn't say another word – He simply leaned forward to signify he was listening in.

'...The village I lived in... The one I told you about... It was built over a large cave system. One of the things closest to us was a lava pool. Our prison – Or rather, the singular cage we used for one, sat directly above it... And a lever was always at the ready to drop the prisoner into it. Another thing that emerged from those caves... Was... A curse.'.  
'A... Curse?', the boy repeated, shifting closer.  
'One night... Something... Twisted. Something... Evil... I don't know what it was, but... It had to have come from those accursed caves. That's where the stranger came from – And the moment he did, things begun going wrong... Horribly wrong.'.  
'Who's the stranger?', Tubbo asked, hoping to stir the conversation away from the dark conclusion it was clearly heading towards. Corpse, for just a moment, considered whether or not he should speak.

'He was... A man. I don't know who exactly. He came from... Some land far away. He was the one who brought this camera with him – We had never seen one before in our lives. That's the only reason I have this picture to remember them by.', Corpse looked down at his treasured photograph, brushing over it with his finger. 'The stranger was the one who took it.'.  
'And you say the stranger brought tragedy?'.  
'He did. We spent the whole day showing him the village, introducing him to everyone... Me, Robin and Cornelius. It was wonderful. However, we were incredibly suspicious, still. The Mayor most of all. He insisted that the stranger spend the night locked in the prison – So he couldn't hurt us as we all slept. Little did we know... It would be one of us that would bring suffering.'.

Tubbo noticed a single tear hit the surface of the photograph.

'...Corpse?'.  
'That was the night Cornelius died. We were both asleep, side by side. Robin was in another room. I heard someone smash the window, I felt something move next to me – He was dragged out of bed and I was pushed back – There were two of them. I couldn't do anything. They... They killed him. Right in front of me. I heard him begging for mercy. But... Nothing. And then he was dead.'.  
'You didn't... See them?', the boy asked, moving closer. As gruesome as the tale was, he could not hide how engaged with it he had become. To this, for a single second, the man seemed speechless. He shook his head, wiping something away from his single, uncovered eye.

'No. It was too dark. They hit me over the head, too. I was confused, on the verge of blacking out. Robin ran into the room after hearing everything and... They were the ones who saw it first. Cornelius was dead... They cut his head open with an axe. It was... Horrible.'.  
'I'm... I'm so sorry-', Tubbo tried to say, but it was clear the man now wanted to get through his story as quickly as possible. He pushed his agony away and talked on;  
'The next day we held a meeting. The whole town. The stranger was the only one we knew to be innocent – He had spent the whole night in the prison cell. We tried to figure out who the murderer was – And with how little I claimed to have had seen, and how dazed I was... I was instantly assumed to be the killer. So... They brought me to the cell. They had to hold Robin back, but... They managed to get free and run right up to the cell window anyway...'.

The man slowly removed his mask, and once more, ran his fingers over his scars.

'And the Mayor pulled the lever. I was accused of killing the man I loved and killed for it.'.  
'...But you're... You're alive.'.  
'...I survived. Barely. But I did. It was a miracle, what happened in that cave.'.  
'There's no way you could survive a direct drop into lava...'.

Upon seeing Corpse's expression shift, Tubbo went silent and listened in once more.

'That night Robin was... Alone. And so wrecked. They had lost their parents once before – This was the final nail in the coffin. They spent the whole night in the prison – Slept there alongside the stranger. That night... No one died. But the town was not satisfied.'.  
'What? But-'.  
'They blamed Robin next. With them in the prison, they assumed they had been the killer. They were killed next. At least... It was swift. Cornelius suffered a lot before he died. I hope Robin was spared such a pain, at least in their last moments.'.  
'...The town... The town killed your family?'.

Corpse did not speak – He simply nodded.

'That night the two killers took the life of whoever remained in the village – They say the stranger was the last to go. He saw their faces – Screamed their names. But no one was there to hear him any more as they stuck that axe through his head, too. To this day I wonder where he came from...'.  
'But why did they kill anyone? Did they have a motive?'.  
'Some people just want to watch the world burn around them.', Corpse concluded, looking into the photograph. 'But... The stranger. He definitely brought something into our village we didn't understand. Something that possessed those two to do what they did. But I don't care. Whatever their motives were they were heartless monsters that took everything from me.'.

Corpse's eyes narrowed as he looked at the picture, a familiar necklace around Cornelius' neck – He moved his hand to his own pendant, squeezing it in his hand. He could practically hear the screams of the man that night, Robin's sobs and pleads to the people around them as he himself was locked away, and that burning on his skin that never seemed to fully go away. He shut his eyes and looked down.

'And as long as I live, I will not forgive them for what they did.'.

\---

The moment Schlatt even as much as spotted Eret, he grabbed him by the collar and screamed;

'What happened to Ted Nivison?'.

The King looked back at him, trying to jerk himself away from his grasp.

'What? What the hell?'.  
'SMPEarth! The last world! You were there with multiple people from SMPLive, did they ever mention Ted Nivison and what happened to him? Speak to me. What happened to Ted Nivison? Do you know that name? What happened to him? Say it!'.  
'What the fuck are you-'.  
'What happened to Ted Nivison?!'.

For a moment, something in the back of Eret's mind seemed to break through.

'He died! He was lost on the way to the Nether, a shelf of stone broke away and he fell into-'.

Eret was thrown back back, stumbling to the ground as Schlatt pushed him away.

'What... what was...', the King looked down at his hands, whispering to himself. 'What the hell? What was that- Why did I- Who's...', he looked back up at the man above him, not even bothering to fix up his sunglasses. 'What he hell was that? What did you just say to me? How did I know-'.  
'He died?'.  
'Yes! I mean, what? Did he? Who- Who the fuck is Ted? What? What the hell?', Eret once more looked around a few more times, and finally, focused at the downright deranged President in front of him. 'Jesus, Schlatt, what the fuck is your problem? You're attacking people out in the street now?'.

'He's... Dead?'.  
'You need to get a grip! You think you're fit to rule a country? What the hell is wrong with you? And what did you even ask me? And why did I... Why did I know the answer...?'.  
'He's dead...'.  
'You're at the end of your line here, asshole. I hope this whole fucking Presidency falls around you next time you fuck up! Jesus Christ...'.

Schlatt watched the King walk away, only one thought on his mind. And as always, it was personified in the form of an eerily familiar voice;

'...Huh. Guess this revenge thing isn't gonna be as easy as we thought, huh?'.

And Schlatt had only one response as he stood back up;

'If you think death can keep me away from revenge you clearly haven't known me for long.'.

And this time, he returned to the Library with a very different topic to research.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS GUYS GUYS  
> ITS OFICIALLY OUT!!!  
> THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE CAPTAIN'S JOURNALS!!!  
> ITS COMING OUT SECONDS BEFORE THIS CHAPTER GO GO GO:
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/29704890/chapters/73049562  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/29704890/chapters/73049562  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/29704890/chapters/73049562  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/29704890/chapters/73049562  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/29704890/chapters/73049562
> 
> HOPE YALL ENJOY WOOOOO


	151. The Morality of Revenge (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BadBoyHalo takes his final stand. Schlatt translates an old book and learns a harsh truth. Corpse thinks about why he is where he is now.

BadBoyHalo never thought he'd find himself here. Bags in hand, everything ready to be moved...

And yet, still, hesitant. Why was he still hesitant?

They could leave. It would be so, so simple to just leave. A few more steps and they'd be in the forest. A few more and the city would be left behind. Antfrost knew the way to the city where his boyfriend lived – They'd be there in under two weeks. They'd be fine. So why, why were they still hesitating? Skeppy didn't show it as much – Lightly tapping his leg with his finger, looking around and wondering if he really wanted to go through with everything. Antfrost was a bit more obvious. Shifting from foot to foot, walking as slow as he'd be allowed to before he was told to hurry up, and looking at everything with fondness you'd never expect from a man who had only arrived in the city a few months prior. And finally, Bad – Bad didn't try to hide it. Bad stopped dead in his tracks the moment they reached the Community House and refused to move.

'...Bad?', Skeppy turned back, already getting prepared to step through the doorway of the Community House. They planned to go forward through it – The house found itself at the centre of the city, with four doorways leading in four different directions. The way forward lead you to Eret's castle, and past there, only a long walk to their new home.  
'Guess you need a moment to say goodbye?', Sam, who had decided to tag along, asked from nearby. He didn't plan on leaving just yet – He had a lot more ties to this city than these three that he just could not afford to leave behind. He was still happy to walk with them to the edge of the forest and say goodbye, though... Although he had a feeling Bad would hesitate right here and now.

'Remember how we thought this building was cursed?', Bad asked, turning back to his old friend. Instantly, Sam laughed to himself, about a million things coming to his mind.  
'Obviously. How the first fire we lit near the shore there went out three different times during the night? We thought we were screwed each time.', Sam recalled, pointing behind him to a spot he still remembered clearly. The Community House itself was built at the centre of a small lake, over the water – It was an ambitious project, but one worth it in the end.  
'And you still managed to fix it! And... Sapnap started setting little sticks on fire to fend monsters off. I think that's when he really got that love of fire... It got us out of some really close calls.', Bad continued, remembering the amount of fear and uncertainty the group felt that night – They made it through by staying together. And now... Were they doing the same thing?

'Then, when we started building, the foundations kept falling apart and collapsing. George told him we should have built the house on stable ground, but Dream kept insisting the middle of the lake was where he needed it to be.', Sam continued, laughing to himself. He still remembered all the time they fell into water while trying to put those foundations together, laughing each and every time.  
'Ponk and Alyssa were already staring with their business mindset... Trading materials they gathered in exchange for Callahan running jobs for them.', Bad muttered under his breath. 'The poor guy couldn't say no to her... I think he might have had a little crush, you know?'.

'Don't let him hear you saying that!'.  
'Am I wrong, though?'.

And just as they did so long ago when the Community House was first built... The two laughed.

Bad gave the building one last look – The brick walls with the stone outside rim, with the small, dirty and foggy windows. Under them he could see flowers hanging down, knowing Alyssa still sometimes came by to take care of them. The Dream Team themselves kept the place stable with fresh materials, with Ponk, Sam, Callahan and Bad himself always coming by to clean the inside. Even to this day, the building stood tall, with four bridges still entering its four doorways, branching out into the various pathways of the whole DreamSMP. He could see the little lanterns hanging over the doorways, the roof still covered in small chairs and tables that had not been used in months, maybe even years – He could not remember the last time the group got together to spend time up there. It felt like so long ago, and at the same time... It only felt like yesterday.

Bad hesitated, finally taking one step back.

'No.'.

He shook his head, putting down the bags he intended to run away with.

'No, we can't do this.'.

He looked back at Skeppy, Antfrost and Sam, who could not hide their relief.

'We are not running away. Not as long as the Community House stands.', Bad finally concluded, quickly wiping his eyes with his sleeve. 'I'm not gonna run and let the place I created fall apart! We're going to stay here and we're going to make everything better.'.  
'Oh thank god, I thought I was gonna have to drag you back by the legs.', Skeppy said under his breath, clearly quite relieved. He didn't seem keen on leaving this city, either. He swung his axe back, resting it on his shoulder. 'So, what's the plan, Bad? What are we gonna do?'.  
'I... I have an idea. But are you guys sure you want to help me? It could be... A little risky.', Bad asked, playing around with his fingers. Instantly, the three men in front of him agreed;

'Obviously! We do everything together, right?', Skeppy exclaimed with a smile.  
'What sort of friend would I be if I didn't help?', Ant himself asked, rubbing the back of his neck.  
'I guess I've got nothing better to do...', Sam concluded, although it was clear he was eager to help.

Bad nodded to himself, looking aside.

'Alright! Well, let's think about it logically – Whichever side we take in a war like this, it will end in tragedy for someone... We can't join Manberg after what Schlatt did. We can't join Pogtopia with what Technoblade did. And the DreamSMP is too corrupt to stand on its own, right?'.  
'Right... But where are you going with this?', Sam spoke up, clearly growing interested.  
'...We have to form our own side. A side that can support different sides of the fight whenever we deem that necessary. Do whatever we need to bring the conflict to the quickest, most painless end – If it means that the entirety of Manberg has to be destroyed for our city to return to what it once was, so be it! We have to fuel the conflict until it destroys itself. Do you understand?'.  
'It... Makes sense, in a way.', Ant said to himself. 'We... Keep the conflict going until it just falls apart itself. We keep the conflict going between Pogtopia and Schlatt.'.

'Exactly!', Bad turned back. 'The conflict will eventually eliminate all of the factions, everything will be broken down to a point where it can't be repaired, and then... Everything will go back to normal, right? It's got to! If the fighting is over, then...'.  
'Then only people who truly care about the city will remain.', Skeppy concluded with a nod.  
'This city is gonna know about us! They're gonna know about what we want and what our message is!', Bad exclaimed, his gaze setting on the distant towers and homes in the DreamSMP. He smiled to himself, pointing forward, a new motivating force overtaking him.

'This city is gonna know the true wrath of The Badlands!'.

\---

He found a single book. A single book that remained untranslated, with some of the strangest, most outlandish magic that he had ever witnessed hidden inside of it. Pushed into the corner of the Library and forgotten about, it was everything President Schlatt needed to finally get his revenge and feel at ease – All it took was translating the texts and uncovering the secrets hidden within. He didn't waste any time reading the book and learning the truth about the single most simultaneously unpredictable and predictable force in the universe.

Death.

_Death, all things considered, is what one could see as the one definitive in life. In the end, all of us will be met with death. We will be faced with it, one way or another – Those around us will die, or we ourselves will meet our end. Either way, death will come. But over the centuries, many have tried to cheat this very force – With varying results. The truth of the matter is, our world is far too complicated to allow even death to be a simple concept, and in this book I intend to store the various secrets of this force I have managed to uncover._

Corpse knew he spent too long each day looking at that photograph.

_The first thing to understand is that once dead, a person will never, ever be the same. Death itself changes us in ways we do not fully comprehend. Looking at it in simple terms, let's say this – A person who dies doesn't talk. They don't look at you. They don't think about you. They do not move, they do not breathe. That is the major change you notice. But there are many other ways in which one is affected by an event like this – And understanding of these changes is the key to cheating death itself. I decided to separate these changes into three types._

As every evening, he could hear the fire crackling, see Tubbo peacefully asleep in his tent, and was thinking about everything that had happened to him. Telling the boy the story had only made the painful memories resurface once more – He tried to get sleep, but he knew the moment he did, he'd only be thrown into nightmares he'd have no chance of just shrugging off. So, instead, he opted out for sitting by the fire and looking at the stars – The one thing that hadn't changed since back then.

_When one dies, three of their elements undergo changes – The Body, The Mind and The Spirit. The Body is self explanatory – One's body dies, it shrivels, it decays. It gets a point where it can no longer carry on and house a Mind or a Spirit. Its too weak – Too broken. The Mind and The Spirit are let free – And it is from here that real changes begin taking place._

He remembered how him, Robin and Cornelius used to look up at those stars. That kid would always try to memorize every single constellation, Cornelius teaching them the names of the stars and why they were positioned where they were. He would just sit aside and watch... It was good seeing them as happy as they were back then... It only hurt more remembering their eventual end.

_The Mind carries on in the Nether – It is surrendered to it, and eventually handed back to an Overworld with a new purpose. We will discuss this more further down. The Spirit is let go and allowed to wander the Overworld where it died – It is here that we have to understand what these two truly mean. The Mind carries the person – Their personality, their beliefs, their very being. It is what defines a person, so once its gone and only the Spirit remains, it becomes a hollow reflection of the person and what they used to be._

He always wondered where he'd go when he died. Where they'd all go. He didn't know his own death – And the death of the two he loved most – Would come so quickly. These people he cared about so much, these people he considered his only family...

He found himself looking at Tubbo once more.

_The Spirit will often wander the plains of where it died waiting to complete what the Body and the Mind tried to do before it – Have you heard of people saying ghosts have unfinished business? That is where the belief has come from – The Spirit quite literally only remains to finish what the Body and the Mind started and could not. The Spirit, however, will rarely have what it requires to do so – It has no Body to contain it, and no Mind to let it be the person they once were. Spirits will often be see-through, physically different in appearance or characteristics, and will often only have shards left behind of the long-gone Mind, making them nothing more but shadows of their living selves._

He looked at Tubbo, at the photograph, and back to Tubbo again.

It hurt.

_The Mind itself remains in the Nether until its fate is decided. It is said Minds who live in the Nether are trapped above its bedrock roof – Above the unbreakable material, in an empty, dark void of a land where they wander the cold, empty afterlife alongside friends and family until their new fate is decided. Some stay there forever – Others, are returned._

_It is those that return I think are the most unfortunate._

Why did it have to be him, out of everyone?

_In rare instances, the Mind will be sent back to the Overworld and reborn into a new person – Their Body will grow similar to the original Mind's, but memories of the previous life will often remain lost. That is, unless, the person finds themselves returning to where they died before and being faced with their Spirit – Once their Body, Mind and Spirit are once more reunited, they carry on in their new Body (often changed, perhaps scarred to signify their initial death due to the Mind's and Spirit's memories influencing its development) from the point they left off. The person lives on with the memories of their previous life – And their death._

_I think getting reborn is a fate worse than death._

Corpse continued looking at Robin feeling his grasp on that photograph grow stronger. If only he could tell them. Somehow snap them out of this, tell them who they truly were, tell them what happened... But he wouldn't wish to curse anyone, and most of all not them, with this sort of fate. It wasn't fair. But it also wasn't fair to force those he cared about into the same sort of pain he had struggled with for lifetimes now. He had found a new home – He had found a way to recover. He didn't need to drag them down with him. He just... He wanted to see them one last time.

_Forced to watch your loved ones fall around you. Watch as those you loved who's new Bodies and former Minds never recovered their Spirits, turning them into strangers with familiar faces who will never know who you were to them. Forced to live in your past, trapped in whatever horrible fate that met you. Scarred to show how your life came to an end – With reminders granted to you by the Nether itself of your old life, as if to mock you and tell you you were chosen to suffer. I pity those who's Minds and Bodies found their Spirits once more – I'd rather be a Spirit wandering the Overworld or a Mind lost in the Nether Void than to come back to a world I no longer belong to._

Corpse put the photograph away and lay down once more. It was raining.

Robin always loved the rain.

_So to conclude – A Body dies forever, but a Mind in a new Body can change it and grow it to be similar or identical to its old one. A Mind will wander a Void said to sit above the Nether until it finds a new home, which can take a few years... Centuries. Millennia, even. Some never get their second chance at all. A Spirit will wander near where it died with unfinished business, only a hollow reflection of what it once was and left with most of their personality and memories missing. However there is a way – There is a ritual I have discovered that can force a Mind back from the Nether, and combining it with its Spirit, it can rebuild its Body completely and return to life._

Finally. Finally, the truth. The President continued translating.

_There is an important condition, however._

So close, and yet...

_The Body, no matter what, must have had died in an Overworld._

...So far.

_Those who die in the Nether are said to be shattered, their Body, Mind and Spirit turning into nothing and leaving no trace of them in any world._

He barely had the strength in himself to read on as he was hit with the truth.

_Those who die in the Nether are lost forever._

Schlatt sat back, already hearing a familiar laugh from behind him.

_Never to be recovered._

'Well shit, Schlagg. What the hell are you gonna do now?'.

And for once in his life...

He did not know.

Because once again, his enemy had won, and he, as always, lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LORE REVEALLLL  
> i hope the way death works isnt too confusing lol
> 
> and thank you for the lovely comments on the captain's journals!!!  
> chapter two is already in the works :)))


	152. The Snapping Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt reaches a snapping point. Fundy decides he has to run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW// There's some description of derealization/heavy disassociation in this chapter, so watch out for that!

'No, no, there has to be some way.'.  
'There's nothing, Schlatt.'.  
'Something they forgot, I'm sure.'.  
'You know there isn't.'.

The President had been staring at that book for the past hour, unable to move.

'If... If you died in the Nether... Then...', the man started, beginning to pace around the room. That phantom, that voice in the back of his head, that source of comfort, somehow, was standing in the corner, glaring at him and trying to bring order to his mind.  
'Then you can't bring me back. But even if you did, what were you planning to do?'.  
'Take... Take my revenge...', the man muttered in response, still too shaken by everything he had learned to be able to form a full, coherent sentence. He took his seat in the corner of the room, watching as that familiar reflection came closer and took its seat next to him.  
'...And how were you gonna do that? Kill me again? Give out to me? Oh please.'.

'You're not him.'.  
'I'm not. But how are you sure?'.  
'...He wouldn't be this helpful.'.  
'You're right there.'.

'What were you planning to do, Schlatt?', he continued asking himself, knowing it was nothing more than his own mind that wanted these answers. 'How would you take your revenge?'.  
'I don't... I don't know...'.  
'You know you had no plan. You just wanted to prove you were still in control.', he continued, his voice slow and patient. 'You were going to bring me back for nothing. Just to look your failures in the eyes and realize just how little control you have over your past and everyone in it-'.  
'Stop, stop! Stop talking! That's not true!'.

He listened. Of course he did. Because Schlatt was in control. He was in control, he was in control-

'...Why me?'.

The question was so sudden it practically made him lose his breath instantly, forcing him to turn to the side with a gasp. As it often was when he actually focused, the memory of his past that had once been then instantly shattered and fell apart, leaving him with the stinging realization that he, underneath everything, was still alone. He was still talking to himself. He was still without a single ally. He was still grasping onto power by a thin string that was about to snap and leave him falling into nothing. He grabbed onto his head, hiding it in his knees as he continued sitting on the floor in the corner of the room like he had been doing for hours now.

'I don't know.', he eventually choked out, but it was more of a knee-jerk reaction to try and make that drilling voice in the back of his head go away than his actual, honest response.  
'Yes you do. I wouldn't have asked if you didn't.'.  
'I don't know, I don't know...', he kept repeating, too weak and lost in his own fears to even manage to say a single thing properly. Everything felt like it was falling apart.  
'Think about it. Why, out of everyone, is it me?'.  
'I don't know... I promise I don't know...', weaker with each word, he kept repeating, hoping that that voice he created himself would finally let up and leave him alone. But he'd never be so lucky.

'Yes you do. Think about it.'.  
'I don't-'.  
'Stop lying!'.  
'I don't know-'.  
'Snap out it, why-'.

'Because you're the only person I ever trusted!'.

Every second... endless. Every wall... closer. The world didn't fully feel like it was there any more – His hands didn't seem like his own when he looked down at them. Something was wrong, so horribly wrong with him but no matter what he had to keep convincing himself he was in control. He knew that was the only way he could stay sane... Or as sane as he could still manage to be. Keep reassuring himself, keep talking to himself, keep making up this fantasy in his head that kept him safe from the world around him and just how fucked he was. He was shaking, he could barely stay sitting still in one place, only forcing himself further and further into the corner of the room.

'Names signify trust.', Schlatt carried on, finally managing to calm his breathing down. 'I only ever gave my name to three people. Wilbur, Minx and... You. Wilbur left me. Minx left me. But you...'.  
'What did I do? Do you remember?'.  
'...You... You weren't a good person. But you didn't turn on me, either. So you were better than those two.', Schlatt said to himself, looking up. The room was barely there any more. It didn't feel right. Nothing felt right any more, nothing felt like him. 'I never got... I just never got what you thought about me... All the things I heard contradicted each other. It didn't make sense.'.  
'What do you know for sure? Start there.'.

'...You needed a puppet. A seventh member who'd nod along with you and do what you wanted. You knew I'd be right for it. You knew I'd be easy to break down.', the President carried on, his mind racing. 'But you also... You also said you liked me. You admired me. You thought I was smart, as smart as you. That's what your journals around that time say.'.  
'So what's the truth?'.  
'I don't know-'.  
'Think about it.'.  
'I don't get it.'.

'What else was there, Schlatt? Keep talking.'.  
'...You... You... I don't know...'.

'You taught me everything you knew. But someone else taught you all that, right? You couldn't have had learned all that from nothing. Someone else made you the way you are. That's how it always is. It's a cycle. It's a cycle and I'm just the next one...'.  
'Are you saying that because you know it, or are you saying that because you wish it was true?'.  
'...And you were a better person, underneath. And that better person showed himself sometimes. When we were alone. When we all hung out. You were a great guy. A nice guy. But you couldn't let that persona drop when everyone else was watching...'.  
'Is that an explanation, or is it an excuse for everything I did to you?'.  
'...And you always had the city's best interest at heart. You hurt me. You hurt me and so many others, a lot, but you were doing what you thought was the best thing for the city. And the city was good. Everyone made it out. Most people were happy. You were... A good leader.'.  
'But not a good person. Is that what you're trying to say?'.

'A good leader, but a shit person... Sounds familiar, doesn't it?'.  
'Awfully so. Is that a hint of self-reflection I see?'.

Schlatt had to get up. He couldn't sit here and cower like some sort of... Lost child, or god knows what. He knew the moment he stood up he'd get light-headed – He anticipated it. He grabbed onto the nearby wall and tried his best to support himself on it, waiting for the world to return to normal. Everything was so... Foggy. It was had to describe. It was there, he knew. But it didn't feel like it was real. It were as if he was watching everything from behind a dirty window, to an extent where he wasn't even in control of where he walked or what he did. He stumbled forward, managing to stand somewhat tall at the centre of the room. He couldn't sit here and do nothing all day. Whether he liked it or not, even with how much everything seemed to crumble... He was still the President.

Just one more drink. Or maybe three, or four. He just had to make his world focus again, as strange as that sounded. With the alcohol it was still messy, but in a different, more familiar way. This felt wrong. This didn't feel like him any more. This felt like someone else. It felt like he was crawling around in a stranger's skin and it felt disgusting, it felt wrong, it felt like everything was itching but wasn't there at the same time and he just wanted to disappear he just wanted to

One, two, three. Four, five, six. When had the bottle become empty?

Another. There had to be another. Here, anywhere. Another bottle.

Another drink. Everything was fine.

'...This isn't the end, you know?'.  
'That's what I thought before I translated this piece of shit.', Schlatt slammed his hand down on the half-translated book, clearly back to his usual persona but still uneasy and with his mind more foggy than anything. 'And before then when I first got here. And before then when I-'.  
'Yes, yes, we get it. You always lose and the world is against you. Cry me a river. But are you gonna just give up now when you've got something like this at your fingertips?'.  
'Like what?', Schlatt turned to the book, looking down at its contents. 'Some dusty old pages strung together with bullshit about ghosts and death on them? Yeah, very useful.'.

'You know what I'm talking about.'.  
'I do. It's stupid.'.  
'Then why are you saying this to yourself?'.  
'Because I'm fucking crazy, apparently.'.

Another moment of silence. These were the worst, he knew. It meant even his own mind was giving up on trying convincing him to keep fighting, leaving him to wander around the room drunk and only drinking more and more by the second. He kept looking back at that book every now and then, already feeling an unbearable headache crawl up on him- This would be an impossible one to deal with in the morning, wouldn't it? He kept wondering, wondering and fucking wondering about what that voice in the back of his head could possibly be saying.

And then, it clicked.

'Holy shit.'.

The world started fading once more.

'We cheated death.'.

'I thought you'd never fucking realize. You've got a literal book of necromancy here, asshole. Some people in this city would give everything to have something like this. Some powerful people.'.  
'...Anything?', Schlatt asked, picking up the book he had spent all day practically breaking down over. He turned it in his hand, feeling the leather cover of it with his fingertips. So much power contained within just a few pages – It almost felt unreal what he had managed to uncover here.  
'You might not want it. Sure. And hell, maybe Ted- Or, fucking, me, if we're keeping this up, and Wilbur got away. I'm dead and Wilbur has lost his mind and wouldn't care if an arrow shot him right now. But you know what Wilbur still has ties with? Or rather... Who?'.  
'...I'd just need one person.', the President said to himself, moving to the mirror and starting to fix up his tie and jacket – He was planning to have a rather important meeting that evening. 'One person who could do everything else for me. And then finally I'd be free.'.

'You don't have to hurt Wilbur Soot, Schlatt.'.  
'I can hurt everyone around him.'.  
'His brothers. His father. His own son.'.  
'I could kill every single one of them.'.  
'And leave him alive. Leave him alive to suffer.'.  
'And he'll finally understand what I felt being alone.'.

Schlatt picked up the Book of Necromancy, grasping it tightly.

'Powerful people need powerful friends. I'm powerful.'.

The man looked at himself in the mirror, finding a complete stranger looking back.

'I just need a friend who's lost as much as I have.'.

\---

Being alone wasn't easy. But it wasn't like he could give up now.

Fundy was the only source of insider information that the rebellion had left – He was the only person that had ties with Pogtopia to be as close to Schlatt as he was. They shared the same home, they made all decisions regarding the country together, and he knew more about him than anyone. He knew what sort of habits he had, what sort of weaknesses he had. He just needed the right push to send him out of here and on his way to the rebel base – Where he could finally reveal months worth of work and tell everyone just how much information he had gathered. Sure, they knew that he was an alcoholic, but did they know that-

Fundy stopped dead in his tracks as he heard talking from the living room.

He inched closer to the doors, trying his best to not make the old floorboards in the corridor creak. He knew this house better than anyone by this point – And he knew how to sneak around effectively. He moved closer to the doorway and pressed his ear against the wall, feeling it shift and readjust itself to hear everything clearly. One good thing about being a Hybrid – Just how much your hearing improved thanks to all the animalistic traits. The strangest thing about what he heard was this – Schlatt seemed to be... Talking to himself? He could hear a slight shift in his tone of voice whenever he spoke, as if simulating a conversation between himself and someone else.

Fundy knew this guy had lost it, but this was on another fucking level.

'You don't have to hurt Wilbur Soot, Schlatt.', he said in that “other” voice, much softer and gentler than his usual one. He seemed to even be able to control his very speaking mannerisms as he reassured himself with this voice, although his slurred speech was still quite clear.  
'I can hurt everyone around him.', Schlatt himself responded with his usual tone, angry and condescending with everything, no matter how serious the matter was. Fundy just listened, practically frozen in fear. He had never seen the man act like this.

'His brothers. His father. His own son.', the foreign voice suggested.  
'I could kill every single one of them.', the President soon agreed.

Fundy felt his heart drop. He wouldn't...

No.

No, no, no. Of course he would. Why wouldn't he?

Fundy knew it from the moment he saw Tubbo get murdered right before his very own eyes, he knew just how sick and twisted the man on the other side of this wall was. No matter how many times he complimented him, no matter how many times he claimed he supported him, no matter how many times he tried to force himself in and replace that hole a lack of Wilbur in his life had left him with it was all just to make him obedient.

But he wasn't stupid. He wouldn't be swayed so easily. He wouldn't lay down and let himself be killed – He had to stay focused on what he knew mattered most. And what mattered most was the nation he settled with people he once trusted.

He shut himself away in his room as he often did on evenings like these, preparing his journal.

One last entry – One last entry to say everything that had to be said, and finally, he'd run and never look back. He'd run to his home, he'd run to the people he once believed were his family, and he'd give them the information they needed to end this war once and for all. He had to get away from here before he got hurt – He had to run, and he had to run as soon as it was possible.

He just needed the right opportunity.

The right moment.

And that very moment would come sooner than Fundy could ever predict.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHAPTER 2 OF THE CAPTAIN'S JOURNALS DROPPED EARLIER TODAY!!!  
> make sure to read that after you leave me a nice comment here he he :)
> 
> and yes, folks, you're seeing right  
> this fic OFICIALLY has a final chapter count  
> well, its not SUPER final  
> but all the chapters from here on are mostly planned, so... we're nearing the end :)


	153. The Prelude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Pogtopia, the rebels gather their thoughts. Minx, Niki and Quackity talk, Tommy has an idea, and Techno reminds Wilbur of a familiar name.

Niki had missed being able to braid someone's hair. Minx definitely didn't have as much of it as Techno, but... It was nice. It felt... Normal. And these days she'd appreciate normalcy over anything.

She moved the little strands of hair in-between her fingers as she often did – The Dreamon was sitting in front of her, eyes focused on nothing at all. Niki knew what they were doing here wasn't by any means the sort of bonding you'd expect from friends who hadn't seen each other in almost two years, but she also knew what this woman had been dealing with for the past year, almost, so positive contact of any kind was probably better than anything. They were lucky that Quackity knew of her and what she was – It was often that these three would be left alone around Pogtopia while Tommy went out to scout Manberg and Techno and Wilbur did... God knows what. Sometimes she was afraid to even ask. Although, she had spotted some changes recently.

After the button incident – The one Quackity gave her an incredibly detailed recollection of afterwards, Wilbur's behaviour definitely seemed to change. It was small, at first. Actually spending time around Pogtopia, and not disappearing somewhere with Techno for hours every day, talking with Tommy and trying to consider his ideas about everything. It was almost unreal – He definitely still had that... itch, if you will, to run to the button first chance he got and end everything, but Tommy definitely managed to anchor him back to reality and just how close they were to victory without having to give up on everything. She was proud of how mature he had become – But also incredibly disheartened by the fact he was forced to grow up so fast. Either way... There was peace in Pogtopia. And with how rare as that was, they had to all enjoy it while it lasted.

But there was another problem – This rebellion no longer had a plan. Before the stand-off at the button, there were two sides to Pogtopia – Those who wanted to watch Manberg crash and burn, and those who wanted to stop the others no matter what. Now, with Wilbur's main focus gone and with him willing to listen to everyone else's plans to get their country back there was... Nothing. They never thought they'd even get that far, this was a miracle if anything. This meant they had been sitting around for almost a day making no progress whatsoever as far as getting Manberg back went. Tommy said he would come up with something soon – He just needed time. And with how much work that kid had been doing around here, the last thing she wanted to do was rush him.

So here she was. Giving herself and Minx the time they needed to reconnect.

'I wouldn't be surprised if you could swing that sword better than me now.', the Dreamon spoke up as Niki continued telling her stories about all that she had done while they were separated. All her time spent with Techno – As sour as the memories were now – were included in that very collection of stories. 'Maybe we should have a little training session, you know?'.  
'You haven't trained in almost two years, silly. I wouldn't want to hurt you.', Niki said with a slight laugh, continuing to pull at Minx's hair as she put it into the small braid now slowly but surely forming behind her back. 'And I don't like going easy on people. That's not how warriors do it.'.  
'Alright then! Since when did Niki Nihachu get so proper and honourable?', Minx responded with an equally gentle laugh, clearly enjoying the more light-hearted conversation.  
'Since she was trained by The Blade, the most brilliant warrior in these woods-', Niki tried to say in a feigned, almost pretentious voice, but she soon found herself being cut off by her own laughter.

'Don't let him hear you saying that. You might hurt his feelings, god forbid.'.

Niki turned her head to the side, finding Quackity sitting nearby and going through some book Tommy had left him with. Passing the time without getting bored or too focused on everything out of their control was impossible without distractions – And sitting down and reading was your best bet for that around this place. She was glad to see him slowly getting better – Changing out of that suit, dropping the sunglasses, and changing into some loose hoodie of his they managed to recover on a supply run into Manberg. He didn't leave that beanie of his, however – He never took it off. It had sort of become a joke between them that the poor guy was bald under there, and with how hesitant he was of taking it off, he couldn't really prove her wrong.

'Uh... Minx. How are you feeling?', he spoke up, as he often did, staring off into a space he could only guess the Dreamon was occupying by where Niki was moving her fingers. The three had very quickly gained somewhat of an understanding of how to communicate – The Dreamon was glad. After dealing with that one asshole for a year, she finally got two good friends in exchange.  
'...Been better. But waking up here is a lot nicer than that ugly fucking room that smelled like whiskey, cigarettes and fucking cat piss or some shit...'.  
'Uh...', Niki turned back with a small smile, chuckling. 'She... She says she's fine, thanks.'. All the girl received in response was a rather disappointed frown.  
'We need to seriously work on your vocabulary, Niki.', Minx quickly said, turning her head forward once more and allowing her friend to carry on with her braid.

'And how are you?', the woman finally turned her attention to the former Vice-President, who definitely got some of the colour back in his face since he defected from Manberg a week or two previous. Days blended together so easily now – It was hard to keep track of time any more.  
'Getting better, I think.', Quackity admitted, although his hesitance was clear. 'I just need... A bit more time, you know? I keep thinking over everything, still. My mind's all... Fucked up.'.  
'Give it time.', Niki reassured him. He had told her some stories of just how Schlatt treated the people around him – And despite his betrayal, it made her feel terrible about Fundy now being left behind there. The cabinet itself was falling apart, and the less people in it, the more agitated and erratic the President seemed to grow, treating them with less and less patience.

And what about the citizens? What about Jack, Karl, Sapnap? They may have been enemies once – And they may have supported that tyrant. And yes, she still had resentment for them because of that. But... No one deserved to go through the type of pain Quackity and Minx endured, or be put under the same amount of strain that she was, always under that man's watch and seemingly never getting free. She just wanted all of this to be over... For this to be explained, for everyone to forgive each other, and for L'Manberg to grow and get past this stage of its history.

Surely, by the time Schlatt was out of power, that'd be the worst of it behind them, right?

'You're going to be alright. We all will be. You know, once all of this is done... I'm gonna open my bakery again.', Niki started, hoping moving on to this topic could be good for everyone. She had been thinking about this possible future quite a lot – It made things a bit easier to deal with. 'Yeah. I'll rebuild my house and open up that bakery again. Maybe Fundy would like to run it with me, too. I could give him a good talk and try to get Schlatt's bullshit out of his head.'.  
'...Sounds nice.', Quackity eventually admitted, clearly hesitant on speaking. She knew this man had always struggled with where to go and what to do as far as his life went – Him finally finding his place by Schlatt's side and eventually getting that ripped away definitely didn't help in any way.  
'You know... You could always help out.', she eventually spoke up, finishing up Minx's braid and tying it up at the end. 'Extra hands are always nice at a bakery. Lots to do. And I don't mean the business side of things. You're probably sick of doing that for everyone – You could try making the dough! Fundy's already good enough with shaping it and all. I hope he hasn't gotten out of practice... Ah, jeez, all my recipes burned up... I'm gonna have to make up new ones.'.

Quackity was baffled – How did this woman manage to stay so positive in the face of a tragedy like this? She had lost her home, everything she owned... And she still had the strength to joke about it, laugh it off and start from scratch. It was admirable. But just how many times could someone take being beaten down before they gave in and didn't bother standing up again?

Schlatt hit that point because of SMPLive. And had he hit it, too?

'I'm more of a meat guy myself.', he eventually said with a shrug, chuckling slightly.  
'Well, a nice bakery will always look nice next a good butcher.', Niki responded with a giggle.  
'Can you imagine? Quackity The Butcher?', the man paused, laughing. 'Sounds stupid.'.  
'Hey, whatever floats your boat. I like baking bread and making cake and you might be into cutting open innocent little animals and serving them for dinner. It's a weird world.', the woman said, although her tone of voice could not be more satirical.

Niki was always so happy for others – But did she ever find time to feel lost herself?

'…Do you really think there's a chance everything goes back to normal?', Quackity eventually asked, playing around with the pages of the book in front of him. 'Can we just move past this like nothing happened? Hang around L'Manberg like it's just after the war again?'.  
'It won't all be the same.', Niki quickly responded, tilting her head to the side. 'Some scars are bound to never heal. But... That doesn't mean you can't... Return to normal. It won't be identical to what it used to be, and yes, it might be new and scary... But... It's gonna become the new normal, eventually. And it's gonna be just as familiar as the old. You just need to give it time.'.  
'Time.', Quackity repeated with a scoff. 'With everything it looks like I'm gonna need a lot of that.'.  
'Well, you can take as long as you need now.', Niki reassured him. 'We won't force you into things.'.

The two's conversation was soon cut short by a loud exclamation;

'Good news, everyone! I've got a plan!', Tommy, who had just entered Pogtopia with his eyes practically glowing from excitement, shouted out. His optimistic smile faded, however, as he spotted Quackity sitting next to Niki. 'But uh...'.

'I don't think you'll like it much, Big Q.'.

\---

'...You're not the type to brood, usually.'.  
'I needed time to think.'.  
'I didn't take you for the meditation type, either.'.  
'There's a lot you don't know about me.'.

Wilbur was still... Unsure, if you will, about his promise to Tommy. Sure, he was willing to try other plans. But that did not by any means make that constant voice screaming in the back of his head go away. He knew Tommy could never quite understand what it was like discovering an idea and being unable to stop sticking to it – But he knew someone who did. He found his older brother in that field where the infamous Battle of the Lake took place, as if reflecting on his very own fight. He was sitting on his knees right at the centre of it, his cape and crown missing, with his sword laid out in front of him and taking in careful, gentle breaths. The moment he heard Wilbur's voice he opened a single eye, looking back at him, and then closed it once more as he approached him.

'...Can we talk?', Wilbur finally asked after finding a comfortable way to sit, although it was near impossible with how much he kept moving around. Techno, for a few seconds, did not say a single word. He was about ready to leave – But soon, he got his response.  
'About what?', the older finally enquired, continuing to sit as still as ever with his eyes closed. He didn't seem bothered by anything around him – You'd think a revolutionary mid-war would be a bit more stressed about things, but he was practically unaffected by the state of this revolt.  
'Just... Things. I need to clear my head.', Wilbur eventually responded, himself finding it quite hard to speak. He wasn't sure exactly what his issue was – There was about a million thoughts in his head, each one more confusing than the last.

'Can you be perfectly honest with me, Techno?'.  
'I rarely hide things, unless I have to.'.  
'Well then... Are we right?'.

And just like that, his peace was gone. He opened his eyes, turned, and sighed.

'There is no such thing as being right in this world.', Techno eventually said, although it took quite long for him to gather his thoughts. 'Everyone has their own ideals, beliefs they will follow and do anything for. We share the common belief that Manberg needs to disappear.', Techno paused, noticing the change in Wilbur's expression. 'Unless... That's changed?', he added, his brother almost retreating into his coat out of pure guilt.

'I just... I don't understand it fully.', he spoke up after a short pause, tapping his finger on the grass below. He could barely focus – This sort of foggy feeling in his mind reminded him far too much of how he used to be before he met Tommy for him to be comfortable. 'What's your end goal? Your... Belief? What are you trying to gain from joining this revolution?'.  
'...I think I made that pretty clear.', Techno eventually spoke up, moving some of his hair back and tying it up to how it usually was. Despite it being cut during that duel with Dream, it was already coming back to its old length. Wilbur recalled something about the accelerated hair growth being a part of his Anomaly traits – But he could hardly recall all the SMPLive memories in his state.

'Wilbur, I want you to think. What is the single source of the split between you and Schlatt?', he asked, and upon seeing his brother's quick reaction, cut him off. 'Think about it. Think about it as much as you can. If you want to understand me you have to understand this yourself.'.  
'...We were both... Selfish.', Wilbur finally said, looking down into the nearby lake. With the blood that was once there long gone, he could see himself looking back. 'I wanted to run and used him as a scapegoat. He wanted power through the Lunch Club. And that was that.'.  
'Alright. And SMPEarth?', Techno asked once more, turning to the side and finally facing Wilbur. 'What was the downfall of the previous world? Once more, think about it.'.  
'Dominance. People wanted dominance. Power, control. Whatever. They wanted as much land for themselves as they could.', Wilbur said rather quickly, slowly bur surely catching on onto what his brother was trying to explain. Techno looked aside, the wind blowing his hair away.

'...Power, selfishness, control. Do you know where those types of needs thrive?'.  
'I... I'm not sure.'.  
'...Simple. Governments. Our issues from day one came from governments.'.  
'I'm don't... I don't think-'.

'How would have SMPLive gone if the Lunch Club hadn't been there, Wilbur?', Techno asked, forcing the man into silence. 'And yes, I'm aware of what the Antarctic Empire itself was. And I'm willing to admit to my mistakes and learn from them, Wilbur. I saw better than anyone just the pain, the suffering, that giving so much power to one person can give.'.  
'You're saying governments as a whole are the issue?'.  
'Manberg is so small. It's so weak. It doesn't need Presidents, or Secretaries of State, or anything like that. It just needs people.', Techno stopped, for a moment, taking a deep breath. 'But that won't happen. As long as that place exists it will keep causing pain. You know that, right? You can see it too. You want it gone. So stop letting doubt creep in.'.

'In the end, it's your doubt in Schlatt that got us here, is it not?'.

Wilbur looked down, rubbing his eyes. Why was everything so... Unclear? The silence seemed to stretch into forever, the wind blowing over them and whistling an all too familiar memory into their ears, leaving them unsure of what to do. Techno, in particular, had something he had been wanting to ask his brother for a rather long time – And if there was any chance he'd get to ask it, it was right here and right now. He turned his head to the nearby woods once more, shutting his eyes and calming his breathing as he returned to the peaceful state he had been in earlier.

'Do you remember Sally, Wilbur?'.

The man looked up, his eyes wide with... Terror? Still, he sounded puzzled;

'Who?', he finally asked, although something in his voice was... Unusual. Something in that name had made something he did not understand resurface – Something that felt... Off. Wrong. It, much like that foggy feeling in his mind, reminded him immensely of how familiar things made him feel back before he got all of his memories back.  
'...No one. Don't worry about it.', Techno reassured his brother, getting to his feet and patting him on the back. The gentle touch alone made him flinch – He couldn't quite understand where this unusual discomfort came from. He continued sitting still while the warrior walked towards the direction of Pogtopia, disappearing in the woods without being seen again.

Wilbur's eyes, for a moment, moved to the nearby lake, and the river rushing by it.

_'What's wrong, Phil?'._   
_'Nothing. Nothing, Wilbur. Don't worry about it.'._   
_'Are you mad?'._   
_'No, no. Of course not. There's just... Something.'._   
_'...Am I in trouble?'._   
_'…'._   
_'Dad?'._   
_'I need a moment. Sorry. I'll be back in a few.'._

Wilbur shook his head. He didn't want to think about that name any more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> time to introduce wilbur's salmon wife with like 15 chapters left lol


	154. The Meeting (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy proposes an idea. Quackity feels something he doesn't understand - And Schlatt gets a visitor.

They promised they'd give him time to heal.

'I know this sounds... Crazy, yes, I get that, but-'.  
'Tommy, I can't do this, okay? I can't-'.

They promised they wouldn't force him into anything.

'This is the only idea I have that can solve this peacefully-'.  
'It's not gonna work! I'm not gonna be able to-'.

They promised they would keep him safe.

'Just one meeting, you have to trick him into signing-'.

So why did they lie just the same as he used to?

'I'm not talking to Schlatt!'.

The idea was crazy. Some “cartoon-ass bullshit”, according to Quackity. But Tommy was sure with how downright insane the President was, and how drunk he was all of the time, it would work. It had to. The plan was simple – Have Quackity approach Schlatt, claim he's back to make up for everything, and then somehow trick him into signing over his Presidency. Dream was insane, Tommy knew – But if he presented him with a document showing Schlatt signed over his power he'd probably have enough sense to come with his infamous Dream Team and take the fucker down. The hardest part was convincing the former Vice-President to agree.

'Tommy, if he doesn't want to do it you can't force him.', Niki insisted, instantly standing in her newly found friend's defence. Minx herself was getting riled up, making some rather... Unflattering, if you will, gestures aimed at the boy in front of them. 'You need to understand this isn't as easy as you think it is. Quackity can't just jump back in there.'.  
'All we need is one meeting! I'm not asking for much, I promise!', Tommy shouted out, trying his best to convince the other two of his idea. It was all he could come up with now that Wilbur's plan was out of the picture. 'This could work. It would be the best way to put an end to everything without any pain and extra fighting! As long as we get this single signature-'.

'I'm not doing it! Tommy, I can't! I can't do this! I can't go back there-'.  
'This might be our only chance, Big Q! We've never gotten this close before!'.  
'If I go back in there he's just going to pull me in again! Don't you get that?'.  
'This is the only way we could put an end to all of this!'.  
'Tommy, you can't just make him go back in there-'.

'Think about everyone else in that country! Do you want them to end up like you?'.

Tommy hated arguing. He despised it so, so much. He hated having to raise his voice, he hated this silence that always followed whenever he actually managed to make a convincing point, and he hated just how helpless it made him feel. He had enough of conflict around him as is – Forcing more upon himself and everyone around him with constant shouting was the last thing he wanted to do. He took a few deep breaths, looking up and narrowing his eyes.

'Just- Just think. Please, just think about everyone else. Think about all of this.', Tommy said with his voice far quieter, moving forward. 'Think about everyone still in Manberg who we started this nation with. Fundy and Jack Manifold – They're still in there. They're still in the thick of it. They're... They're probably being treated even worse now that there's less people on the cabinet.'.  
'I know it's gonna be hard. I can't imagine how difficult facing him again will be, I get that. But you won't be alone this time. I'll be right there, and if he even tries anything, even says one thing I don't like, I'll get you out of there. I promise. But this won't work if anyone else tries this. You are the only person he somewhat trusted we have on our side.'.  
'So please, Big Q. I'm begging you. Don't do this for yourself, do this for everyone else who's in that country who needs it. Can you do that?', the boy got closer, grabbing the man's arm. He flinched, for a moment moving his eyes between Tommy and Niki, as if thinking his options through. He eventually took a deep breath, looking down.

'And you promise you'll have my back?'.  
'Absolutely. You don't have to worry one bit.'.  
'And I just need to get his signature?'.  
'That's all we need. I have all the papers ready.'.

Quackity, for a second, felt his whole body tense up. He wasn't sure what it was – As if a flash of a familiar pain or anger suddenly went through him, making every muscle he had ready to move forward and strike. Was it spite? Was it motivation? Whatever that unfamiliar, overwhelming feeling may have been, it soon made him say the five words he'd regret soon enough;

'...Then let's get to work.'.

\---

The plan was quite simple – Quackity would approach Manberg first, and surrender to whatever guards got to him, claiming to want to speak with Schlatt. If they in any way got violent with him or tried to arrest him instead, Wilbur and Tommy would step in instantly and the group would retreat to Pogtopia in search of a new plan. If this stage worked, the next was when it got messy – The meeting itself. There was a lot more room for improvising here.

Tommy and Wilbur would follow Quackity into Manberg and hide by the window of Schlatt's office once the meeting started. Quackity himself, on the other hand, would approach the President with the idea of building a “hotel” that he had planned as a way of apologizing for his momentary lapse in judgement. Hopefully, Schlatt would already be drunk enough to blindly sign off on the documents without looking through them carefully, and if not, Quackity would be forced to improvise and try to get him in a state where he didn't think everything through.

And that was the worst part. Just how much time would he have to spend with him?

He'd have to apologize for running away and act as if he wanted to come back. He'd have to act obedient and go back to nodding along with everything he said. He'd have to keep convincing him that he was indeed, still, madly obsessed with him. He'd had have to admire him. He'd have to downright worship him if he wanted this to work. Acting wasn't the difficult part – It was struggling to keep that act from becoming real. Whether he wanted it or not, slipping back into old habits would be so, so worryingly easy, who knew if Wilbur and Tommy being right outside would even help? What if he gave them away outright? What if he caved and came back to him?

Quackity reached the edge of the woods and froze.

It had been the first time he was back since everything happened – The pitch black flag with the single orange half circle and X on top of it was blowing in the wind, overlooking the country like some twisted watchman. It was midday, meaning many were walking around and working away on whatever builds President Schlatt had insisted on this time. The Podium had been expanded as planned – More lights, a bigger flag, a giant painting of the man at the centre of it... God, how could he be so self-centred? Not only that, there was not a single thing left behind of the White House – It was like it had never been there in the first place.

That feeling that brought him here only seemed to grow stronger – Now everything hurt. Every single bone in his body felt like it was trying to tear itself out of his very flesh, his stomach turned and made him feel so sick he could barely focus, and his breathing seemed to stop for a single, split second. What was it? It wasn't anger any more, he knew as much. Then what else? What was so strong that it drew him to that country but pushed him away all the same? He didn't have much time to think – As Wilbur and Tommy abandoned his side and Karl and Sapnap approached him, he knew he was alone... And had no time to hesitate any more.

'Hey! Stop right there! This is Manberg territory!', Karl exclaimed almost instantly, clearly not quite used to being put on scouting duty like this – Quackity could tell us much from the shakiness in his voice and how he held his weapon. Manberg was spread thin as far as people went, it would seem... He wasn't surprised. He was more shocked Schlatt still had any support at all.  
'Quackity?', Sapnap was the first to recognize him, lowering the axe he had approached him with initially. He soon waved his hand at Karl, making the man put down his crossbow soon after. 'What the hell are you doing here? You're... Exiled! There's a bounty out for you! Are you crazy?'.  
'I...' - And there it was. That feeling again. Shooting through his body, rendering him practically speechless as his throat closed up and all air escaped him. He coughed once, maybe twice, and finally managed to speak; 'I have to meet with... Schlatt.'.

Sapnap and Karl looked between one another – They didn't seem to buy it.

'Do you have a death wish?', Sapnap eventually asked, clearly finding his words far more quickly than his friend did. Karl, on the other hand, begun fiddling with the trigger of his crossbow, the whole situation clearly making him more nervous than he wanted to admit. 'Quackity, you can still get out of here. Just go back to Pogtopia and I won't say a word.'.  
'Yeah. You're the last person we'd want to see get hurt.', Karl chimed in, clearly getting interested in the other's idea. 'Just go. It's gonna be better for everyone. Schlatt won't know you were here.'.

_Yes yes yes I want to run I want to turn back I don't want to be-_

'No.', Quackity snapped, shaking his head. 'I have to. I need to talk to Schlatt and I need to do it now. If you don't bring me to him I'll just go myself...', the man paused, clearly noticing the two's hesitance for hurting him. 'And if I do, someone will definitely shoot me down. Someone who's a lot more interested in the bounty out for me than my well-being.'.

It made him feel sick. Wasn't he doing the same things Schlatt used to do to him, only weeks ago? Manipulating, using their needs and wants and weaknesses against them, using the little vulnerability they showed as a weapon? It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair just how similar he had become to him, and that unusual feeling only intensified as he became aware of his own acts.

'Fine.', Sapnap agreed with a nod. 'It's your funeral if anything happens.'.  
'I can handle myself.', Quackity reassured him as he moved forward.  
'...This is a terrible idea.', Karl concluded with a sigh, soon following behind.

The unfamiliar feeling grew stronger – With each passing second, it only became worse.

There was no way any of this was going to go according to plan.

\---

There was something so haunting about a knock on his office door.

The President, or rather, the Emperor, as he had grown to call himself, rarely ever got visitors in his infamous office these days. It had become a place people would be called into, rather than one they would step into willingly, and few would leave without feeling absolutely, utterly disheartened or enraged. A knock, however, meant that something horrific enough happened that even his own people were willing to come forward and report it to him, no matter how risky entering that place was these days. Filled with the stench of smoke and alcohol, it was hardly the place one would want to call their “office” - But it wasn't like Schlatt had much of a choice. People always say you have to lay in the bed you made for yourself, do they not?

That's right. He had no choice. Never, ever, did he have a choice with anything.

And he most definitely did not have a choice when it came to a knock.

'President Schlatt?', came a voice rather familiar to him – That being the voice of Sapnap. Free from being Dream's bitch, the poor man now decided to instead jump ship onto being Karl's bitch instead. It didn't seem like the asshole had any sense of individuality to him, but that wasn't much of a problem. Only made him easier to chuck at whatever problem showed up in the country.  
'Yeah, yeah, whatever, come in.', the man responded almost instantly, moving aside whatever bottle was on his desk. That didn't get rid of the other three by his feet, the five in the corner and the four or maybe six by the doorway, but who gave a shit any more? Not him, that's for sure.  
'You have a... Um... Guest. He wishes to speak with you.', Karl, as always, unable to tear himself away from Sapnap's side, followed the man inside. Now this got Schlatt interested – A guest? He wasn't exactly the type of man to receive visitors, was he? Who could have possibly-

The moment Quackity stepped inside, he understood.

He understood. He understood everything he had felt from that morning up until this point – That feeling that overtook him and gave him false hope, that feeling that had been trying to drag him back to Pogtopia since he left, and that feeling that had tore him apart from the inside in the course of a few hours. That feeling reached its peak when Quackity once more met eyes with the man he had once considered his President – And it was exhausting. The pain, the sickness, the sudden trembling coming to his limbs and the paleness that came to his face the moment he spotted him... He understood now.

It wasn't remnants of the admiration. It wasn't a reminder of the addiction. It wasn't any of the bullshit feelings he had tricked himself into feeling for that man. It was something a lot more simple, and something that quickly made him reconsider his position.

It was fear. Absolute, overwhelming terror.

Quackity was afraid of Schlatt.

'Would you look at that.', the President spoke after giving himself a moment to take in the sight in front of him – He really had come back. He really was stupid enough to do so. His eye quickly focused on the other two in the room, narrowing as he shouted out; 'Well what the fuck are you two still doing standing around? Give us some damn privacy!'.

The doors slammed shut. They were alone. Quackity was alone.

This plan didn't seem worth it any more.

'So you came back.', Schlatt said after another long pause, standing up from his chair and making his way around his desk, sitting at the edge of it. Quackity couldn't move – That fear kept him as still as it had at the border mere moments ago. Just looking at him brought back every single hurtful word – Every single hurtful one, and every single-  
'I did.', Quackity cut in. He couldn't let those thoughts get to him. He had to focus. He came here to do something – He'd do it, he'd call out to Tommy and Wilbur, and they'd run. Everything would be fine. He just had to keep it together. 'I came back. I couldn't just leave.'.  
'But why?', the President asked, clearly quite suspicious. He definitely wasn't sober, he could tell as much – But this was probably the closest to that state he had been in weeks. And that already was a problem. The clearer that man's mind, the more dangerous he was.

Quackity knew what he had to do. Right here, right now, there was only way to get out of this – And that was giving the man in front of him everything he wanted. He didn't want an apologetic mess, he didn't want a regretful traitor, he wanted a worshipper. He wanted someone who'd bow down before him and tell him everything he wanted to hear and nothing else, no matter how delusional that was. This wasn't about Quackity, he knew – This had the fate of Manberg riding on it. So, despite wanting to scream, wanting to say everything that man in front of him had ever done wrong, and wanting to punch him until he couldn't open that other fucking eye again... He didn't.

Quackity took a deep breath, pushed away every thought, and focused.

And Alex looked back up with a feigned smile.

'I missed you.', he choked out, and it hurt just how honest it sounded. It didn't feel like a lie, no – It felt like a confession. A confession from something deep within him he did not feel ready to face. 'I'm nothing without you. I can't leave you. You're my friend. You're everything I could have ever asked for from a leader. I admire you. I trust you. And I made a mistake.'.

It was ironic, how the tables turned sometimes. Because now no longer was Quackity under Schlatt's control and constant manipulation – It was Schlatt now that was being tricked into doing exactly what the man in front of him wanted. The President laughed, hesitant at first, and then spiralled into that maniacal laughter of his this country knew all too well.

'Well, fuck me. Welcome back, Alex. Been a while, hasn't it?'.

But if he truly was in control... Then why did Quackity still feel so afraid?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> meeting time :))))  
> this wont go well huh


	155. The Meeting (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meeting happens. Quackity is concerned, Schlatt has a plan and Wilbur disappears.

He counted every second. He counted his every breath. He counted every time he felt sick. There was too much of everything. Way too much. His head was spinning.

'...Care for a drink?'.

Schlatt moved back to his desk, picking up a bottle of something. He opened one of his drawers and removed two glasses – He didn't even wait for Quacktiy's response before he started pouring the mysterious alcohol between them. He noticeably poured himself far more – He wasn't even surprised. Hesitantly, the former Vice-President grabbed the drink, holding onto the glass with a tight grasp he didn't even know he was capable of. He had to stay focused. He had to stay focused. He had to He had to He had

'Let's start at the obvious.', Schlatt finally spoke after another long pause – Did he knew just how panicked these pauses made him feel? Was it intentional? Or was Quackity looking into it too much again? '...You left. Not only that. You fucking shot me. Care to explain yourself?'.  
'It was... A lapse in judgment.', Quackity spoke, each word like another stinging splash of venom on his lips. 'I was so stupid, Schlatt. I was blind. I couldn't see the truth of everything. But you told me you felt the same way, right? About you, about how you were treated and turned away?'.  
'I made a mistake.', the man soon responded, and Quackity couldn't help but see his gaze wandering to the corner of the room. Was there something he was interested in over there? 'That's true. I pushed away the person trying to help me. But you... You came back. Willingly. That's...'.  
'I know! I know, I can't make up for what I did! But I came back. I came back because I realized my mistake. I want another try. And I promise I'll be better. I promise I'll listen, I promise I'll stay.', Quackty continued shouting out, the words far too easy to slip out than he wished them to be.

He wasn't sure what it was, exactly – The two of them were talking, sure. But clearly there was a far different conversation happening under all the words, in-between the endless pauses, after every breath and every second he counted. He knew there was something deep inside of him pushing all these words out, and he knew, oh he knew just how honest they were. And Schlatt knew too – He was enjoying this. The little smile on his lips, the way he stretched out all his words, the way he took long pauses to drink or just stand there, staring and saying nothing at all. It was frustrating. It made you truly wonder...

...Who here was in control, and who was being pulled by strings?

'You want to make up for betraying me?', Schlatt finally spoke up after another one of those pauses, stepping closer. His footsteps echoed around his brain and broke it apart, hitting at him from every direction. He had to focus focus focus FOCUS  
'I do.', Quackity spoke up, trying his best to calm his breathing. He sounded too panicked – He'd be onto him if he didn't relax himself. 'I... I planned something. A way to bring more people into the country and make sure you remain in control. I think it could work.'.  
'Oh really?', the President mused, something in his voice strangely... Foreboding. It just wasn't right. There was something he was hinting at, but no matter what, Quackity could not put his finger on it.  
'Y-yes.'. A stammer. A stammer, and already, he knew this was too much. That fear, that terror – It only grew stronger. The walls seemed to close in... He had to get out of here. He had to get out of here NOW- 'A hotel. I designed a hotel. I just need you to sign off on the build.'.

'A hotel?' _why does he keep repeating me why is he repeating me what is he trying to do_  
'Yes sir.' _why is everything so loud why is everything so slow I can't breathe any more I can't_  
'Let me see that.' _please please please don't notice don't notice don't notice_  
'The plans are right here.'. _I need a break I need a break I NEED A BREAK PLEASE_

Quackity laid out all of the plans Tommy had provided him with on the man's desk, stepping aside as he started reading over the various notes and drawings. He hoped the boy had put together something believable enough – He knew he was bright, but surely not enough as to design a whole hotel overnight. This was going to go wrong. Quackity knew, no, Quackity was sure something would go wrong, and he had no idea when all of this would come crashing down. He took a few more deep breaths, realizing just how thick the air was- No, no. Perfect. That was perfect, exactly what he needed, an excuse, he just needed an excuse an excuse to get away and-

'Mind if I open the window?', he spoke up, surprised by how much control he still managed to have over his voice with how much he was panicking. 'It's a bit... Uh... Stuffy, in here.'.  
'Go right ahead.', Schlatt spoke up, moving his hand vaguely towards the only window in the room – Located to his right. He was clearly too lost in the plans to pay attention to anything else.

Quackity rushed to the window – It was clear he was eager to open it, but he tried his best not too walk too fast as to not show the other how much he wanted to get away. He grabbed onto the small latches on the window and tried about three times to open them, shaking too much to be able to properly unlock the small mechanism. It wasn't that complicated. He was overreacting. He was being dramatic he was doing everything wrong he He opened the window, finally, and peeked his head out, feeling the fresh air wash over him. It made some of that unusual dizziness go away – But he could still barely breathe. He looked around a few times, his eyes eventually finding where Wilbur and Tommy were hiding out nearby. For a moment he met eyes with the younger – He knew he couldn't say anything, but that small nod he gave him said enough.

He was doing good. He just had to keep going. He'd be okay. He was almost there.

He looked back. Schlatt was now looking at him.

Not okay. Not okay, can't can't can't can't do this is not okay

'Is that a bit better?', the man asked, holding a pen in his hand. So close. So, so close, he was just about to sign it, so close to giving up on everything but-  
'Yeah. So? What do you think?' -not close enough. He had to keep pushing. Just a little longer and he'd be fine he'd be out of here he'd finally be okay  
'...It's a nice idea. Really. I'd love to sign off on something like this. But...'. _NO NO NO NO NO no no no no what's wrong what's wrong no no no please_  
'B-but?' _STOP STUTTERING HE'S GONNA KNOW_ 'Is something wrong, Mr. President?'.

_Everything. Everything about this is wrong. Why am I here?_

'Come on, Alex. You just got back. Let's enjoy ourselves a bit!'.

_No, no, no, not any more just get this done please_

'...Right. Enjoy ourselves. Sure.'.

'You seem tense, Alex.'. And that was it. That was the moment Quackity realized something was most definitely wrong. Just as always, he was not in control. Just as always, the President had everything by the strings, and it was everyone else that was dancing for him. 'Something wrong?'.  
'I'm just worried you don't want me back.', he spoke, every word just making him more and more sick. He didn't want to keep lying. But what would happen once he started saying the truth? And how different would this truth sound to the lies? 'You're all I have.'.  
'I'm all you have?'. _STOP REPEATING ME._ 'That's interesting. But how am I supposed to trust you, Alex? Are you willing to pledge your trust to me? Willing to do anything for me? Barging in here, offering some fucking hotel after everything you've done?'.

He had practically no strength left in himself to lie. It was just the truth left now – Nothing else.

'I'm sorry.', Quackity whispered, feeling himself being broken apart by this whole encounter. It had been a terrible idea from the start – Why did he ever agree? 'I never meant to hurt you. I got angry. Overwhelmed. I made a decision I didn't really mean.'.  
'Damn right you didn't mean it.', Schlatt snapped, once more stepping closer. Each one of his footsteps just felt like another stab through his heart, clawing away at it from the inside. 'You're an idiot for acting on impulse like that. But you have too much potential to just be thrown away.'.

'I do?'.

He did?

'You do.'.

He did.

'You have to stay with me Alex. I need you by my side, you understand? I need someone who I can really rely on. But with what you've done it's not so simple. You need to prove to me you are trustworthy, you understand? You need to swear to me I can trust you. You have to.'.

'I have to. You're right.'.

He's not he's not he's not he's not

'I am.'.

He is.

'Look me in the eyes and swear to me you're still loyal.'.  
'I swear I'm loyal to you.'.  
'And tell me that I can trust you.'.  
'You can trust me.'.  
'And you believe every word you say?'.  
'Every single one.'.

He had not lied a single time since he got there.

Schlatt stepped forward, now standing right in front of him. The former Vice-President looked aside, avoiding his gaze. He grabbed his shoulder, squeezing it so tightly it hurt. He leaned forward, his mouth right next to Quackity's ear, ensuring he heard every single word he said;

'This really is adorable, Quackity. And I'd love to keep it up. But you're really, really fucking stupid if you think I don't know what's going on here.'.

_No. No, no, no, he didn't-_

'W-what?', the man asked as he was pushed back, eyes wide with shock.

_But if he knew the whole time, was he just-_

'Not just what's happening here. All of your little rebel plans, actually. All that TNT under Manberg? Yeah, no. I moved it. Oh, what? You think I don't know where Pogtopia is?'.

He grabbed his arm. He pulled him closer. The pain, the fear, it was unbearable now.

'I'm not an idiot, Quackity!'.  
'T-Tommy! Tommy, Wilbur-'.  
'And you're the same weak bitch that ran away from this country weeks ago!'.  
'Guys! Guys, help!'.

He finally managed to tear his hand away, stumbling back and falling to the floor.

'You're just as useless as you were when you betrayed-'.

And that was it – That was all he said before someone burst in through the open window nearby and pushed him away. Only seconds later Quackity was being helped to his feet by Tommy – Wilbur, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found. By the time the two were on their feet again and looking at Schlatt, he was supporting himself on his desk, picking up one of the pages of the plans Quackity had brought with him. He moved it up, shouting out;

'You really think I'd fall for this shit? Huh?', the man shouted out, his demeanour from earlier dropping completely. It was almost as if he could switch between that feigned focus and something else, something a lot more disorderly and dangerous. 'You think I'm an idiot?'.  
'Get the fuck back! Right now!', Tommy shouted out as Schlatt tried to get closer, lifting his sword and stopping him dead in his tracks. The man backed away, lifting his hands and laughing.  
'And those explosives of yours? Oh, I took care of those too. Yeah, yeah, I did! Don't think I didn't know about those! They're rigged to Pogtopia now, assholes! I can blow that shithole to pieces whenever I fucking feel like it! Try me!', the President turned to the side, shouting at the door;

'Sapnap, Karl! There's intruders in my office, get your sorry asses in here!'.

'Quackity, we gotta go-'.  
'But I didn't-'.  
'We'll figure something else out.'.  
'Where's Wil-'.  
'We have to go!'.

'Yeah, run back some, dickheads.', the man continued, watching without much of a comment as the two ran to the window and jumped out just in time to avoid Sapnap as he barged into the room. Schlatt chased after them, leaning out the window and shouting out as they tried to get away; 'Yeah, keep running, Quackity! You need a kid and a psycho to protect you, is that it? You can't protect yourself? You're a useless piece of shit is what you are! Get the fuck out my country!'.

They couldn't look back. They had to run. They had to keep running, no matter what.

Quackity didn't know he was even capable of running as much as he did that day – He didn't stop for a single second until he collapsed out of overwhelming himself, dropping to the ground and panting as he was forced to his knees. Tommy was soon at his side, asking him if he was alright. He could barely hear him over his own mind – The voices repeating themselves and ringing in his mind like a broken cassette tape. He tried to stand but just found himself falling over again, coughing and choking on his own spit. The boy gave him some time to calm down before he was finally sitting by the side of a tree, breathing deeply and barely able to focus.

It had all reset. Back at square one. Throwing away everything Minx had said, all the time he spent with Niki, everything he learned from Tommy. It was just him – Just the voice of that asshole in his head, convincing him of things he was slowly but surely starting to believe again. He didn't even realize Tommy was now sitting in front of him, holding onto his arms and trying to help him focus again. He looked up, took a few deep breaths and spoke;

'I-I'm sorry, I thought- He knew, he knew the whole time- He was just... He was just messing with me, and I- I...', the man continued stammering, Tommy soon speaking up;  
'Hey, hey, hey, everything's alright. Calm down. We tried. It didn't work. We'll try something else, just don't... Don't panic, okay? Just stay with me, you're safe.'.  
'Schlatt he- He moved the explosives- They're in Pogtopia- They're-', Quackity continued stammering, barely able to get out a word before having to pause to breathe again.  
'We'll figure it out. Come on. We have to... We have to get back. We have to tell the others everything. Come on, get up. You're okay.', the boy continued insisting.

Quackity stood up, his head spinning. He knew. Schlatt knew the whole time. For the whole meeting he knew but he was just toying with him. Playing around with his feelings, using his own fears against him, playing right into his hands before he finally turned him around and practically slapped him in the face with how unaware he was. And all the things he made him say... It all felt so honest. Every word felt like he meant it. Every. Single. One. It wasn't right. It made him sick. It made him- God, he was just repeating himself. It was happening, all over again, and-

Something clicked with Quackity, instantly distracting him.

'Tommy... Where's Wilbur?'.

And the boy's eyes widened, as if he finally realized what was going on.

\---

'Hey, Phil. I'm here again. I'm so indecisive, aren't I?'.

Wilbur Soot stood faced with the button – It had returned once more. He had no doubt it would.

'I guess it's time to decide again. It's starting to become a habit.'.

He sat down in his chair, focusing his eyes on the button and sighing.

'Here's what I'm thinking this time...'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh oh sisters  
> sorry for late update, had a tough time finishing this one  
> hope you guys enjoyed it tho! :))


	156. The Meeting (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur makes his choice... Again. Fundy shares his secrets. Dream has something to share.

'Chekhov's Gun. One of those plot devices you taught us about, right? You read and listened to so many stories, you had every aspect figured out, didn't you? I always wondered how wonderful a story written by you would be. But I guess I'll never know, will I?'.

He started noticing things about the button. How it never quite seemed to be there, but rather showed itself when he wished to look. How the wood was a little scratched in the right bottom corner, and how there was a slight smudge of dust near the left edge. How it was tilted ever so slightly to the left and how it drove him mad. How every time he reached forward to finally press it it seemed to retract into the wall, and how he'd sit back knowing he wasn't ready yet. There was something so unnatural in the way it looked – It didn't seem real. But at the same time it did. Did that make sense? He didn't care. It was just him, after all. Just him.

'I really wish you had just kept me around. Sat me down and told me the truth. Sources are in control when they know what they are – And when they're... Well, sane. You can't really say that for me, can you, Phil? I'm not very sane. I am very, very fucked in the head, aren't I?'.

Wilbur's foot kept tapping on the stone, his eyes darting over the words etched into the walls. The music seemed to play in the back of his mind, the gentle strumming of his guitar combined with the singing of every member of L'Manberg shouting the lyrics along – He swore he even heard Eret in there. Must have been his imagination... The one line made it all clear, after all. Eret was the last person he wanted there. But his voice, along the others... Somehow... Comforted him.

'But that's okay. I think our whole family is a little fucked. I'm a little fucked because I wanna blow things up. Techno's a little- No, no. He's very fucked. He likes murder, and blood, and- Fucked up dude. Tommy's got enough trauma to last him a lifetime. Fucked up guy waiting to happen.'.

Perhaps Eret had been onto something with what he said. The country had never meant to exist – If they died in the Final Control Room, if they ended everything right then and there, everything would have been... Fine. Everything would have been okay. Yeah. Eret had a good idea there, did he not? Everything would have been so, so much better if they just listened. But they never did. That was the biggest issue with everything in this fucking world – No one ever listened.

'And then there's you. Fucked up man raising fucked up children. Who hurt you? I wonder. I always wondered. There's a source for everything. How I caused the flood, how Schlatt had Ted and all his lies, and how your forceful repression pushed Techno into this corner. So what happened to you?'.

Wilbur stood up. He didn't have the time to hesitate any more. He had to get this done.

'I feel like the answer is in those stories. But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you were just a very, very broken man who tried to raise good kids with what he had. But that's the thing, Phil. Good kids don't come from those types of backgrounds. We were doomed from day one.'.

Wilbur found himself leaning on the wall, his finger brushing over the button over, and over, and over. He could practically feel every single explosive it was wired to, he could feel the pain and burning sensation that would overtake him the moment they went off. Would it be quick? Would it be drawn out and agonizing? Whatever happened, he was ready. He had lost too much at this point. He was sure everyone would understand once the dust settled – They just needed hindsight.

'Still, as fucked as we are, I hope you'll be proud of me. I hope there's enough of me left to bury. I hope there's enough of all of this to give you a clue as to what happened. And I hope Tommy makes it out. I really do. I know Techno will, he always does. Tommy... I can only hope.'.

Wilbur stepped back, taking deep breaths. Everything would be fine. Just one press. Hopefully, everyone would die. Hopefully, everything would fall apart. Hopefully, there wouldn't be a single thing left behind, and no one would ever be cursed with the knowledge of the mistakes that had taken place here. L'Manberg had to go – That was the only way.

'Guess this is it. See you on the other side, dad. Thanks for everything.'.

Wilbur closed his eyes, allowed all the tears to fall, and pressed the button. One, two, three....

Nothing.

He opened one eye, looking around. Nothing.

Nothing. Nothing. NOTHING.

Why was there nothing?

Wilbur screamed something incomprehensible, not even trying to control himself as he pulled the button out and clawed away at the small, empty hole it left behind. Peeking inside he saw nothing but an empty, dark cave – The cave that had once been lined with TNT and nothing else. And now? There was nothing. Just an empty, lonely darkness. Nothing.

Nothing. Nothing.

NOTHING

Why was he crying

why did it hurt

Wilbur Soot collapsed to his knees.

'...Why... Why can't I ever do anything right?'.

And no one was there to hear him cry.

\---

Tommy never even noticed Wilbur disappeared – He had become so caught up with Quackity and his meeting he didn't even look back as his older brother sneaked away and headed to his infamous button room. But even now they had no time to take care of that – As far as they knew, the explosives had been moved away, and now were somewhere around Pogtopia. They didn't waste any time running to the base to check everything – Techno was right outside, training and not even giving them a passing glance as they ran in, and Niki, as always, was wandering around the inside.

Except something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

The entire ravine was coated in buttons.

Every single wall, the floor itself, even the ceiling, was completely covered in small, wooden buttons – And there was no way to know as to what they were connected to. They were all made from a different type of wood, in different shades and sizes. Tommy took a few steps back at the entrance to make sure as to not step on any of them, some even scattered around the entrance cave itself. Techno himself eventually got interested, standing at the entrance but keeping his distance – The one thing that man knew how to do was stay away when he didn't know the details of a situation. Tommy carefully stepped forward, avoiding each button narrowly, and leaned in.

'Niki! Niki, are you in there?', he shouted out, looking up and down the ravine. He eventually spotted the woman, standing completely still in one corner of the cave, barely able to find a position in which her feet weren't near any of the buttons.  
'Tommy?', she called out, looking up. 'Tommy, what's going on here?'.  
'Just- Just don't panic! And- And no matter what you do, do not press any of those buttons!', the boy continued shouting out, looking around. There had to be something he could do to get her out of there... He started frantically looking around, eventually taking a deep breath and focusing. 'Niki, you're gonna have to walk out of there. But be very, very careful, alright?'.

The boy received nothing more than a hesitant nod before the she started moving. The woman looked around a few times, getting ready to take her first step. With how many of those buttons, which, according to Tommy should have been avoided at all cost, there were, she could barely find her footing, carefully jumping in between all of the small pieces of wood. She eventually reached the staircase, where she was forced to slide along the edge just to not touch any of the buttons on the steps or the walls, and finally, as she reached the top, she was quickly pulled out by Tommy and finally stood on a more stable ground. She let out a long sigh of relief and turned to the two once-Vice-Presidents, unable to fully find her words regarding the situation.

'What the hell happened?', Niki asked, getting to her feet. 'Where did those come from?'.  
'They just showed up?', Tommy asked, seemingly equally confused as to what had happened.  
'Yeah, I just- I turned around for a second, I turned back, and there they were.'.

Techno, Quackity and Tommy all looked between each other with a sense of understanding – And the man who knew of the Dreamon's existence had no doubt Minx had pieced it all together, too. Niki seemed to be the only one confused as to how that many buttons could just materialize out of thin air. And the source, or rather, the Source of the problem, soon wandered into the cave himself, meeting the group before they could ask any more questions.

Wilbur Soot stood at the entrance of Pogtopia with a panicked look in his eyes.

'Don't- Don't press those!', he instantly called out, grabbing onto Tommy, who happened to be the closest to any of the buttons, and pulled him back. 'The- The TNT! It's gone, the TNT is gone-'.  
'We know! Schlatt moved it to Pogtopia! You'd know if you didn't-', the boy suddenly cut himself off, as if realizing something. 'How do you... How do you know that the TNT moved?'.  
'Because... I...', Wilbur whispered, looking into Pogtopia. He knew what those buttons were there – The Source inside of him was practically mocking his loss. 'I pressed... The button...'.  
'But you... You didn't know the TNT was moved.', Tommy whispered, suddenly stepping back. 'You pressed it?! You pressed it thinking it would kill everyone?! Are you insane?!'.

'Tommy, I just-'.  
'You monster! You promised you wouldn't!'.  
'You have to understand-'.  
'How fucking could you? You lied to me!'.  
'I didn't-'.  
'I hate you!'.

'I... I can't help but feel I came at a bad time...'.

Silence. A brief moment of silence as all five of the rebels turned their heads, looked at the source of the unknown voice, and reacted. Niki gasped, more in disbelief than anything. Techno lifted his weapon, ready to strike. Wilbur, Tommy and Quackity all just appeared shocked.

And Fundy stood still, looking back at the group with nothing but a journal in hand.

'...So...', the man started, very slowly lowering his hands. Clearly, this only made Techno more uneasy, who quickly lifted up his weapon, causing Fundy to show he was unarmed once more. He shouted out in a panic; 'Don't attack! I'm on your side. I promise. Just... Hear me out, would you?'.  
'On our side?', Tommy repeated, already aggravated with Wilbur's acts, the whole situation only making him more angry than he could handle. 'You laughing at us as we were chased out of Manberg after the election doesn't sound like “our side”, asshole.'.  
'I understand it doesn't seem believable.', Fundy carried on, moving the journal in his hand forward. 'But I guarantee you. This book here will answer every question you have. Or at least... I hope it will. And trust me. You want to hear me out here. I... I've been working on some things...'.

Tommy moved forward first – He snatched the journal out of Fundy's hand, turning over a few pages and reading over the first page. After some thinking he looked back up, his eyes widening in realization. He could see Wilbur was reading everything over his shoulder – The man didn't seem eager to even look at his son, not to mention speaking to him. The blonde finally looked up, his expression softening.

'You've been spying on Schlatt?', he asked, the notes before him making everything painfully clear.  
'From day one. Every habit. Every weakness. Everything he said to me and everything he tried to hide – It's all in that journal.', Fundy cleared his throat, clearly holding back some incredibly intense emotions. 'I... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry and I know my apologies won't make up for all I've done, but the only way I could convince Schlatt I was on his side was to convince everyone else around him, too. So... I'm sorry.'.  
'Fundy...', Niki suddenly choked out, running forward before anyone could even stop her. She wrapped her arms around the man, pulling him into a tight hug. 'I knew you hadn't changed! I- I knew you wouldn't have turned on us like this! I...', she suddenly backed away, as if realizing just how emotional she had gotten – And what she was getting in the way of. She gave him one more quick hug – And then stepped aside.

Wilbur Soot only said two words. Two words he wished he could have said sooner.

'...Hi, son.'.

And Fundy had been surrounded by too much hate for the past few months to try and repress the answer he truly wanted to give him;

'...Hey, dad.'.

There was no heartfelt reunion hug, there were no tears or apologies – They had both done too much at that point to allow something like that. But they were also both too exhausted to keep pretending like they wanted to keep fighting, arguing, and tearing each other apart. The best way to deal with this was just to move past it and allow it to become a part of themselves – Too late to change things, but too exhausted to keep being angry. All that was left over was bitterness. Bitterness, and scars that would never fade. Fundy stepped forward, passing Wilbur and starting to talk with Tommy, discussing something relating to his journal. Wilbur turned to Techno, just for a single moment, as if looking for guidance – The man, as often, answered with silence.

Wilbur couldn't quite put into words what all of this made him feel. Had he made a mistake? He couldn't quite tell. He knew when he pressed that button he did it with his very heart – It was the choice he wanted to make. But did that thing deep inside of him know the TNT was gone? Was it a test? Was it another way of turning his mind into a mess it could easily control and slip in through his weakness to cause more chaos? Did he owe Tommy an apology, or was he proud of what he had tried to do? Nothing seemed obvious in his mind any more – It was all... So... Messy.

Fundy's notes were interesting to say the least – It seemed that Schlatt was suffering from health conditions even he himself did not wish to admit to. He had Ponk check up on him privately from time to time, but he'd rarely take any medication suggested to him due to his pride alone. He was falling apart as they spoke – That man was one drink too many away from a certain death. Not only that, it would seem there wasn't anyone, not a single person in Manberg that truly supported him. Everyone on his side either wanted something or was forced to be there – That President had no power. All that Pogtopia needed was the right time to strike – It was as simple as that. The moment that man was dead everyone would find themselves realizing how useless their conflict was.

Schlatt had to die – That was the one definite way to end this war now. So what was in their way?

Initially, nothing. Practically anyone could barge in there and shoot that man. His bodyguards barely bothered, he couldn't defend himself with all the alcohol and other issues he had gotten with it, and the perimeter wasn't guarded as heavily as it used to be. And yet, still, somehow, Pogtopia would face a threat. Of course, it couldn't be as simple as just walking into Manberg and killing Schlatt. There had to be something that got in the way. And this time around, it wasn't Wilbur's insanity, it wasn't Techno's endless want to kill all in his way, and it wasn't some immature choice made by Tommy. This time their obstacle was someone who had gotten in their way all too many times in their past;

This time, their obstacle was Dream.

Arriving at Pogtopia late into the night while the group desperately tried to rip out all of the buttons and find where the TNT had been moved, the man entered without much of an issue, very much considered a friend of the revolution. He didn't help them out, and even joked about pressing a few of the buttons (although Techno was quick to remind him of their duel, and silence him once more), and eventually gathered everyone to tell them just why he showed up in the first place. His reason for his visit was unusual – And that reason went something like this...

'I came to say goodbye, of course. This is the last time I'll ever stand on Pogtopia's side in this war.'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> turns out i need one more chapter because this one was getting so long  
> SO NOW THERES A 69 IN THE FINAL CHAPETR COUNT NICE LOL


	157. The Meeting (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream plays a game of chess against an unlikely opponent. Schlatt recalls a girl from his past. A war is arranged.

'President Schlatt. Lovely seeing your drunken ass again.'.  
'And it's great having a dick like you in my office. Now sit down.'.

Dream rarely interacted with the President, but who would blame him? The man was practically known for being a lost cause at this point. He preferred talking to himself than anyone else – And with what happened that day, between the rebels all getting away once more and Fundy disappearing with them, it was clear he was walking a thin line between staying somewhat sane and losing his last marbles right then and there. But Dream, being a leader of that city of his, had no choice but to respond when he was called for a meeting – After all, his city's well-being could be at stake. And as little as people believed it when he said it... He still cared for his citizens.

He expected to sit across from that man at his desk, perhaps a table in his living room. What he did not expect, however, was for the President to invite him for a game of chess in the middle of his office, with the window still open from when the rebels got away and the room far from being cleaned up from the incident. He pointed to the cheeseboard with one hand, drinking from a glass of what Dream could only guess to be something alcoholic with his other. He took his seat across from the man as he moved the pieces back, clearly having had been practising.

'You know how to play, green guy?'.  
'Haven't in a while... But should be fine.'.  
'Sit down then. Let's play.'.  
'Right. This better not be for no reason.'.

'Have I ever told you anything about my life in SMPLive?', Schlatt started, making his first move. Dream was no professional with the game – But with how drunk the man in front of him was and how little he probably played, he wasn't too worried. He responded rather quickly with some opening he remembered using a while back... He looked up at the other.  
'Not that I recall. It's not like we exactly have leisurely chats, do we?', Dream finally responded, watching the man as he wondered about his next move. The start was always quick and simple – A set up for the game about to take place. It was after that when things became unpredictable.

'I used to work at a paper, you know? I was supposed to be a journalist, but... Things got in the way.', Schlatt paused for a moment, thinking about his next move. He finally lifted a pawn and placed it somewhere else on the board, sighing. 'Ended up just sitting around and checking other articles for mistakes and shit. The position had a name, but no one really cared. It was one of those fucking jobs they gave to people who came in with no better skill.'.  
'That was stupid. I can just take this now.', Dream cut in, moving one of the pieces and picking up one of the President's, laying it out by the side of the board. 'When was the last time you played?'.

'But working at the office like that had some good sides to it. I met the types of people journalists would normally just ignore like that. One of them was this girl – Or woman, I guess. I was sixteen, I think, when she started working there. She was twenty. She was really smart. I mean, some “gonna invent the cure for something terrible one day” smart.'.  
'Huh. I didn't see that coming. Okay, maybe you can play a little.', Dream muttered to himself, sitting back. Now he really had to get his head in the game – He could barely listen to Schlatt as he told whatever story that he was so caught up in.

'So this lady, right. She's working with me. She sits across from me during the day when all the journalists are out being pains in people's asses. And we talk a lot. She's great. I barely remember what we talked about, but... She's great. She's fun. And we started talking about chess – Her and her little sister had been playing since they were young, naturals apparently. Prodigies. And I used to play chess when I was younger – With Wilbur's father, actually-'.  
'Focus on the game, you're blundering.'.  
'-But I had been out of practice by this point. So one day I say, hey, why don't you bring a chessboard in? We barely do any work anyway, and people won't be around, so we could play a bit. And we did. And holy shit, she was great. Like, I knew she was great from how much she talked about it, but holy shit, she was brilliant. And you know what? The first time we played... She beat me in two moves. Two moves! Can you believe that?'.

'I can.', Dream said as he looked down at the board. 'Checkmate.'.  
'Huh.', Schlatt looked down, laughing to himself. 'Guess I'm out of practice.'.

'So... The girl.', the masked man asked, leaning in. The President was surprised to hear that he had actually been listening – But happy, too. It was always nice to talk to someone that wasn't... Well, himself. Or rather, a person he was playing to himself. 'She beat you in two moves. And then?'.  
'We played more. She taught me, but... I lost my touch after I stopped playing with Phil as a kid. Still... Spending time together was nice. My friend Connor ended up running around with journalists or working with our boss, so I only talked with him in the evenings. But she worked there for a year. And that year was a surprisingly good one.'.  
'...And... What was her name?'.

Schlatt practically froze.

'I don't... Remember...', the man whispered, sitting back. He looked at the chess pieces, familiar laughter echoing through his mind. 'I know she... She had a sister... The sister was thirteen. Also played chess. They both loved chess. I don't... I don't remember anything else...'.  
'Sounds like you didn't care that much, then.', Dream noted, receiving a blank stare.  
'...That's the thing... The only people I seem to remember properly are those who hurt me. Guess with all the anger and need for revenge I ran out of space to store away the happy memories. All the good people just don't fit when there's so many people to get upset about.'.  
'Right... So are you done with the sob story, or can we get down to business?'.

The President laughed dryly and looked up.

'Right, right. You're right. We better get to work.', Schlatt finally said, standing up. He moved to his desk, rummaging through some books and papers. While he did that, he talked on; 'I know you work with those rebels. Don't worry, I get it. You want to take your own side. Great, great. And I don't even care if it violates the treaty, you know? I won't declare war.'.  
'I don't think you'd even be able to win that sort of fight, Mr. President.', Dream cut in, still focused on the board. It wasn't a long game, by any means, and the man he played against definitely wasn't skilled in any way. It seemed more like he only wished to remind himself of something long gone – And in the end, Dream was the only one he could bring here to do that.  
'Of course not! I told you once before, I'm not a war guy. I like people fighting for me. Don't think I could even swing a sword if I tried, to be honest.', Schlatt soon responded, continuing his search of his desk. Finally, he pulled out a book stuffed with papers and notes, and turned back.

'Dream... Tell me this. You fight for your own benefit, right?', the man asked, returning to the chessboard. In a sudden movement he swept all of the pieces away, slamming his book at the centre of it. The masked man leaned forward, looking at the title etched at the front – Translated from that language the Library was infamous for, it said... “The Book of Necromancy”.  
'I do.', Dream finally responded, nodding. 'I fight against whoever threatens my city and stand with those who protect it. That's why I want Manberg gone, no matter what.'.  
'Right, right. Of course. Cut the bullshit, though.', the man snapped, slamming his first down on the board and leaning forward. 'There's something else, Dream. Something you, yourself, want. No matter what. Something you're striving for. Everyone in power looks for something.'.  
'...What are you offering here, Schlatt?', the man asked after a short pause, clearly becoming interested. In response, the President just chuckled.

'This book has got some real, real interesting stuff in it, Dream.', Schlatt said, opening a random page in the book and looking over his translations of it. 'How death works. What it's like. And of course, the crème de la crème – How to bring back the dead.'.  
'...That's... Surely not possible.'.  
'Are you willing to pass up on this sort of opportunity?', Schlatt continued asking. Dream wasn't sure what this feeling was – So compelled to trust him, so willing to listen in. It was unusual... Usually he was the one convincing people to things, wasn't he?  
'If it was possible to bring back the dead why would you give this to me?'.

To this, for once, the President's expression seemed to soften.

'I'm on my last stretch here, Dream.', he eventually admitted, looking around. The empty bottles scattered everywhere now seemed more jarring than ever. 'I don't have enough left in me to use a book like that. But you? I feel like you've only started. This sort of thing could save your life down the line. Imagine the leverage you'd have over someone you could willingly drag between death and life however you wish – It's great, is it not?'.  
'...What do you want for it?', the man finally caved, looking up.  
'Now we're talking!', Schlatt exclaimed with a laugh, sitting back. 'It's either me or Wilbur Soot now – Always has been. And if we don't do something drastic, this shit is just gonna drag on and on and on... Ugh. It's nauseating. If we're going out, we're going out with a bang, you understand?'.

'What are you suggesting here?', Dream asked, already flipping through the book himself.  
'...One last fight. One last conflict. Choose a day and end it – And I want you on my side on that day. I want you to turn on Pogtopia and fight with me. And you get this book. And you know what? I'm generous!', Schlatt suddenly shot up, moving to the wall and removing one of his two discs from their display – One that had once been Dream's, and Tommy's before then. He left 'STAL' hanging up. That was the one disc he didn't seem too keen on getting rid of, no matter what. 'You can have your disc back, too. It's a great deal, don't you think?'.  
'It is.', Dream stated rather quickly, grabbing the book and placing it in his bag. Schlatt passed him the disc, which he too, placed inside of the bag. 'And you said yourself. I fight for myself. And this? This is going to benefit me greatly.'.

'So I can count on you to back me up?'.  
'Absolutely. I'll fight by you until you die.'.  
'Great. And be a dear and set up a war with those people, too. Make it nice and organized.'.  
'Can do. Can't wait already.'.

Dream didn't need to think much about his choice – He would always choose what benefited him the most, although he'd often insist he was doing it for “his people” or at least “the Dream Team”. But in the end, it was always obvious... It was all Dream, Dream, Dream. And now, thanks to switching sides in this war, Dream was able to bring back the dead and now had an equal amount of discs to Tommy – Only one more, and he'd have the upper hand in this conflict he himself orchestrated. On his way out, he heard Schlatt clear his throat, forcing him to look back. When he did, the man was sitting over the chessboard, playing around with the black queen, out of all the pieces. He looked up from it, for a single moment, and with a voice that didn't exactly feel like his usual, open and approachable one, he spoke;

'Alexandra.'.  
'Excuse me?'.  
'Her name was Alexandra.'.

Dream turned back towards the door, nodding to himself, knowing this madman was way past the point of having some sort of proper conversation with him. He was only saying whatever came to his mind first and not thinking much – Acting on impulse and nothing else. Leaving the office, the masked man had only one response to give;

'That's a nice name.'.

And with that, he was off to Pogtopia.

\---

'You're leaving us?! Now?!'.

While President Schlatt acted on impulse, TommyInnit acted on emotion.

'I never said I'd stick with you till the end.', Dream explained to the rebels, leaning on the wall of the cave and not doing much else. It was hard to find a spot to relax at with all the buttons scattered about – But most of them seemed to be gone by now. 'I go to the side that benefits me most. Schlatt made me a deal I could not refuse.'.  
'So... So what now? This is all just gonna go on forever! What do we even do now?', Niki started asking, looking around between everyone. 'We're just gonna keep switching sides, fighting, and repeating over and over? This all has to end some way!'.  
'We could attack. We'll most likely be fended off. Someone will switch sides. The scales will tip. Repeat.', Techno cut in, silently sharpening his blade in the corner. You'd think with the Netherite it was formed from he wouldn't need to do that – Perhaps it was more of a habit. 'This sort of lack of order is just forcing us into a state of absolute anarchy.'.

'...Then let's do it like a gentlemen's duel.'.

The whole group was met with none other than Wilbur Soot, who, to everyone's dismay, had been wandering the ravine and pressing all of the buttons there at random, sometimes even forcing more to pop up. With how narrowly they had avoided the actual one, it almost made them feel although there was nothing rigged to Pogtopia in the first place. Now, with everyone's attention brought to him, Wilbur was forced to straighten up and somewhat force himself back down to reality to explain what his idea was – And it was an interesting idea indeed.

'We pick a date. We all show up. Every side, every person. No surprises, no hidden traps. We fight. We win? Good for us. We don't? I blow it all to shit. Either way I'll be satisfied.', Wilbur quickly explained, chuckling to himself. While the whole group appeared horrified at the plan, Dream actually seemed to be in agreement.  
'I can work with that.', he said, nodding to himself. He clearly didn't have very strong opinions on the situation. 'Nice and clean. Get it over with. But if you win don't expect this little feud between us to come to an end. I'll continue trying to destroy that nation of yours all the same.'.  
'Oh, I'm counting on it.', Wilbur responded with a laugh, awaiting the rest of the group to give their input. 'So? What are we thinking? Friendly little arranged war? I love the sound of this.'.

'It's better than sitting around, I guess.', Quackity spoke up first, but it was clear he was still dealing with something else in the back of his mind and was hardly paying attention to the whole situation. 'If it brings all of this to an end, why shouldn't we try?'.  
'...He's right.', Techno spoke up next, unsurprisingly. 'If arranging a war and ending it here and now is the way, then let's do it. We can get rid of the power controlling that country and finally free it. Whenever and however we do it is best.'.  
'Whatever is best for L'Manberg is what I'll do.', Fundy spoke up, Niki nodding along with him in agreement. She didn't say anything, but her approval of the plan was clear. All eyes settled on Tommy – Who, after a moment of hesitation, groaned and nodded.

'Right. Sure. Okay. Let's set a date and bring an end to this. Finally.'.

Wilbur clapped his hands together, practically jumping up from excitement. He turned to Dream, then back to the cave, and looked at Dream once more, seemingly trying to think up the perfect date for his plan. Eventually, as something clicked with him, he lifted his hands and snapped his fingers, a wide smile coming to him.

'The 16th of November. We will end it all on the 16th of November.'.

And Dream, of course, had no reason to disagree.

'And so it shall be. This war will end, one way or another, on the 16th of November.'.

\---

_'Hey, hey. Don't cry. Don't cry, why are you crying?'._   
_'I'm scared... I don't know what to do.'._   
_'It's okay! You'll be okay! We'll be okay!'._   
_'You say that... But...'._

_'My dad can help out.'._   
_'Will he?'._   
_'Yeah. He's great.'._   
_'Okay. Okay.'._

_'We'll be okay, Sally.'._   
_'Okay... I trust you, Wilbur.'._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A NEW CHAPTER OF THE CAPTAIN'S JOURNALS IS GONNA BE GOING UP LATER TODAY SO LOOK OUT FOR THAT FRIENDS!!!  
> hope you enjoyed this one :D
> 
> i'm gonna probably remove the "traitor" narrative since it never really fit into the way i wrote dream and his appearances in this, so i hope you guys don't mind that  
> it was only a minor exchange of words anyway and- yeah  
> sometimes i cut stuff to make the pacing cleaner - hope that's okay!


	158. The Preparation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pogtopia prepares for the upcoming war. The Badlands offer their help, Fundy shares his notes in full, and Corpse and Tubbo say their goodbyes.

Only three days left.

BadBoyHalo emerged from the woods, looking around once or twice. He knew he was at the right place – Dream's manhunts, if anything, made him a natural at tracking people down. The cave was covered up, as he expected it to be, but someone was nearby – More specifically, Tommy, that blonde kid that had been exiled together with Wilbur months ago. Bad only had Antfrost with him this time around – Skeppy and Sam chose to stay behind at their home and prepare some supplies. After all, if a final war was to take place, the Badlands had to choose their initial side. With mere days left, Bad finally made his choice as to who to support – And here he was.

'Hey! Hey, stay away!', Tommy instantly shouted out as he spotted the two men, lifting his sword up and pointing it at them. Only iron – Was he expecting to win the war in three days with that? Bad and Ant approached with their weapons sheathed and their hands raised – The last thing they wanted to do was start conflicts where there were none.  
'Don't worry! We're friendly!', Bad insisted with a wide smile that seemed somewhat unlike him. Tommy knew he was incredibly optimistic, but with everything that had happened between them... Something there wasn't right. 'Hey, Tommy. Is anyone else from Pogtopia around, or is it just you? We sort of have an... Offer, if you will.'.

'An offer?', Tommy asked, lowering his weapon. '...Wait, wait, wait, aren't you on Schlatt's side? Why would you want to help me? How did you find this place? Is this a trap?'.  
'Slow down. You're fine.', Antfrost insisted. 'We're not on anyone's side right now. Just hear him out, will you? You might like what we're offering here, alright?'.  
'F-fine...', Tommy muttered, moving back. 'But you keep your distance! And keep your hands raised! And don't you dare tell anyone about this place, or I'll... Uh...'.

'Tommy.', Bad stepped forward. Even with that friendly smile and his usual, optimistic attitude, the boy couldn't help but be a little intimidated. The fact that he had one of his discs and was willing to burn it at a moment's notice probably contributed quite a bit to that feeling, too. 'May I tell you a short story about... The Badlands?'.  
'The Badlands?', the boy repeated, lowering his guard even more and allowing the two, fully-armoured strangers to step forward. Probably not a good idea, but what was he supposed to do?  
'Me, Ant, Skeppy and Sam have started something...Our own, rogue nation, if you will. It's not some big country or city like the others. We're just a group. A group who really, really wants the conflict to finally die down.', Bad explained, leaning on a nearby tree and looking up. 'And... People need power to win a war, right? To end it? They need allies.'.

Bad reached out with his hand, smiling as he did.

'The Badlands would be more than happy to offer you our support, rebels.'.

'...I...', Tommy backed away from Bad, clearly hesitant as to what to say. 'I'd have to talk to Wilbur about this... I can't make decisions like this on my own, you know?'.  
'Naturally.', the man responded, moving his hand back and laughing. 'But... You do only have a few days to decide. And remember, we could always help the other side win, instead.'.  
'...Right. I'll... I'll talk to him. But you have to leave.', Tommy stated as sternly as he could.

And they did. They had nothing left to say, after all.

'So we're taking Pogtopia's side? I thought-', Antfrost tried to speak up, his friend turning back almost instantly. There was this new glint of motivation in his eyes – He had never seen him like this. Something had changed, but what it was... Only he knew.  
'Of course not! We're not taking a side here... Here's the benefit, Ant. The benefit is... At the end of the day, we can just side with whoever we want! And we fan... The flames... Of war!', the man spoke on, his friend soon catching on with his idea.

'I think it's in our best interest to keep conflict between Pogtopia and Schlatt...', Antfrost spoke, nodding to himself with a wide smile. Bad turned back, grinning.  
'I wholeheartedly agree.', he stated, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder. Ant, as he slowly begun understanding and agreeing with the idea more and more, spoke again;  
'So I think perhaps we should join Schlatt's side once the scales tip again.', he finally stated, receiving a nod as well as an excited giggle in response.

'Whatever side we think is losing... We just join in... And help that side!', Bad shouted out, outstretching his arms and only getting more and more engaged in his idea. He raised his voice, shouting out; 'And then we just keep the conflict going until all that remains is those who never wanted to fight! We'll have our city back, our home! It's great!'.

'Manberg?'.

BadBoyHalo looked at the broken nation – A nation with a President who was more alone than he could admit, a man who had lost too much to bother attaching himself any more, and people who blindly followed those who could grant them everything they could ever ask for, no matter the cost.

'Pogtopia?'.

BadBoyHalo looked towards the rebel base filled with people who had lost everything – Brothers who's family had crumbled, a son who no longer felt although he had a father to care for him, a man too broken by another to heal and a woman only one wrongdoing away from snapping.

'Who cares!'.

And BadBoyHalo faced his friend, knowing there was a future ahead filled with something great.

\---

Only two days left.

Fundy had spent days analysing all of his notes and trying to put them into some sort of order – Reading over everything he had written, trying to pin point every single small weakness that the President had, putting everything into categories. He eventually presented his father with these very notes - He knew he was hesitant to read them because of everything they noted about what Fundy had endured and what he, essentially, was not there to stop – But he also knew it was necessary. The notes, according to Fundy, could be best summarized like this;

_THE FOLLOWING IS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION._

_If you are caught in possession of this diary, an immediate execution may result by authority._

_Schlatt has a severe addiction to alcohol and cigarettes. His use of cigarettes has eased as of lately as it now seems to cause him severe pain – Why, I do not know. He uses alcohol as a form of coping with and suppressing traumatic memories I do not know the details of. It's rare for him to be sober, and when he is, he is often in a state of constant panic and seems unable to function fully due to constant panic attacks, PTSD episodes and sickness resulting from hangovers and/or withdrawal._

_When drunk it's often he will experience manic episodes alongside visual and auditory hallucinations, periods of severe disassociation and/or derealization, and may often pass out, experience nightmares, and wake up in another episode. It's only about half the time when he is near blackout drunk he will be able to be somewhat aware although is still dazed from the alcohol. It's during these times he is most dangerous and can be most convincing. This is also the time when he is the most aggressive... And the most violent._

_Schlatt is incapable of swimming. Before his addiction grew as severe as it is today he would often panic around or completely avoid water, and even went as far as experiencing a panic attack when accidentally falling in during a build around the dock. These days, Schlatt seems to have developed some sort of sickness caused by his constant consumption of alcohol that makes it impossible for him to swim altogether. Just throwing this man into an open body of water could be enough to kill him without a struggle._

_Schlatt is surprisingly unaware of the concerns and state of Manberg. He is unaware, of how in reality, he stands alone. Schlatt has no power, his entire stand is a facade. In fact, he is at his weakest point as we speak._

Wilbur put down the diary for a moment, sighing.

For a single second he looked to the side, finding Pogtopia getting ready for the oncoming fight. Quackity, as always, was sitting in a corner, trying to distract himself with that book Tommy gifted him with. Sometimes, it almost felt like he wasn't even reading it – Just looking down at the pages and letting his mind wander somewhere else. Techno was nowhere to be found, as per usual, off working on some unknown plans of his own. Tommy, Niki and Fundy were all speaking with one another – Looking at them, Wilbur felt... Unsure. If Manberg were to go, what would they have left? The only other choice would be to let them die with it – And that seemed more cruel than anything.

These notes told him one thing – There was only one other man as broken as him in this city, struggling to live with what he had become and what he had been through. And was this fight between two lost friends worth all this suffering? But to Wilbur there was more to it than just Schlatt, was there not? He had channelled all his fears, his suffering, his needs for control into that single nation that crumbled no matter who put themselves into power. So what was the point of fighting any further for something so twisted and dark at its core?

Was it selfishness, the fact he wanted that painful memory erased for good? Or was it just him doing what was best for this world? If he brought something born of so much hate, so much terror into this land, wouldn't he just doom others into a fate just like his own?

Only days left, and still, he was unsure... Why was it all so damn difficult?

\---

Only one day left.

'We barely have any gear.'.

Niki was hesitant – That much was clear. Even with The Badlands vowing to join their side on the day of the fight after Wilbur's eventual agreement to let them fight with them, she was concerned. With everything happening they needed all the people they could get – Even if trusting them outright might have been stupid in any other situation. Antfrost still had that scar on his ear, after all – Or rather, the lack of about half of it. Why would he suddenly turn around and be willing to work with Technoblade? It was no secret to anyone The Badlands had their own agenda, but with the possibility of a few more swords to attack with, there was no choice but to bring them on.

'Most of us can't fight as well as Dream's people.'.

Fundy was afraid – He knew what Schlatt was capable of. It didn't matter how broken he himself was, or how little he could do when standing alone, as long as he was surrounded by people and had the means to order them around, he would win. As long as that man could stand, or even do as little as speak, he could get someone and get in their head enough to force them to do anything he wanted for them. The only way to end this war was to get rid of that very man at the core of it all – Once he was gone, finally, they could take back control of this nation once and for all. But... Would they even get a chance to get close? Or would Schlatt finally slip up and make the mistake that would lead him to lose all of the support around him?

'Do we even know what their plans are?'.

Quackity was... Probably the only one that didn't seem troubled over what was about to go down. He, as always, sat in the corners of Pogtopia, kept his eyes on that one, single, page of his book, and never spoke. He was always lost in his thoughts, thinking through something... No one ever quite knew what was happening in his head. Tommy had tried to apologize for pushing him back into Manberg so early – He insisted he was fine and returned to “reading” once more. It was concerning, that was for sure. But with everything happening... What were they supposed to do? There was so much to take care of, his situation almost felt... Trivial. At least to everyone around him – To him, of course, it was everything he knew. It was the outside that appeared useless.

'...Do we even have a plan?'.

And the three brothers were lost most of all – The split between them had grown into something that didn't seem possible to repair any more. Techno refused to share with Wilbur the truth about that name that seemed to have confused him more than anything – And he had not once apologized for any of his acts to Tommy. Wilbur continued considering pressing that button, only pushing Tommy further away, and found himself drifting away from Techno as he continued being more and more secretive about the identity of the woman named “Sally”. And Tommy? Of course, in a family of madmen, it would be the sane and the innocent that became hated.

Tommy had no choice as to how he was treated by the other two.

\---

Today.

It was finally time. He was excited, sure. But... He also didn't really want to leave.

Tubbo had become fond of Corpse. He couldn't hide that.

'And you're sure I'm okay to go?', the boy asked, fixing up the straps on the backpack the man had gifted him with. He filled it with some potions and bandages he could use in the future – As well as food and water, considering it was a bit of a walk from his camp back to the DreamSMP – And was getting him ready to be sent away.  
'All the wounds are healed. All that's left are scars, and those don't go away... You're still gonna have trouble with your eyesight, won't hear in one ear, but... You have to understand just how lucky you are that you even survived.', Corpse reassured him, placing something else in his bag. 'And... People need you back home, right? Something big is happening today.'.

'Yeah... I... I hope they didn't forget about me.', Tubbo spoke up, looking into the woods. 'I mean... I've been gone for a while. What if they don't care any more?'.  
'You've been gone for a couple weeks, Tubbo.', Corpse reassured him with a laugh. 'I'm sure just seeing you okay again will be enough for them to get reminded how much they cared.'.  
'Right.', Tubbo grasped onto the green scarf wrapped around his neck, smiling to himself. 'I can't wait to see Tommy again! I hope he's doing alright. Things have been... Rough.'.  
'Once you two are together again you'll be fine.', the man reassured him. 'Just stick together, okay? I have a feeling that... If you two are separated, something might go wrong.'.

Tubbo had to ask. This was his last chance to.

'Why did you save me, Corpse?'.  
'It's...', the man hesitated. He had to be honest, at least to an extent. He couldn't afford lying to him. 'I was passing through. That's true. But then... I saw you. And I saw the terrible things happening. So I stuck around. Just in case. I guess... I just did what I wished someone else had done for Robin and Cornelius. And... You remind me of them, too. So it felt right.'.  
'...And... You're leaving forever now?'.  
'Most likely, yes.', the man responded, himself starting to gather the last of his items. 'I've got other people now. Friends I've got to be with. I need to stop holding on to the past so much, you know? I guess I just wanted to head out somewhere and give myself one last moment to say goodbye...', the man looked down at his photograph, shrugging. 'But now it's time to let go.'.

'Well... I hope whatever is ahead of you is good.', Tubbo eventually said with a nod and a smile. 'Everyone deserves some good things in life once all the bad is over and done with.'.  
'Yeah. I've got good people with me now. I'll be alright.', Corpse reassured him with a smile. 'And... I need to stop looking back. So... This is the last time you'll see me. Probably.'.  
'Alright then...', Tubbo once more fixed up the straps on his bag, tightened Tommy's scarf around his neck and made sure his bandages were in place, and then rushed forward, wrapping his arms around the man in a tight hug.

'Thanks for everything. And good luck.'.

Finally, Tubbo ran towards the woods, turned back one last time to wave, and was gone.

And Corpse watched a person long gone disappear once more, whispering under his breath;

'Good luck, Robin...'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bye corpse  
> he gone until the sequel now lol  
> see ya 
> 
> also hi guys how are you :)  
> make sure to sub to my youtube channel im finally not blocked and have like... three cool videos planned  
> so woooooo
> 
> ALSO THERES A NEW CAPTAIN'S JOURNAL CHAPTER OUT YALL MAKE SURE TO READ IT!!!

**Author's Note:**

> For updates about BDAM and its universe + exclusive bonus content, make sure to follow the Tumblr blog!  
> https://mcytbdamofficial.tumblr.com/
> 
> And remember to read the spin-off, with a focus on CaptainSparklez and his journals!  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/29704890/chapters/73049562
> 
> \---
> 
> Hey! Enjoying the story? Here’s a bit about the author!
> 
> My name is Sam, I’m 16, and I’m a Fanfic Writer as well as a YouTuber, Original Story Writer and Student! I’m Polish and I live in Ireland, I moved here five years ago! 
> 
> If you’re enjoying this story, and would like to share your thoughts, fanart, or would simply like updates on the fic, make sure to check out my social media! 
> 
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